Contrary to the afternoon forecast, it was lovely out-- cool and bright and perfect for blending into the green.

I scurried out back to sink my hands into some soil and prepare my plant babies for the upcoming intensities of summer.

To my dismay, one of my favorite and most prolific plants was struggling. I couldn't understand it. I had taken care of her through years of seasons, she had spawned several healthy offspring, and yet, she was now in distress.

In a controlled panic, I zealously pruned away the suffocating dead growth. It was scary and emotional and I feared for her survival. She looked so small and empty without the unnecessary pouf.

How did she get this way?

What was going on beneath the surface?

Do we ask that enough?

Upon further examination, I discovered that she was severely root-bound---so much so that she had engulfed and tried to assimilate a plastic grate in her pot while trying to escape...no--not escape---expand.
​
She was more alive than I had thought--

she just needed
room to grow.

What a breathless relief it was to lovingly remove her from her confines, loosen her tensed tendrils, and let her flow into her new space.

Now she is ready for the warm, wild summer and all its nourishing dynamics...

​...and she will be all right.
​

root-bound

room to grow