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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

I need help - I think I have killed someone's

84 replies

Cutecat78 · 15/07/2016 20:35

Plant - I forgot to water my colleagues plant while she was on leave.

This is a blatent not AIBU. Apologies.

I brought it home and thought it might "come back to life".

It hasn't

She asked as soon as she got back where it was - she's quite attached to it.

ARGH please identify it so I can replace it?!

TIA

I need help - I think I have killed someone's

OP posts:

WanderingTrolley1 · 15/07/2016 21:27

It needs water. And time. Lots of time...

Iflyaway · 15/07/2016 21:28

Ah, never mind. Shit happens. Leave her in the garden/on the compost heap and buy your friend a nice new plant... Aloe Vera or something, she will be thrilled.

if you leave a plant while on holiday, don't expect it to be welcoming you on return

daisychain01 · 15/07/2016 21:28

By the way, was your colleague on a 3 month sabbatical or summut?
Or you've left it on a windowsill to cook for her entire holiday!

That is one helluva mess you've got there, mine can last at least 3 weeks without a drop of water.

P1nkP0ppy · 15/07/2016 21:29

Ethey do flower but the flowers are pretty insignificant.
I might have one lurking in my greenhouse if you needed cuttings op, it's the purple leaved version ( i couldn't quite tell which one you've had in your tlc)

StarryIllusion · 15/07/2016 21:29

Could the fall from the desk have had a detrimental effect on it's health? Soak it overnight in a bowl of water. Then repot it in fresh soil and see if it perks up. Either way new foliage is going to take weeks to grow in so you'll have to tell her something. Say you were hoping it would recover before she returned.

wizzler · 15/07/2016 21:33

I reckon its a Wandering Jew... which I think is the same as a Tradescantia.... buy one from a garden centre... tis quicker then taking cuttings!

cdtaylornats · 15/07/2016 21:33

It missed her so much it committed suicide

Original poster

Cutecat78 · 15/07/2016 21:34

OP posts:

pearlylum · 15/07/2016 21:41

Maybe buy her a goldfish to cheer her up a bit?

Ratbagcatbag · 15/07/2016 21:42

Sorry op, no help here, I can only just keep my cactus alive but you have made me laugh.

Lorelei76 · 15/07/2016 21:52

OP how long was she away?!

To posters saying that plant can be revived, seriously? I've got a plug plant rhododendron that I'm about to chuck away, it did well initially but currently looks....well compared to the one posted here, it's full of life.

This one doesn't just look dead, it looks like a ghost. Op are you sure your colleague didn't poison it before giving it ot you?!

Beansprout30 · 15/07/2016 21:53

Just stick a big sunflower in there, she will never notice

Newes · 15/07/2016 21:58

Is this you, OP?

Original poster

Cutecat78 · 15/07/2016 22:07

OP posts:

FannyFanakapan · 15/07/2016 22:13

If it makes you feel any better OP, a colleague once asked if I would mind her rabbit over the holidays, as they were away in the USA for 2 weeks, and we used to have rabbits.

Well, little rabbit foo-foo lasted less than 24 hours, as a fox got in and into his run. Fortunately I had queried the run when they brought it over, as we knew we had a fox issue...they had assured me that all was well.

Next year they were off again, and asked if I would watch their giant african snail who was just coming out of hibernation. Well I duly sprayed him and put fresh greens into his home in the hopes of waking him, but he didnt come out and just got smellier and smellier....yep, dead.

Funny enough, she never asked me to watch her pets again.

unlucky83 · 15/07/2016 22:17

I had a plant that was bought as a present - it had white flowers (came from M&S) -left on the kitchen windowsill (which gets full on sun) with my cactus and aloe vera - I water them once a month. DD1 had started watering them more often especially that one as she said it looked miserable -I told her to stop as they were getting water logged...and she did.
Fast forward a few months when it had been hot - I went to give it its monthly water and it looked like yours.
Not wanting to admit to DD1 what had happened I gave it a good water and removed all the dead leaves (which was all the leaves! basically it was a stump in a pot) and push it out of sight...contemplating telling her I didn't know what had happened to it -maybe it have been eaten by a caterpillar or something?
A week or so later I noticed green shoots and now it has leaves etc again - no flowers yet but I think it flowers in Winter anyway...and DD has seen it and worked out what had happened...and told me she knew I would kill it -to which I've pointed out I haven't just gave it time to refresh itself...
I will see if I can be bothered to take a photo and post it - I can't see your photo well -but it could be a similar plant ...

elephantoverthehill · 15/07/2016 22:18

Daisy is right. Get a new pot with well watered compost, break off the bits that look almost alive and stick them in. It will revive.

YeOldMa · 15/07/2016 22:20

Write a ransom note and leave it on her desk. You can tell her you were hoping to find the kidnappers before the payout.

You won't even have to spend your own money on a new one then.

unlucky83 · 15/07/2016 22:24

So here's mine and it did literally look like an empty pot after I'd removed the dead leaves...

IamtheZombie · 15/07/2016 22:26

It's run away with a gnome gone on holiday. You need to enlist Mumsnetters to send post cards from all the places it's visiting.

Original poster

Cutecat78 · 15/07/2016 22:27

I like the gnome idea

OP posts:

IceMountain · 15/07/2016 22:35

I think it's that pink veiny one. It looks like it could revive... Good luck!

AlistairSim · 15/07/2016 22:36

That happened to me too, Fanny.
I looked after the nursery giant snail over Easter one year. It died. I will never forget going in to tell 30 3 year olds their beloved Alan was no more.
I still get dirty looks in the playground and they're in year 5 now.

MonkeyPoozzled76 · 15/07/2016 22:44

I think it's a Tradescantia zebrina, homebase or the like will probably have one.

Tell her you took it home to put in the green house as it was needing a bit of sun and a feed. Buy a lovely new one and let her marvel at you green fingers!

Original poster

Cutecat78 · 15/07/2016 22:49

The leaves didn't look like that - when it was alive ..

OP posts:

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