Ruda Must Live!

Lately it's started to get cold at my house. We have a small table covered with struggling little plants. Since I’m a bit of an "indoor gardener" I am genuinely concerned about the survival of our tiny green friends. One, in particular, seems to be close to the end of his little plant life. He has sad, dry, shrunken little leaves. His name is Ruda.

Personally, I think Ruda’s sad state is a result of my roommie, Nati’s good intentions: immediately after purchasing him she decided to relocate Ruda to a rather large clay pot. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to root in well before the cold hit.

However, Nati she has a completely different theory. Ruda plants are said to have the power to absorb energy in a home. You are supposed to place them at the door of your house to suck up all the negative vibes. If the leaves get dry and it wilts, it means there is an overabundance of bad energy in your home. According to my Nati, our neighbors are spawning evil energy and therefore the plant is dying. In fact, the current Ruda is a replacement for a previous version who met a similar fate: it shriveled all up and died. I thought it was due to the fuzzy white bugs growing on it's leaves but according to Nati there's evil energy somewhere in our building.

I've always loved houseplants because they do have a bit of personality. Plants appear to be just "objects" but if you get to know them you discover they have personalities, they respond to attention, they love it if you talk to them, they appreciate sun and fertilizer and other little plant treats. Apparently, Ruda is sacrificing his tiny plant life for us by keeping our house warm and loving. He’s protecting and saving us.

Regardless of if it’s an untimely re-potting or an abundance of negative energy, I'm worried about the little guy. I want him to live. I want him to be happy. Somehow it seems so symbolic and sweet, and while my logical brain knows the rational explanation for plant troubles, my heart reaches out to Ruda’s little fight for the joy in our home.