Flowerpot therapy

Ornella Davis
2 min readAug 21, 2023

Author’s flowerpot

Today, uncertainty took hold of my mind and dragged me down. To dispel my thoughts, I decided to take a walk to the open garden store. The front window could use some flowers.

As I walk, I inhale deeply, hold my breath for a while and exhale slowly. I do this several times. I’m already starting to calm down.

I get to the garden store. It’s the end of season, and flowers are on sale. They don’t look too bright, some of them are desperate for water. No one wants them, and their price is derisory.

Perhaps I should have come earlier when there was more choice and they were prettier. Those leftover pots mirror my pitiful thoughts.

For a long time, I stand there observing the remaining flowers, while passers by don’t deem them worthy of a single glance. I start associating a few pots. Two, three dried stems, but still plenty of potential. The storekeeper has neither the time nor the desire to take care of them.I do. Come home, I remove the dead matter and discover little buds that will give rise to new flowers.

A smile spreads across my face as I step back and look at the result.
Out of scraps, I made something beautiful. I eliminated the wilted flowers and, at the same time, my negative thoughts.

My uncertainties haven’t disappeared, but they’re no longer so overwhelming. I breathed new life into the plants and highlighted their potential. Once sad and confined to their little pots — like me, in my thoughts — they now have room to grow.

And they’ve joined forces with their neighbours to beautify the street.

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Ornella Davis
Ornella Davis

Written by Ornella Davis

Inspired by nature’s mirror and life experiences

Responses (5)

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Loving this! Nature can give us and teach us so much if we listen and open our hearts.

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I do this too.
I love revamping sad ones and helping them bloom again.... a post-home-trip tidy & long spritz makes them soooo happy! If there is room i add a cm of new dirt and wait till move-shock is over for any food-giving.... eggshells in the watering can helps most houseplants (change-out every week).

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Those leftover pots mirror my pitiful thoughts.

Its wild how nature can reflect our inner state and how we can transform both through effort ❤️

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