How would you like to have a personal assistant that never talks back, is always happy to see you each morning, entertains you, works diligently on his computer, and is extremely handsome? This is Jake the Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens) who has his own desk, laptop and research books (thanks to Barbie). He has been working side by side with his boss Karina for a year at the Vancouver Foundation in Vancouver, B.C.

He just recently had his office redecorated with some fabulous plants.

Crinum calamistratum flowering.

The crinkly, spidery looking plant is Crinum calamistratum which does really well in low light, grows slowly (so it won't crowd Jake out of his office) and provides a sort of hammock where Jake can hang out during his breaks. When the leaves end up too long they can simply be cut from the top. Under the proper conditions when the plant is well established, is given some direct light and aquatic plant fertilizer, it can actually flower! The flower will appear on a shoot above the water and only blooms for a day, so have your camera ready. The other plant is Dracaena sanderiana (commonly known as Lucky Bamboo) which loves to grow in the water where it's roots help provide filtration and oxygen and will continue to grow out of the water to provide shade and privacy for Jake. Lucky bamboo is native to Cameroon in West Africa and is a popular Feng Shui plant and although the name implies that it is a bamboo, it actually is in no way a member of the true bamboo family.

Hey Jake, thank your boss for sending me your picture. I want an assistant like you!