Succulents Made Me Pick Up a Paintbrush I Hadn't Touched in Years

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Thanks to the author [Dian'er Mommy] for theoriginal submissionand sharing

Submission date: 2018.04.24

Edited and compiled by: Encyclopedia Jun

Location: Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

About me...

Me, a post-80s mom, 37 years old yet always with an ageless pink girly heart, a standard member of the looks-obsessed club like a true Libra, loving everything pleasing to the eye.

For example, beaches, the sea, swaying coconut palms; for example, handsome guys, pretty girls and young idols; and of course the succulents that are bound to accompany me through the long years.

About how my succulents and I began...

Actually, I haven't been in this hobby for long. In November 2017, because I moved to a new home, I went with my dad to the flower market to buy pothos to purify the air, and picked up a few common succulents along the way. At the time I didn't even know the difference between common and rare ones; if they looked cute, I just bought them!

From then on I've lived the life of succulent, soil, pot; pot, soil, succulent, an endless loop...

I'm just a balcony grower. To give my succulents a broader world, ugh! How broad can a small balcony be!

I started buying shelves, an electric hammer and hanging racks online, and once they arrived I got busy. Drilling into the wall sent dust flying everywhere; the neighbor diagonally across saw it and said, wow! A female worker! Until my small balcony truly, truly had no more room for my succulents. Summer in Guangzhou was about to arrive, and for a newbie like me it was still a bit scary.

So my succulents could make it through the summer safely, I started all kinds of busywork. A discarded simple cabinet was sawed and pieced together and turned into a rain- and sun-shade canopy. Looking at these finished products, even my husband marveled at how much energy a person can unleash when they love something!

About every day with my succulents...

Cute succulents can make a person much more diligent. Before, when I had no job, I could sleep until 11 o'clock. After keeping succulents, my days grew longer; even without a job I could be this busy.

Pottering around the balcony, pinching off dead leaves here, watering a little there, moving this pot and rearranging that one, even doing nothing at all, just looking at these cute succulents makes me feel this is poetry and distant lands!

Although my husband doesn't love succulents, he absolutely supports my keeping them. Many times I share with him, "This one is called Echeveria 'Tae-won'? This one is called Cotyledon papillaris, this one is called Bear's Paw, aren't the claws cute? This one is called Echeveria 'Blizzard'? See these threads, it grew them itself..." I go on and on, and my husband responds with "Really? Mm! Pretty! Very nice!"

Who cares if he's just humoring me, my mood is beautiful anyway.

About the paintbrush I hadn't picked up for years...

I'm an art student; after the art exam I studied fashion design, and after graduation I kept working in design. Since graduating from university in 2004 I hadn't picked up a paintbrush or touched paint again. Actually, my drawings back at the art exam were just so-so. I've seen other painting masters' works in the Encyclopedia, and I sigh at being no match, but good or bad it's my own painting, so I give myself a boost!

First I bought a batch of small pots to practice on, and as I painted I realized this is a whole other rabbit hole. After painting small ones I want to paint big ones, after painting square ones I want to paint round ones, plant this one with a cluster, plant that one with an old stem...

Writing this, I have to mention that the female worker's hands-on ability definitely comes from my worker dad's genes. My dad traveled to Sanya, Hainan and carried back a few coconuts. We drank the coconut water, and the coconut shells became pots. My dad is awesome, right!

Once done, I immediately gave my Cotyledon papillaris a new home. Coconut shell texture is excellent for airflow!

There are more and more pots, the setup keeps spreading, and the balcony feels even smaller. I'm so envious of those with big yards and big terraces, sunshine all around, a gentle breeze drifting in, infinitely beautiful.

There's a saying I really like: The happiest thing in the world is that after some effort, everything slowly becomes what we want it to be. Succulents are the same. You give it time to grow, without impatience, and it accompanies you as you age, quietly keeping watch. Though the years pass idly, they enrich your state of mind. There must be a place where beauty grows...

Finally, a photo of my most, most, most precious darling, this succulent must grow strong and healthy. Those who've read to the end, remember to hit like, thank you all for your support!

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This article has beenexclusively authorizedby the author to the WeChat public account: Succulent Plant Encyclopedia (ID: duoroubaike). The article's content does not represent the views or stance of the public account

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