Happy Hour : A New Member of the Family, Part 1

Every been in a restaurant when it turns "Happy Hour?" You notice the mood instantly changes as everyone is ready for fun. Whenever I'm having a Bad Hair Day, my cure is always a personal Happy Hour. Of course, I'm hopeless addicted to interiors; so for me, this hour is all about decorating. In this series, we'll look at some quick and happy mood changers for our very own Happy Hour. Each should take about an hour - a mere 60 minutes - to perk up our minds and our rooms. Let's get the party started.

It all started on Friday, when I watched a few YouTubes regarding the glossy leafed gorgeous Fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata). Bought at Costco, my beloved 42"er is at least 10 years old but some of the leaves were getting yellow in spots. Turns out, it needed to be replanted. Doh! So, off I went to to a San Leandro nursery and then Home Depot. After repotting and a little pruning, here's the final result. I think we're ready for the next 5 years at least. But that's not the end of the story.

At Home Depot, I saw larger Fiddle leaf figs - for the unbelievable closeout price of $49.98. Last time I looked, a plant this size was about $200. I found one (not pictured) with 3 branches. That was exciting as if its only a trunk, it's rather hard to get another branch started. In the end, I went home without it as I just couldn't figure out where to put it. But, it was such a great deal!

Turns out, I had a mad crush on this tree as I woke up yesterday thinking about it. As soon as the store opened, I drove over to get it, finding it just where I left it. When I got outside, I missed our van. I brought plastic bags and a blanket and was planning to have some of it hang out the window as I slowly drove home.

I had no sooner put the blanket on the seats than a knight in shining armor arrived. "Hey, you need help with that? " Turns out this guy's first job was as a loader at a Hayward, CA nursery. He loaded plants into people's cars so he was a true professional. He tied the plastic bags around leaves to keep them close to the trunk and loaded into the passenger seat. It fit perfectly.

An uneventful ride home.

Before I watered it, I imagined this 7' beauty in the sunroom.

Seems like this Fiddle will be happier in the living room where there's lots of indirect light.

The next order of business was to give it a shower. Native to tropical western Africa, Fiddle-leafs can grow up to 50' outside. Indoors, about 10' is average.

I know Fiddle-Leaf Figs trees are a bit tricky to keep happy, but for $50 and an hour of time, it seems well worth trying. When the top 2" of soil is dry, it's time for a cup of water. Every week, I'll rotate the pot so all the leaves get sun. And every month, I'll dust off the leaves. I've ordered a larger pot and some clay pebbles (to help with root rot). Once they arrive this week, I'll spend another Happy Hour repotting. I'm thrilled to have a new member of the family! Enjoy your Sunday and be on the lookout for end-of-season house plant deals. After all, there's no better decoration for our rooms.

Please Note : Like many plants, fiddle-leaf figs leaves are toxic to both cats and dogs.

For more info -https://www.thespruce.com/grow-fiddle-leaf-fig-indoors-1902756