I’m happy to report that the two plants I received as housewarming presents are still alive and well after one week.

I have what I call a “magenta” thumb—in computer graphics speak, magenta is the polar opposite of green—in that every plant that I’ve ever had has met an untimely death: houseplants, cactii, bonsai, you name it…

Anyway to make life even more interesting for myself, I got two aquatic plants for my aquarium last weekend: an amazon sword plant and a java fern plant. Given what I’ve read I think the java fern has better odds, given that my tank has only sparse gravel, no special lighting, and no fertilizer (other than what the fish produce). It’s just as well, since given the size that amazon swords can grow, I think a stunted plant would be more suited to my 25-gallon tank. Anyway, at least I don’t have to water them.