Fiddle Leaf Fig

Between the two of us, Mike and I have four brown thumbs. Seriously, we kill just about every plant we get our hands on.

With the new house and an actual patio, we've decided to give gardening another try and are both pleasantly surprised that the few plants we've bought haven't kicked the bucket yet. I attribute this to the the fact that most of the grassy areas in our complex are way over-watered so any that seeps into the ground surrounding our yard provides enough to keep our plants from dying during the 'dry spells' when Mike and I forget to water.

Along with the few plants we've put in the ground, we also have a lime tree in a container that's really taken off as well as a few other little flowering plants that seemed to die at one point but are now back with a vengeance.

All this luck has pushed me to take the plunge and try my hand at a house plant I've been coveting for a few years now - the fiddle leaf fig. Now that you've seen one, I bet you will notice a million more as they've become the 'it' plant of home decor. I've read from other blogs that a few years ago they were super expensive and virtually impossible to find but now they are more common place at big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe's.

As we do almost every Saturday, we hit up Home Depot this weekend for a few items and ended up coming home with a cute little fiddle leaf fig for $16. Right now it's about three feet high and more of a bush than a tree, but already adds so much color to the living room. These plants can be a little finicky but do well in front of a window with a lot of light and consistent watering. At the very least, I have comfort in knowing that if it dies within a year, Home Depot will gladly take it back... though I'm hoping that won't be necessary.

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Pluviophile

One of my favorite things I inherited from my mom is my love of rain. Sure, I enjoy sunny days but give me a downpour, a hot cup of tea, and a blanket and I am content. We've been having a drought here in California so I am happy it finally decided to rain this week (I keep telling Mike we should move to Oregon but he's a little reluctant).

Although houses in the Bay Area don't need to take their 'winterizing' as seriously as other areas of the country, there are a few things that I always forget about until it starts to pour:

//1. Cleaning Out Gutters: unfortunately for us, Mike and I are both not a fan of heights which makes cleaning our gutters (on the second story) not the most pleasant thing. This year we got a pass since they were cleaned before we moved in and the HOA seriously cut back all the trees in our complex before the leaves fell so not much should be in there now. We did buy these little expandable, wire-mesh doodads that are supposed to keep the downspouts free of blockage, but neither of us are brave enough to climb up there and put them in.

//2. Being Extra Vigilant about a Clean Kitchen: I haven't seen any yet, but usually when it rains hard outside, all the ants decide to come inside. The house I grew up in had a big issue with ants in the winter and my mom was extra careful to clean up spills, crumbs, and store the peanut butter in the fridge (ever tried to make a PB&J with cold peanut butter?! miserable).

//3. Covering or Storing Patio Furniture: With patio furniture being as pricey as it is, you definitely don't want to end up replacing it year after year. We are waiting on buying a good set for this summer, but if we end up spending the money to get the one I really want, you can be sure that baby is getting a nice, water-proof cover to go with it and the cushions are going in the garage rafters before the first sprinkle. The same goes for the grill - it's already too late for the one we have now (it was abandoned for a few years while Mike was living in the apartment) but I recently took it all apart to clean it and was amazed at how rusted the inside was.

Anyone else have tips to add? Are there any other Pluviophiles' out there who want to put on their rain-boots and go jump in some puddles with me?

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