I think I’m going to name the four plants I have in hanging planters. I’m going to call them: Athos, Pothos, Aramis and D’Artagnan.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the first person to crack that joke!

So we recently moved, and with us came a crib, countless pillows, four cats, and what I affectionately call my plantation.

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They’re not much to look at, but I do love my plants and they give me joy. I’m so happy that many of them are thriving on the balcony! I see new leaves bursting forth on stems extending to reach the sun. I see little leaves still rolled up, shooting up from the little bamboo on my desk. My date palms have new leaves too, and my turtlevines have grown long enough for me to trim them and grow more in new pots.

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Two weeks ago I repotted some of my bell peppers, and I am sorry to say some of them look sad. I can only hope they survive the repotting, as my husband and I try to figure out how to protect them from the sun. But I am happy to report that my basil is not dead yet, and neither is my mint. I repotted both as well, and my hands smelled so lovely afterwards. Perhaps soon I’ll have enough leaves for a watercress salad again. Happily, my watercress is so lush.

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Perhaps it helps that they get regular sun and rain here. There are a variety of birds and insects buzzing about, and cool breezes before and after the afternoon showers. Perhaps they like hanging out in their new planters!

I never imagined I would derive such joy from plants, but here we are. Among the many things cluttering this house, I find benches and stools, shelves and tables, and I wonder if I can commandeer them for my little balcony garden. In the village marketplace on Facebook, I find sellers of soil and pots, plants and planters, and it’s so difficult to resist buying them all! I go for a run, and I am captivated by the beautiful colors of the flowers I find, by the dizzying patterns on two-toned leaves, by the way a vine climbs up a tree.

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I can’t wait to buy more plants, to watch them thrive, to smell their blooms.

Oh God. I’ve gone full plantita!