My Easter Cactus - Mon Cactus de Pâques

Rumour has it that the snow is on its way back here with full force.
It's mid March for Pete's sake!

So, thinking I might be able to do something to re-dress the karma balance, I decided to get on and tackle a mini-project that's been sitting on our kitchen table staring at me for weeks now. It's a project with a pleasant Spring air.

See this little fella:

This is my Easter Cactus. He's actually quite an old wee fella and a family heirloom!

I inherited him via a chain of events around a year after Mr Peach and I moved in together. 

I believe he originally belonged to my Auntie Barbara (my Mum's sister) who sadly died when I was a toddler. He and I are both now in our 30's. 

For the 4 or so years I've been in charge of his care Mr Easter Cactus has lived in our bathroom, in his original pot, which I've long since thought he finds a bit of a squeeze. 

I'm not sure he totally enjoyed living in the bathroom. 

Whilst there was lots of water around, which meant he got a drink far more often than his fellow house friends (who I generally tend to starve), being a north-facing bathroom it was often a bit damp and fuggy. 

He tried his best and made beautiful flowers at least three times in that damp spot. Eventually though, despite having nice looking leaves, the damp just got a bit too much for him and he developed some mould issues:

So, I've decided it's high time this old fella got a spruce up and a new home. 

Equipment was grabbed:

Mr Easter's new coat was half-filled with special cactus compost.

He was unceremoniously stripped of his old orange plastic jacket 

(fortunately keeping most of his roots that had long since outgrown his clothes). 

Settled into his snug new ceramic pot. 

Snuggled up with more special compost in all the gaps. 

And given a nice drink:

   

And here is Mr Easter Cactus in his temporary new home, where he'll live for a few weeks whilst he gets used to his new clothes.

After he's got settled he'll have a nice drink with some extra feed in there and then will be moved to his permanent home, nice and sunny and bright, to hopefully fix those damp roots.

Hope you like your new outfit Mr Easter Cactus. 

Please do your best to usher some suitably warmer weather in our direction!

Mlle Peche x