PLANT MAMA

a lady and all her plant babes

I’m not sure when it happened but at some point I became a full-on plant lady. 50+ indoor plants and counting. Becoming a plant mama has been a huge part of my self-healing and I can’t imagine my home, or any future home, without them. They’re my babes! But I wasn’t always a plant mama. I’m only a few years in on my planthood journey. 

I’ve always had a plant or two wherever I lived, usually that plant from a housewarming gift that I would only keep alive for a couple of months. I knew I really wanted to be a plant mama, but trying to be one in NYC never caught on. The climate was too unpredictable and sunlight was lacking in most apartments. And the biggest truth—I had no availability to take care of anything else or anyone else besides myself. I was still deep in that survival mindset. The one I carried with me from childhood. The mindset that wore out its welcome for way too long. So I put my plant mama dreams aside.

a move to california

NYC also wore out its welcome. Or maybe it was the other way around, maybe it had enough of me. Either way, as soon as I got myself to the Southern Cali coast, my plant mother instincts kicked in again and this time it was strong. With an ideal climate, enough sunshine for the chlorophyll and all the neighborhood nurseries I could ask for, I was ready. But also, I started self-healing which made more space in my life to care for other beings. 

My move to California shifted my whole world. As someone that’s moved almost 30 times in her life (I’m 36 so I think that’s quite a lot), I’m quick to adapt to new living situations and environments. But this move was big. This was a new identity, one I was so ready to get to know. It also meant I had to let go of an old identity, and while I was ready to experiment with this self-transformation, shit wasn’t easy. But I had a big sun-filled California window in my new apartment and one by one, I started lining it with plants. They were becoming my daily support through a bumpy but necessary life transition.

It didn’t take me long to realize how much joy I was receiving from taking care of my plant babes. And it didn’t take me long to realize how much I had really blocked joy out of my life for so long. So I leaned into my plants hard because joy was feeling good. I brought more home. I started greeting them every morning. I built a spreadsheet for their individual water routines. I started studying up on the plant varieties I had. I lost some. I brought some back to life. I lost more. I adopted more. I found my favorite nurseries. I scoured LA in search of affordable planters (pots are so expensive!). I learned a lot about being a plant mama, a good one. I’m still learning because this ain’t no hobby. This is a lifestyle. It’s part of my Ayurvedic lifestyle—cultivating my relationship with nature in the home, one indoor plant at a time.

I don’t think I need to run through the benefits of having indoor plants because they speak for themselves, but for me, the quality of my home energy has massively improved from having these pots of joy. The air I breathe in feels lighter and brighter which improves my mood. I have beautiful natural decor to look at and enjoy every day. And I’m in a wonderful give-take relationship with 50+ housemates. Those are some high vibe benefits if you ask me. 

is planthood for you?

Planthood is for everyone. It’s just about having the emotional availability to care for something else. If you don’t have that right now, it doesn’t mean you won’t be a plant parent in the future. But when you’re ready, remember the three main pillars for plant life—soil, water and light. As long as you can provide that you’ll learn as you go, but here are a few tips for plant shopping and care:

~ Learn what kind of natural light you have in your home—what direction it’s coming in from and if it’s harsh or soft. From there, look up varieties of plants that prefer that kind of light.

~ Keep your new plant in the planter you bought it in for a while. In most cases, a plant can stay in that nursery container for quite some time as it acclimates to a new environment. To change its environment AND its pot is quite shocking on the plant.

~ Look up your new plant’s water preference. This one is important and just do the best you can.

~ Don’t be an overbearing plant mama like me and overwater. It’s taken a long time for me to learn (and I’m still overbearing at times) but err on the side of dry. Unless a particular variety likes to be constantly moist but you’ll know this because you will have looked up its water requirements.

~ Wipe down their leaves and clean out any dead leaf debris from the pot. Keep their homes clean!

~ Receive their healing vibes, fluff them, talk to them, play music for them, love them, let them love you.

As much as I am my plants’ caregiver, they give me more life and joy then I could possibly return. I want that for you too. Wishing you a plant-filled home of joy!