Can You Keep a Secret?

This pretty little pink heather, blooming in the teal blue pot on my rosewood side table, is dead. That's right. Dead as a doornail. Crispy as well-done bacon. Devoid of life, it's now just a lovely dried flower.

I bought this little plant (alive and well) last fall at a Southampton nursery. It was displayed among their colorful ornamental peppers and hothouse chrysanthemums. I thought it would make a nice indoor plant that could be transplanted outdoors when the flowers disappeared. Surprisingly, the flowers never did disappear. Its enduring beauty was also its downfall. Displaying no dehydration, I continually forgot to water it.

So for my friends who tell me that you don't have a green thumb, this is a perfect plant for you. If it dies, no one will know. It'll be our little secret.

A Winter Rail Excursion

And the Winner Is...