start the aspidistra flying...

valentines day this year i asked for an Aspidistra plant which Head of Finance thought was a good idea, and he duly set about his task of finding said plant...3 garden centres later...no Aspidistra - he was told by one garden centre that "they are very old fashioned and we don't get them in anymore"...this was like a red rag to a bull to me and made me want one even more....we looked on-line but weren't sure about purchasing an established plant this way...and then....yesterday...Head of Finance comes home from work and tells me that he had mentioned his mission to a patient of his (he's a podiatrist)...the kind old lady said "ooooh i've got one in the garden you can have, it's been there all winter....they are known as cast iron plants so you won't  kill it"...Head of Finance told me not to get too excited about the plant (he could see by my face that i was, and i was expecting a wonderful, tall, Aspidistra with glossy leaves, happy with itself for surviving a harsh english winter)...i was presented with this:

he said that the kind old dear picked it up and the pot fell apart (i guess due to the frost)...i daren't take away the weeds at the bottom of the Aspidistra because, maybe they are keeping it alive somehow!!!! (and they look pretty)....so....this has got to be challenge of the year - how do we get this 'green stick' to flourish?

i love the Head of Finance - he never fails to make me smile...Happy Valentines Day my love (did i ever tell you that you are a nutter?!?!?!?!) XXX