About two years ago, I became a homeowner and started thinking of ways to fill up my space. I knew that my schedule wouldn’t allow for a pet, but I badly wanted to venture off into a project that required consistency, patience and compassion. It all started with one plant from the grocery store, then a few more from IKEA, then I discovered plant nurseries and the rest is history.
Through my journey as a plant mom, I’ve learned so much about myself and have felt plenty of highs watching them evolve. It’s also been rewarding to witness my own evolution, willing myself to be more observant. A healthy plant collection requires looking after them daily and noticing slight changes that can impact their long term sustainability.
I’ll never not be surrounded by green and I’m hoping these tips will help you as you venture into this new world of new life:
Don’t rush. Figure out which plants work well in your space. Do you have lots of windows? Would your plants get direct light from them? This depends on the location of your windows and the direction in which the sun shines. My favorites for indoor spaces are pothos, peace lilies and anthuriums. All require low lighting and can thrive in water alone as well.
Avoid over-watering. If you would rather grow plants in soil, which is much more common, don’t overdo it with watering. The chances are all of your plants will not be on the same watering schedule. For example, most of mine need water every 10 days at least- but my fiddle leaf fig is stubborn and demanding, often needing water routinely every seven days. However, all of them have gone two to three weeks without water and survived with just a little browning on the edges (I was traveling, don’t judge me). It’s worth mentioning because they are better off left alone. With a little sunlight, you'd be surprised by how independent they are. But here’s the best practice: stick your finger about an inch into the soil. If it feels dry, no moisture whatsoever, it’s time to add water.
Allow for drainage. Always use pots that have holes in the bottom and allow your plants to drain out. You’ll know you watered it enough, when you see water begin to trickle out of the bottom. I love terra cotta pots because they usually have holes in the bottom for drainage and they’re easy to paint and customize to your liking.
Remember, they need familiarity too. I’ve recently become obsessed with the idea of growing what I eat. I’m exhausted with label reading and continuously searching for ways to eliminate mysterious ingredients from my diet. That said, I started growing an avocado tree this spring and quickly found out that there’s a slim chance it will ever produce actual fruit. They thrive well when amongst their kind, therefore need to be an environment with other avocado trees....but for every problem, there’s a solution- sometimes one that is even more fruitful (ha!). I just peeled away at some new avocado seeds and now I have three trees in progress. Stay tuned for this adventure...I’m excited about the possibilities!
I hope this was helpful and encouraging for newbies. I was once there and many of my plants didn’t make it during those first few months. If you have questions, feel free to drop me a note or check out my Instagram Stories for updates.