If the title and content of this blog post seem a bit…farfetched, please note they are. I recognize that the whole “plant mom” title has taken on a life of its own and it’s one that I may have previously thought was over the top. I’m still not the biggest fan, however I have changed my mind in some respects. I’ve felt the pride of a new bloom from a dormant plant, the tender care required of some plants (and the almost forgetfulness needed for others), and, most importantly, I’ve successfully kept these plants alive and healthy long enough that I feel like I can actually share about them haha! We’re actually reaching the end of the growing season, and therefore the end of my full-on purchasing/propagating/trading of plants and so, I wanted to share where things stand at now.
But maybe we should go back to the beginning?
I’ve always loved plants, always grown up around them (similar to books), but I’ve never been particularly good with them. Most of the plants in my mother’s collection require very little care and, in my fathers, a good amount (at the time- this is no longer the case) were bonsai- which are some of the most finicky plants there are (I say this from experience and several accidents). I’ve always loved the idea of an outdoor garden, if only we stayed in one place truly long enough to cultivate one, but indoor plants were one of those “if only” dreams. I quite honestly didn’t know if I trusted myself to know what I was doing. And once I started to, life started to get in the way as it does. We had a dog, we had a baby, then another baby, and then we moved abroad where we couldn’t take/bring back plants.
However, while we were in Germany, I started to dabble. Plants were so inexpensive there that it was hard not to in a way. There wasn’t a huge financial output if I struggled, and they were pretty regularly available from just about anywhere you went. So, I picked up a plant…then another…and then another. I didn’t go too crazy as we were traveling and eventually, we would be moving back (it wasn’t like a domestic move where you can gently box and drive the ones you want to keep), but I managed to do pretty well with them. When it was time to come back to The States, I passed mine along to a friend and vowed to actually make an attempt with indoor plants. I love the idea of having plants around, they not only clean your air, but they bring a sense of peace, calm, and happiness to your home.
Luckily for me (or maybe not so luckily haha) we live a 15-minute drive from an incredible greenhouse that sources plants and fresh produce and was able to basically supply everything I could ever need to create my own little oasis. And create I did.
I have spread the plants out into every nook and cranny in our home, short of the boy’s room and the library/play area (several reasons for this both relating to air temp and light and two little boys) and it has infinitely changed the very makeup of our home. The boys LOVE them (the greenhouse is one of their favorite places to go) and will help water and pot new ones. I’ll have a slideshow or layout of all the current plants as they are now, but I’ll also list out all the current plants I’ve got in there “lament terms” as I don’t know all the actual scientific names as well as if there is any little gem in how I got them.
ZZ Raven – This has been a wish list plant since I started buying plants upon our return to the States.
Snake Plant
Monstera Deliciosa- this is actually a propagation from a good friend here! I currently have two.
Pincushion Peperomia
Baby Monstera – one of the first plants I picked up from our local greenhouse!
Neon Philodendron – picked up while on vacation in Upstate (HERE).
Peperomia Polybotrya- also known as the raindrop peperomia this guy is just so stunning and I picked him up on a whim at the greenhouse during a sale.
Monstera Adonsonii – easily one of my favorites in my collection and probably just my favorite all around. I said what I said.
String of Hearts – I picked this up when our greenhouse had an incredible BOGO sale, and I was SO excited to get my hands on it. I’ve been eyeing them for a while, wanting a more established plant of this that I can then propagate from. However, I ended up having to completely dismantle and propagate this one due to an overwater/fungus gnat situation. I ended up with a strand or two of solid growth, so I’m hoping I can slowly bring it through.
String of Pearls
Escargot Begonia – I could NOT help myself- this was just so little and so cute.
Ficus Elastica Ruby – this is a beautiful plant and adds a pop of color
A pot of Adonsonii, Raphidophora, and Monstera Deliciosa – I saw a youtuber do this and I was determined to see if I could make this combo work in my own home.
Marble Pothos
Philodendron Birken – this guy has been through the ringer, but I think he might be coming back on the other side.
Nanouk Tradescantia
Spider Plant – This is plant number one (of two potted ones), a propagated one from my mom, it contains a total of three propagated plants.
Watermelon Peperomia
2 Cacti – these are just cute little bits; I feel like cactus can just be a fun pop in a home.
Peperomia tetragona – the Parallel peperomia
Spider Plant – This is plant number two and it’s been through a little trial. A little overwatering, a little too little light, a little too much direct cool air, BUT it’s bouncing back nicely and showing some perkiness and good light. (It’s crazy because these are some of the easiest plants).
Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma – also known as the mini monstera these are known to be fast growers and climbers- I ended up having to chop and propagate this baby (a word of the wise- ALWAYS check your roots, no matter where you get the plant from) so crossing my finger that this works out well and I can bring it back from the brink haha.
Rainbow Tradescantia – she’s just an absolute beaut!
Cupid Peperomia
Aloe
Philodendron Mican- I’ve now got two of these in my home. The first one I purchased is a maybe, I’m not sure, it’s got the velvet nature, but the coloring is off as all get out. It suffered in the big box store of massive over watering (think borderline root rot) and has been slowly coming back from that.
Syngonium (1&2)- One of these is a propagation gone very well, the other I picked up from a local spot.
Fittonia
Peperomia Little Toscani I’ve found that I really like when plants have this silvery/pearly sheen to the tops of the leaves, and this was definitely purchased just because of that.
Heartleaf Ice Plant- this was a total “pretty pink flowers and green and white leaves” purchase and for less than $4 I got this gorgeous little succulent.
Pilea Glauca Aquamarine – easily one of my best growers, this plant is just beautiful
Scindapsus Treubii Sterling Silver – another wish list plant I got incredibly lucky to stumble on this in a local Walmart and snap it up.
And that’s it for now! I don’t plan on getting a large amount more until next spring, but I’ll be keeping my eye out on different options. I definitely still have quite the wish list of plants, but I’m trying to take it slow (haha- this is probably funny to you if you’ve made it this far in this post).
A Cuppa Cosy 