a time to prune, a time to grow: 10 lessons i’ve learned from house plants
Three years ago, I cultivated a deep love and adoration for house plants. This love was quick and all-consuming and within a month or two, I had at least 25 new house plants! My mom has a background in horticulture and has always been a true plant queen, but my desire to be a fellow plant lover didn’t spark until then. Aside from being dazzling, purifying the air, and adding life to any space, houseplants offer up many tangible life lessons.
Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned from my chlorophyll crew — 🌱
1.) Being well-nourished is essential. — It’s no secret that humans + plants need water, food, and sunshine to not only survive, but to thrive. Water is a plant’s BFF, and it should be ours, too. Given that we are made up of 99% water at a cellular level, water, vitamins, and minerals are vital to our health. Sure, it’s not as easy to tell we’re deficient compared to a visibly wilting plant, but the impact is just as dire. *takes sip of water*
2.) The foundation + the surroundings matter — Environment matters. I’ve learned the hard way that surroundings matter, (i.e. too much or too little light, next to a vent, etc.). Plants need to be potted in proportional pots that allow room for growth without too much free space. If it’s too large, the roots will struggle to get a good hold and can stunt their growth. If it’s too small, there’s no room to grow and the roots can become compacted. Additionally, if your plants are sitting in bad soil, it can hinder growth, deplete the plant, or bring little mites or bugs and a lot of ick into a situation.
3.) Pruning is important — No matter how good of a plant caretaker you are, sometimes leaves turn yellow or brown and fall off. It’s part of the plant life cycle, and it’s sad when it happens. This brings us to the benefits of PRUNING. Cut the dead stuff off ASAP. Plants continue to send their energy to the ailing leaves and stems, and this means they’re not putting their energy towards new growth. Kind of like when they say getting a haircut helps your hair to grow, SAME HERE. We’ve gotta cut out what’s draining our energy to make room and give energy to new growth and overall vitality. Let go of what no longer serves you, bb!
4.) Growth is slow + steady — Pretty sure plants are the quintessential example of slow + steady growth. Plants are not good if you’re into instant gratification. I’ve been nursing a string of pearls for almost a YEAR and it’s finally growing strings that hang out of the pot. Plants don’t take shortcuts. Their change is often unnoticeable overnight. Roots can be growing beneath the surface long before a new sprout pops it’s lil head out. Plants are constant lessons in patience and progress.
5.) Consistency matters — Houseplants like consistency. They don’t do well with being moved around. They don’t love irregularity in watering schedules — you can’t over-water a plant to make up for under-watering it. I water my plants every Friday. They rely on the regularity to grow well. If they feel like hydration odds aren’t in their favor, they’ll conserve, and they won’t grow. Consistency is key for regular, harmonious growing.
6.) Light is crucial — Perhaps one of my most favorite things about house plants is how they unwaveringly chase light. They know how important it is. Even in the darkest room, plants search for the smallest glimmer of light. And when they find it, their reaction is to turn towards it because they know it helps them grow. What a lesson! On the dark days, we have opportunities to look for the smallest glimmer of light, too. And when we find it — we can turn toward it and lean into it. Let it shine on you, let it rejuvenate and renew you.
7.) New growth still needs nurturing — Much like accomplishing goals, once you achieve them, you’ve still got to keep maintaining that growth. When a new leaf starts to grow, it’s exciting, BUT you can’t stop there, you’ve got to keep nurturing it. This goes hand in hand with consistency. Don’t let your routines lapse. Just because it’s growing well today doesn’t mean it won’t throw you a curveball next week. Plants are in the business of growing, which means they need consistent nurturing. When they’re putting out a new leaf or when they’re in their dormant seasons — you still have to care for ‘em. The nice thing is, once you see growth, it keeps you motivated to continue doing what you’ve been doing!
8.) Sometimes things go awry, but that’s okay — Look. Sometimes, you do your best. You talk to them, feed, and water them. You give them indirect sunlight and gently give the leaves a wiggle to simulate wind (it helps the roots take hold, as if it were out in nature). The hard part is, they are SO FINICKY. They get brown leaves. You google it. Google is like, “Brown leaves can be from under-watering or over-watering your plant.” You’re like uhhh, which is it? You learn to become a master of trial and error. You can tell if they’re thriving or dying, but sometimes, even when you think you’re doing it right, things still go wrong and they die. It’s sad. But there are always lessons to be learned in the pitfalls and perils of plant ownership. Sometimes you can save a leaf or two, and propagate them to create a new plant, but other times they die and you’ve just gotta start again with a new plant! Life is like that, too. Things go great until they don’t. Sometimes the circumstance is salvageable.
9.) Growth is the goal — There’s a quote that says, “If you’re outgrowing who you are, you’re right on schedule". That’s true for plants and people alike. Plants outgrow their pots and must be upgraded to newer, bigger pots because growth is THE goal. There’s honestly no prouder moment than seeing a plant begin to grow in leaps and bounds. Sure, with new growth comes new challenges, but isn’t that what it’s all about? To put it plainly, much about life is either working towards growth and nourishment, or depletion and stagnation. That’s the cycle and Growth is the Goal.
10.) It takes the right balance of things to grow — Perhaps the most tangible lesson I’ve taken from plants is about achieving balance. Plants need balance to thrive. So do we. They need the right balance of light, water, and environment. Too much water cannot make up for not enough light. Too much of one thing never makes up for lack of something else. With plants, you know you’ve achieved a good balance because they will grow like crazy and become happy, lush plants. Otherwise, they’ll die, or at best, stay alive stunted. I think we’re like that – we go too hard in one area or lack in another which can cause us to be lackluster and stunted. But when we seek overall balance in our lives, we can grow and feel good and happy, too!
To be honest, I’m still learning how to be a great plant keeper and I’ve still got so much to learn. Having house plants is a beautiful experience. They’re dazzling and lovely, yet fickle and time-consuming, but ultimately, they’re so fascinating and addicting! Our house has around 60 houseplants now! It’s become our own personal greenhouse and I LOVE it. There are so many tips to be taken from plants — from making our own hydration a priority, letting go of things in areas of our lives that no longer serve us, staying consistent in our routines, to seeking light and achieving our own balance to thrive — plants are gifts that keep on giving in a multitude of ways. They make people happy; they bond people, they make the best gifts, and they truly bring so much joy! Even if you don’t have a green thumb, I’ll bet you can still glean a lesson or two from house plants! And if you’re thinking about becoming a plant parent, I’ll be writing a plant post soon about the best houseplants to have in your home. Stay tuned.
Drink some water, and don’t forget to water your plants! 🌿
