The beauty of February sunshine dancing across drifts of fresh snow was the view from my bedroom window as I watered my houseplants this afternoon. The contrast of winter white and lush greenery was remarkable. The plant I was admiring is a Boston fern, one I rescued from a roadside trash pile in autumn of 2011. One morning I noticed the parched fern and another neglected little plant huddled next to a trash bin on a nearby street. I drove past with hesitation; I didn't have time to stop, but I so much wanted to rescue the two plants before trash pickup.
Later that afternoon, on my way home, I was thrilled to find the trash bin emptied, and the plants still on the roadside. I lifted them into the car and brought them home. I gently clipped out the brown leaves and stems, and watered them thoroughly. I decided to keep them in the house because it was late autumn, with its fickle weather, and I wanted to be sure they got the best chance for survival possible. I placed them in the front window of my bedroom, where they would receive a good dose of afternoon sun each day. Slowly, as we progressed through autumn and winter, the plants began to thrive again.
By the time I took my houseplants outside in May to their summer homes, both plants were healthy. The fern, in particular, loved its spot on the front porch, sheltered a bit from the elements, with filtered sunlight in the afternoon. By the end of summer the fern had grown significantly, and was a thing of beauty.
This past autumn I once again placed the fern in my bedroom window. I water it regularly, and the afternoon sunshine that filters through the lace curtains has kept the beautiful plant healthy and lush throughout these cold winter months. What a treasure I found on the roadside that day, waiting for the trash truck to come, and how thankful I am that I was able to rescue it.
