Taking care of Pothosu

A journey of a plant killer turned plant lover

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got a small indoor plant as a birthday gift from my friend. Only she did not realise that I am a plant killer, despite my best efforts to grow them. I fell in love with the small plant with heartshaped leaves. The Internet tells me it is called Pothos. I decided that little Pothosu would live and thrive in my house come what may. Pothosu? Yes, the South Indian system of nomenclature runs strong in my genes — add a ‘u’ or an ‘n’ to names and own them.

My father was a government servant and we lived in small towns in big houses with gardens and backyards. My best memories of childhood are the hours spent with siblings and friends under the shade of trees or sometimes sitting on some low branches. We named the trees. Some were good, some evil, and some (the Mango tree) magical. The Jamun tree was a favourite — it would cast a spell on us with its fruits and rustling leaves.

Unfortunately, this affinity with plants faded with time. My lack of gardening skills and life in concrete jungles cut out plants from my life. Or so I thought until I got my gift.

I decided that I would protect and preserve my gift. I did the intelligent thing and consulted two advisers — the friendly neighbourhood gardener and Google guru. When all the stars were aligned propitiously, Pothosu was installed near the French window where it would get the right amount of sunlight (no chance of too much sunlight as I live in Bengaluru). I measured the amount of water that I would pour gently at regular intervals.

Many people believe that plants are sentient beings. They talk to their plants. They say that their plants wilt when there is tension in their house.

You may call me whatever you want — but I talk to Pothosu and find it therapeutic. I know she smiles when I tell her something funny.

Ihrift culture is slowly gaining popularity in our country, especially among the youth.

Thrifting refers to the practice of purchasing preowned gently used products, mainly clothing.

Thrift wear or upcycled products are those that are already used by someone, cleaned, retouched and, if needed, embellished and sold. These clothes are sold at a comparatively lower price than the original ones. Thrifting is more common among the Gen Z as it combines fashion and sustainability. It also does not burn a hole in the pocket.

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