Sansevieria Velvet Touch

“Have you ever seen a   plant that looks like it's made of eight separate sharpened pencils with bright colors on its tips?” 

Have you ever seen a   plant  that has a velvety texture ?”

I stared at the exquisite purple velvety tips with disbelief. I had never seen anything like that before.

With my eyes glued to the plant I rushed into the store knocking my forehead in the glass door.

Cindy, the florist, was a  charming woman  in her sixties. Although she immigrated from London fourty years ago she still kept her British  manners.

I was shaking like the willow tree in the storm while touching my forehead and trying to guess: blood? sweling? .

“Oh lord Talia, she said, let me get some ice cubes dear. That will take the swell down and calm the pain”

I have known Cindy since my brother’s Bar Mitzvah . She and her husband Yaakov made beautiful bouquets for the party.

Since then, my mom says that Cindy first fell in love with the flower shop and then with Yaakov. Yaakov immigrated from Iran. He  has  opposite political thoughts . The flowers are the witnesses for the constant political discourse in the shop.

Two minutes later Cindy came with ice cubes. 

She picked up  the Lily Bouquet that she assembeld and asked in her warm voice: ” What would you like to pick up today?”

 My heart was  still beating really fast when i whispered

“ Is this a living flower?”

“ Sure Madam ” She answered promptly with her and opened her blue eyes. 

Her  look was filled with  wonder for me daring to ask such a question in her shop.

“This is a new scientific product that was created by botanists and scientists from the Netherlands. They dress the plants with purple “velvet socks”. Thanks to their intensive color people like them and it became my best seller during the lockdown. So, at the moment there is a yellow plant on the shelf  and a purple one.”

“This plant is for a water saver lady like you. You have to water it just  once a month.

“Great!” 

“You will see that the new trunks will pop up and will stay green” 

I looked around and my train of thoughts about the way I can present this plant in my lesson was interrupted by a young lady who stepped in : “  “Can I have this purple plant?” She asked.

I opened big eyes and looked at the lady “Sorry ,I have just learnt about this  Sansevieria Velvet  plant. This plant is going to be my “hero” in my zoom class today. I am going to explore with my students the theme One object many activities”  I answered and grabbed the plant.