Bringing the Outdoors In
Hey fellow Busy Bees - Kylie here this week.
Soooooo, before COVID hit a year ago, I was a self-diagnosed “Black Thumb”. (Or at least diagnosed by my loving husband). I couldn’t keep bamboo alive (and those are indestructible, or so I was told). Maybe I didn’t have the patience? (That would not surprise anyone who knows me….Mary is chuckling right now). I’m not a patient person. My other problem is that I love my plants TOO much. I suffocate them. I feel that I need to water them every day to make them feel loved. And then I kill them :-( You get the idea. I SUCKED at plants.
Well, when COVID hit, as everyone is fully aware, being trapped inside was hard. Whether you’re a working mother with little ones, or a single person stuck alone in your own brain, or an empty nester - doesn’t matter - you’re trapped.
I don’t know why I decided to take on the hobby of growing plants. The sad thing is, I don’t remember a lot of early quarantine (it’s all a blur). I think at one point, I decided I needed some fresh flowers, so I thought the easiest thing would be to go buy giant hydrangea bushes and plant them in my backyard (hahahahaha, that was probably not the smartest “beginner” choice). Anyway, when I was at the plant store (I LOVE Seed to Stem in Worcester!!), I saw all the indoor plants and I was like, YES I CAN DO THAT!
Now, granted, when I went, it was the first time I had been away from my 7yo and 3yo for more than 10 minutes. It felt good. I was surrounded by all these living creatures that did not yell back at me or beg for TV. Hmmmm, could I really do this?
I started with a very basic plant - a Fittonia (or sometimes called a “Nerve Plant”). And it THRIVED. Legit didn’t matter where I put the damn thing, it THRIVED. In fact, I call her my Drama Queen because she’s so vocal and tells me when she needs water (see below). She was thirsty, and after I watered her, 30 minutes later she perked back up! (Yes, that is a sign indicating that she is a Drama Queen. I’m a good mom.)
Ok, this is easy, I thought. I can totally do this.
And so, the obsession began.
To date, I now have over 20 indoor plants. I know, a little obsessive. But once you get hooked, you can’t stop. My husband keeps joking that I have a problem. I even have a Parlor Palm that is in our bathroom, and he keeps yelling at me that the Palm is getting handsy with him when he gets out of the shower. Suck it up, buttercup, I keep saying. Leave my poor plants alone!
It’s my alone time - my ritual each Saturday - to spend time watering them, making sure they’re happy. Pruning them when they need to be and even giving the big girls showers (I know, don’t laugh!!)
We teamed up with Candace and Virginia, the owners of Seed to Stem this week to get their advice and tips as well - so you don’t have to just trust me…I mean, let’s be honest, up until last year I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. So we knew we needed an expert opinion as well! If you’ve never been to their shop in Worcester, MA you MUST go….it’s a feast for the eyes and it’s like walking into a tropical garden the minute you walk in. Follow them on IG - you won’t be disappointed!!
So I thought it might be fun to get you all excited and try some of your own starter plants! That’s how I did it - start with EASY ones so that you get the hang of it and go from there!
SNAKE PLANT
The first one I’d suggest is a Snake Plant. They thrive in many kinds of light (mine’s in a dark corner) and they HATE watering. Like literally, only lightly water once a month in the winter! So basically, they don’t need anything. Literally, let them sit there alone and they will thrive. You really cannot go wrong. The only way I killed mine was because, like I said, I was too enthusiastic and loved it too much (picture Elmira from Looney Tunes - “I will love you and squeeze you!”)
And Candace agrees -
The Snake plant is our go to recommendation for the customer that asks for a low maintenance plant because they literally are the most easy going. Medium to low light and water sparingly! I have several at home to fill any spot with minimal light that needs a little green.
This is mine - he loves me.
SPIDER PLANT
Another good one to try - the Spider Plant. I love mine - I had mine in direct sunlight, which he loved. However, I noticed that his leaves were turning very white. Apparently they can get bleached, so I moved him just into some indirect light. Candace helped me realize that……Now he’s green again. But the good news? He told me what he wanted!!! So easy!! He didn’t die! He just needed to move a little! I also like him because he grows FAST. So I have this satisfied “I’m a good mom” feeling whenever I water him :-D
Candace adds:
Spider plants are another low maintenance plant that we love! We suggest a bright indirect light and water when the soil is almost dry! They have been popular forever because of their easy maintenance and the babies can be passed along to friends!
You can even propagate these - although I haven’t been ambitious enough yet…I’ll let you know if I fail :-P
DONKEY’S TAIL OR BURRO’S TAIL
Ok, if you have a Southern facing window - you may be a Succulent guru like me. If you don’t have a good window with a lot of direct sunlight - succulents may not be for you. And you have to be careful with succulents depending on if you can handle the low watering schedule. But I’ve had AMAZING luck with a Donkey’s Tail (aka Burro’s Tail). She is an incredibly fast grower and she’s SO EASY to propagate. She just keeps making more babies! The woman is fertile, I swear!
Candace adds:
Burrows tails are great because they can tolerate very little water! Give it some sun and only water when the soil is dry! The only pesky part about them is they drop a lot of petals. They are super propagators though so you can just pick them up and toss on the soil to start new ones!
She’s not joking - it’s so VERY satisfying because you can see the growth so clearly and watch new babies appear literally within a week or two. The only thing to remember, which I did not know at the time, is that you should plant it in a bit of a bigger pot. They HATE to be repotted (they’re very fragile) and so I lost a few little petals off of mine. She’ll be fine, though. She’s just mad at me right now. But check out these pictures - see the little baby growing?!?! Incredible!
PARLOR PALM
OK, so Parlor Palm is listed as an easy plant. And many people I’ve talked to agree. But for some reason, mine is temperamental. He started in the Kitchen, but didn’t like that area - perhaps too much sun? So then I moved him to our master bathroom - I mean, he is a tropical plant after all, so I figured the hot showers would make him happy. But his leaves were still browning - so I think still too much sun. Now he’s down in our entry…the jury’s still out on him. Maybe he’s just not in my wheelhouse. But I’ve heard amazing things! I do love him - he’s so exotic and large!
Candace helped me on this one - seriously love that she calls them divas. I did not know this when I purchased her…..
The Parlor palm can at times be a diva. The browning edges on the leaves likely indicate burning from too much sun or sometimes drying out too much from lack of watering or being next to a heater...We recommend bright indirect light and watering in the shower about once a week as long as the top few inches of the soil feel dry! Water meters are an inexpensive way to regulate moisture levels especially for your larger houseplants.
Someone talk to my palm please? And tell her to just chillax? (also ignore the uncovered outlet - everybody is experiencing shipping delays - EVEN AT MY OWN HOUSE! I can’t get the right outlet cover!! So, I promise, to everyone out there, yes, shipping is AWFUL right now!!)
MORE AND MORE AND MORE…
I could go on and on - but there are so many varieties out there to choose from. If you’re ready to head out to your local nursery, there’s a few things I’ve learned since my first foray that I’ll share with my fellow newbies:
Figure out what kind of light you have in your home.
If you have a southern window that gets light most of the day - put some succulents there! If you have a filtered drape there, put plants that need bright, indirect light! They will thrive!
If you have an eastern window, this is a great spot for the bright, but indirect light.
Any northern window is going to be fairly low light - so plan accordingly!
How many plants are you starting with? This sounds like a dumb question, but I kid you not, I got to the store and got so excited that I bought like 50 plants (joking, but you get the idea). So have a plan in mind.
When you get there, look at the plant tags! That’s where you’ll find out how much sun and water it needs - don’t grab it if you think you don’t have the right light!!!!
Make sure you buy a pot for it that’s slightly bigger. The best ones are the pots that have a hole in the bottom with a matching tray. When I first started, I only bought the decorative pretty pots - but they didn’t have holes. I learned very quickly with a few succulents that without that drainage hole, the roots can get drenched and rot quickly. So now I always make sure there’s a drainage hole!
Get ready for the inevitable gnat flying around! It’s ok - they’re harmless. But they do start appearing. I highly recommend these little guys to help control the situation!
And just because you’re the best new plant mom/dad, you need these for fun! Little “Sassy Stakes”! You’ll see them in all of my pictures :-)
So, I’m still growing my little plant family….and I was recently at Holliston Antiques and found THE PERFECT chinoiserie etagere bookcase to continue my collection. You can already see a few empty pots just waiting for my next trip to Seed to Stem!
Want to get more tips and tricks for your home? Next week we’re going to be talking about the 5 decorating mistakes to NOT make. So make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter (below!) and follow us on IG for the latest news!!