Scheduled Spring surgery, plant kingdom, that is

Today being warm, sunny, windy, far too good to be foofling around indoors, was the scheduled surgery date for the boston fern, found in a dumpster several years ago and now totally outgrowing her second pot, and the dracaena, found in the dumpster by my neighbor a few months ago, and brought to me as the official Local Plant Rescuer.

The fern needed radical (literally!) surgery, and here she is on the operating table on the patio. This picture may be too graphic for sensitive viewers.



Then the post-separation picture showing the potential of two lovely plants from one



And here the recovery room, in new pots, after half a gallon each of intravenous fluid known in the trade as aitchtoowoh (TM).




Next patient on the surgeon's list was the misshapen dracaena, here presenting all the symptoms of a plant whose original owner didn't attend to its pruning needs, but let it grow any old how, bent and unhappy, then when the family moved, despite the d's devotion to them, tossed her aside. Gardeners Without Borders see these heartbreaking sights all the time.




The actual surgery was simply too graphic for a family oriented blog, but here is the recovery room for what may now be a new life for three plants

One best hope, the top of the original



Two fond hopes, outlook uncertain, but they will be under close observation and rest




And here are the ferns and the main hope of the dracaena caper, reunited with their peeps in the living room, Elton playing peaceful music in the background while they come round from the experience.



He fancied trying therapeutic music, and I persuaded him that Claire de Lune was a better choice than Waltzing Matilda.

Meanwhile, the daffodils continued blazing away, despite the terrible sights they saw this morning on the patio, smug in the knowledge that they know exactly how to grow and need no tips nor surgery.



We won't mention to them that sometimes you do have to dig and separate daffodils, no, not just now.