I wish I had a normal phobia. People who are scared of spiders get a sympathetic nod. Needles? Aren't we all. Open spaces? Totally understandable. Heights? No worries. Cotton balls? Oh, a little weird, but we’ll let it slide.

Mine is Magic Trees and Magic Gardens. In their packaged state, with no water added, they’re completely harmless. Once they begin to grow, they completely freak me out. I think the little spikey fluffy particles are airborne, that once I’ve breathed them in, they will lodge in my nose, sinuses or lungs, and begin their continual cycle.


    * Add moisture – grow into fluffy pink or green balls.
    * Dry out - disintegrate into tiny crystals.
    * Spread throughout my system.
    * Repeat.


Infact, you may have already been infected, and at this very moment you are breathing out tiny fluffy particles who are in search of a new host.

ANYWAY. This is something I’m only comfortable sharing online, under a pseudonym. Because even my friends and family are unaware of this fear (irrational as it may seem), I’ve been the recipient of several ‘magic’ items over the years. Which is actually a little strange when you think about it – they aren’t like socks or teapots which you can easily receive multiples of… but clearly something about me screams ‘I wish to grow a fluffy garden in my respiratory system!”.

I digress. Clearly this ‘magic’ has the potential to bring joy and scientific discovery, but I can’t keep it in my house any longer.  I’ve never opened this box, though you can see from the photo that it’s been stored under something to ensure that, even in their dry state, those dastardly crystals can’t find me. Australian Geographic doesn’t sell these any more, so I can’t provide you with an RRP.

In all seriousness, kids love these things. They’re a cheap and easy way to get someone to stare at a fixed spot for around 10 hours, which can be a blessing sometimes.

I’m aware that the above phobia may be a result of watching too much XFiles or Buffy, but I’m just not prepared to take that chance. I’m hoping you are.