Five Plants for Beginners

If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably already realized what this post is going to be about, plants. I have had a collection of houseplants for a few years now, but if I am being honest, I haven’t had a green thumb at all. When my husband & I would go shopping & I found a plant to bring home, the running joke was, “Do you want to come home with us…to die?”. I would like to point out that I am improving, my thumb is turning greener as the days pass and I am totally enjoying the process. Now that I have the energy…and time I check in with my plants every day, even if they don’t need me, my plant care capabilities are beyond what I ever imagined. I’m learning that this is a therapeutic process & I don’t necessarily know why I haven’t been doing this the whole time. Well, technically I do, but that is for another post.

I originally became interested in plants because of the air purifying benefits they bring, but today I love them because they make beautiful decor pieces around the home. I started my collection with a few cuttings from my grandmother’s pothos plant, which I still have to this day. My only issue is that I have cats & they enjoy eating plants, treating the dirt like a litter box (the biggest issue for my larger plants) & just plain knocking them over. Cats are little a**holes, but it makes the process all that more interesting. Also, if you don’t know this already, some houseplants can be toxic to them as well as dogs, children & even adults. So, it’s important to do your research beforehand and make sure that you have the proper tools before you begin handling them. I have found that for the most part my lovely felines have the instinct of knowing which plants they shouldn’t mess with, but for the others I make sure they are in a safe location for everyone’s protection.

Caring for my plants the last few weeks has been enjoyable, exciting at times and it has brought happiness into my life. Two Christmas’s ago, my grandmother gifted me clippings from my great grandma’s Christmas Cactus plant. Not even joking, it was the best gift I had ever gotten. How cool is that, a part of a plant that has grown by & cared for by my own ancestors. I was so excited I cried & when we got to my mothers-in-law’s home that night, on Christmas Eve, I left it on the porch; It froze & died. That makes me sound terrible but let’s flashback to our situation then. Zach & I lived out of state, two & half hours away from our entire family. We have five cats and at the time two large senior dogs. We were able to find a sitter for the cats, but we were forced to pack up the pups & all their necessities that year in order to spend Christmas with our families. We had to pack all of our necessities and our gifts for everyone too. Can you imagine? It was a packed truck and an uncomfortable 2.5 hour drive. On top of all that, both of our parents are separated so, you guessed it, four Christmas’s in two days with two large senior dogs and a new baby plant. I didn’t have that plant for more than 3 hours…. I shouldn’t have set it down outside, but I did. It took me until the next Thanksgiving to break the news to my grandmother and for Christmas last year she prepped another one. I have been terrified to mess this up and it isn’t doing well but it’s improving because I am learning what it needs and likes.

The truth of the matter is, whether or not you have a green thumb we have all accidentally killed a plant. That is how we learn to do better & when they thrive we feel accomplished and it brings so much joy. Remember, without struggle there is not progress.

I recently learned about a small movement to help support local growers & plant shops called #plantoneforward. Basically, your purchase a plant online from a local plant shop and have it shipped to a friend or family member who needs a little cheering up right now. It helps the small business during this unfortunate pandemic, and it cheers up someone you care about. I would like to gift a plant to one of my followers. If you are interested in adding a new plant to your household or collection, I invite you to enter my giveaway on my Instagram page.

There are three things you need to do to enter:

1. Subscribe to my blog

2. Follow me on Instagram

3. Tag three of your friends on my most recent Instagram photo about this post.

4. BONUS: double entry if you #plantoneforward and tag @alwayswillow in your Instagram post.

Giveaway ends 04/13/2020 & the winner will be announced in my next blog post on 04/14/2020.

Before I share with you my top five plants for beginners I want to point out that 1- these are what I have had luck with and 2-there are many other beginner plants that you may have better luck with than I did. For instance, Spider plants are apparently extremely easy & they thought they would take over the world in the 70's but mine is riding the struggle bus & has yet to produce any babies.

1. Pothos- This was my first plant & I love it because it is so easy. It is a bushy plant that can grow vines and is easily propagated. It’s versatile & grows well in a variety of different lightings but thrives in higher lit conditions. Pothos will let you know when it’s thirsty. Its leaves will be droopy and after the water they will perk back up within a day. One key to remember is they are prone to root rot so make sure the soil dries out between waterings. If you like the bushy look, be sure to trim the vines and stick them in water. This will grow roots over time & you will eventually have a new plant. I recently learned that if you cut the vine up so that you have multiple pairings of a leaf, stem & node you will be able to start out with a fuller looking plant in the end.

2. Aloe Vera- They grow best in lots of light and only like to be watered when their soil is dry. They are a succulent so it’s important to have well-draining soil & to not over-water them since they hold it in their leaves. Over-watering is the #1 killer of Aloe Vera plants because they are prone to root rot, so they literally die from the bottom up. Eek.

3. Bamboo- This plant can be grown so simply with a vase, water and a few pebbles. It prefers bright indirect sunlight & if it is unhappy with the lighting you will be able to tell because the leaves will change color.

Too much light= yellow leaves from being sun burned

Not enough light= light green or yellow leaves

As you can tell, my bamboo has been enjoyed by most of our cats. The most frequent being Ziggy. The good news is Bamboo plants are not poisonous to cats or other animals. I keep him up high on a shelf away from the kitties, but he doesn't get enough sunlight there so I'm constantly moving him around.

4. Sansevieria- They come in a few different patterns and are known as a plant of steel meaning it’s super hard to kill. It is a succulent so well-draining soil is a necessity. You should let the soil dry out between waterings. The coolest thing about them is they don’t need a lot of sunlight. They do well in dark shaded rooms. If you place them in a bright room with indirect light they will grow faster. There are a few different ways to propagate it so you would never have to buy a sansevieria again.

The common name for this Sansevieria is "Mother-in-law's tongue because the yellow outer lines portray the image of a tongue.

The common name for this Sansevieria is "snake plant" because the designs on the leaves have a snake skin pattern.

5. ZZ Plant- This is my current favorite because of its deep green foliage & the overall look! The name is pretty cool too. It is also known as a plant of steel and does amazingly in shaded rooms & doesn’t mind if you forget to water it a time or two. Some might even say they prefer you to forget to water them. Propagating this plant is a little more challenging but it is possible & you can bet I'm going to try.

Do you currently have any of these in your home? If so, tag me on Instagram so I can see.

If you don’t have any, which one are you most interested in after reading this post?

Stay safe & take care of yourself.

Always,

Erikka