Late last year, I had a few unpleasant experiences with the postal service of the country I live in. A parcel I sent in early November never arrived at its destination... 😔 It is completely lost (I know, my mistake for sending it as a regular package and not with a tracking number). Then, the Worldmappin package (a gift for taking part in a riddle and solving it in one Hive meetup in Graz) has never arrived at me... it is another mystery. But the highlight was one sweet package that was sent to me as a Christmas gift, which was "hijacked" by customs, literally. 😡 I was already starting to dread sending or receiving any packages, but the day before Christmas, my streak of bad luck with the postal service was finally broken. I got a parcel.
That didn't go quite smoothly either, but I won't turn this post into a rant 😁! So, in short, I was able to collect this surprise box on the second attempt. Crazy times in post offices around Christmas... I spent an hour or so there waiting for my turn, did the last shopping for the Christmas holidays, but once at home, the unboxing could start. Exciting moments, although I knew about one part of the content of the shoe box. Plants! 🌿
I also found some sweets, a letter, and two plastic containers. After reading the letter and taking out the sweets, I carefully unwrapped the white paper. In that moment, this orchid took a deep breath and slowly opened its eyes; ok, this probably happened just in my mind 😂, but the poor thing spent over a week closed in the box and carried by the postmen.
Who knows how the parcel was treated, as one of the leaves was damaged. Another leaf also had some yellow signs - probably as a result of a lack of water and light during the travelling adventure. I gave it a lot of water that same day.
It was the turn of the larger plastic container. Although the label on its lid suggested ice cream, it was not the tasty frozen treat that I found in there. It was something better: succulents!
Many different types of succulents slowly emerged from the paper wrappers and then fell into my hand to pose. It was nice to meet them for the first time, and to promise that I would take care of them. Well, I was also advised in the letter to try not to kill them all right away. 😆
Okay, the cactus is not posing in my hand. 😁
When I opened one of the papers, I was not sure what I was seeing. Some roots - at least it was obvious. A bit later, I was told by the sender of these baby plants that it is Oxalis. I also got the instructions on how to plant these roots, so now I am waiting to see if it will grow from the soil. 🌱
Of course, all the plants found their new home in different pots on my balcony. The rain was present in the last few weeks here, and I see that all my plants loved that; however, a cold wave arrived, so I am a bit worried for the succulents because of the night temperatures.
! [temperatures this night]
Anyway, at the moment they all look happy and with the willingness to survive at my place! 😁
These long stems with cute little leaves share the pot with some of my other plants.
The orchid is the only one that still doesn't look so happy. It already lost two leaves (the broken one and the other that showed yellow signs)...
Fingers crossed 🤞 it recovers and I escape the fate of becoming a plant-killer so soon after receiving these plants! 😂
Oh, wait, I almost forgot to tell you what was in the white, smaller container.
Don't ask me to identify these plants, as I wouldn't know to tell you, but yummy, they were edible and very tasty! 😋
