Plant Care and Self Care

The Start of a Journey in Plant Care and Self Care

I remember the first time I realized plants could be “happy”. It was my sister in law’s response to my brother’s inquiry as to why the Ivy plant had to find its home on the bathroom sink. She responded in a matter of fact way, saying, “It’s happy there.” She shrugged her shoulders and walked away. It was that simple. My brother laughed and shook his head, accepting her words as a reasonable response.

Naturally, I stared at that Ivy plant every time I washed my hands for weeks after that conversation. However, staring intently at the Ivy plant was not what brought me a better understanding of why this plant was thriving. What did bring me that understanding was the act of observation. By paying attention to its environment I finally saw the bigger picture.

I saw the sunlight gently land on the spot where the plant sat at different parts of the day as the sun came and went. I even realized that despite being in the bathroom the plant was actually surrounded by energy as we had shouted conversations from down the hall or we sang our favorite shower songs. It dawned on me then, that what was making this plant “happy” was pretty similar to what made me happy. Sunlight, friendly conversation, warmth, and water.

And this, my friends, is where my journey with houseplants began.

My First Houseplant

My sister-in-law, not so surprisingly, gave me my first house plant as a housewarming gift when I moved into my first apartment. She gave me one of the Spider plants from her own home so I knew I had to learn how to take care of it.

Here is what I learned as I worked on becoming a better plant mom.

When I wasn’t taking the best care of myself, I wasn’t taking the best care of my plant either.

Self-care is a process. It ebbs and flows but what matters is the awareness we have around what happens when we don’t take care of ourselves. My Spider Plant is a reflection of that. If I am tired and busy, rushing through my morning routine leaving no time for being intentional about starting my day off right, that usually means my plant doesn’t get watered, or I don’t open the window or move it to a new spot so that it catches more sunlight. As a result, my “spidey plant”, as I like to call it, begins to droop and lose its vibrancy.

2. It liked the sun and water, but not too much.

Ever hear of the saying, “Too much of a good thing can, well not be a good thing?” For my Spidey Plant, that saying is true when it comes to sunlight and water. Just like people, basic needs for plants are the same, but volume, frequency, and type will vary from plant to plant. Plant care just like self-care is unique to the person or plant. The takeaway here?

Balance is key.

3. Moving the plant to new spots every few weeks sparked new growth.

Being stuck in one spot is rarely ever a good thing, I think. Even when, like the Ivy plant, we seem happy in that particular spot. Growth becomes stagnant without movement. It’s easy for us to get comfortable in places that provide us with everything we need. Maybe where we are physically instills a feeling of safety and familiarity in us. However, I have learned that the greatest growth, for myself and for my plants is when we are moved, every now and then, somewhere we can experience something new. For my Spider plant, I have noticed after I move it to a different spot in the house, maybe giving it more space or a different angle of light, it starts to grow again. Spiderettes have emerged after these moves and right now I have four that are waiting to be propagated.

There are a plethora of reasons why adding a plant or two to your home, office, or nowadays, home-office is beneficial for our mental well-being. In short, studies show plant life can reduce stress, encourage creativity, increase productivity, and improve memory function. (Psychology Today 2019). But what I want to get across today is the fact that just within the microcosm of your home, a plant can be a reflection and reminder of how we are living our lives. Transfer that idea to the macrocosm of the global environment, and the link between the mental health of the collective and the current state of the environment makes a bit more sense.

If you’re intrigued by this idea and want to explore it more here are a few tips from a fellow plant lover and busy human.

Tips in Exploring Plant Care and Self Care

Start small — think in number and in level care needed. Succulents are always a good start.

Learn from others — We’re all on this journey of learning together so use platforms like Instagram to find plant parents that give good tips.

Set a routine and stick to it — Incorporate plant care into your weekly routine and see what happens.

But also leave room for messing up! Most house plants are resilient so forgetting to water them once or twice, or choosing a spot that might not have the greatest access to sunlight is okay.