I am a plant mom. It was over 2 years since I became a mom of one, and now have a total of 13 plants in my home. These are not counting the ones that have tragically passed during my journey of finding my green thumb. I love the look of plants in a home. It instantly brightens up a spot and it literally brings life into a room. When I read plants lower stress and ease tension — it made so much sense to me as I feel the same way looking at my babies. I use them largely as décor and because they are dispersed all over our home, I ensured all of my plants are able to thrive in low light. So today, I’m sharing all the plants I have, and how I take care of them.
1. BERTHA
My peace lily was my first plant baby. When I first got to know about the importance of plants and how they ‘purify’ your home, I knew I had to get one. Peace lilies are known for being impossible to kill, which is why I was willing to invest in one. A few learning curves later, my peace lily, affectionately named Bertha, turned two years old recently! Bertha loves water and misting. For additional care, I wipe down her leaves and trim off her dead ends once every few weeks to ensure she stays nice and shiny. She currently stays in my daughter’s room where she keeps the air nice and fresh.
2. LESLIE
My pothos, Leslie, was a housewarming gift to myself when my husband and I moved into our condo. She was just a little baby when I first got her but now she hangs beautifully in her macramé, which I happily purchased from a small business, @hazymaedesign. I love watching the morning sun shine on her marbled leaves while enjoying my first cup of coffee. Although I used to water her every other week but now I find I need to top up her soil quite often due to her rapid growth.
3. JUDY
Named by my husband, this croton plant was a gift from me to him for a promotion he received at work. It was the middle of winter and I had a very bad cold, but seeing this at the store while grabbing a celebratory cake instantly boosted my mood. And I knew my husband would love it too. Judy’s full, green leaves were perfect to bring some life to the corner of our dining space. It is extremely low maintenance; very little light and water are needed but she still remains a beauty with her bold yellow stripes.
4. SPARKY
Sparky was my first quarantine plant. He was extra special because I bought him during my first trip to the grocery store after almost 4 months. I was walking around, finally alone from my husband and baby, taking my time walking down the aisles when I spotted him. I find dracaena plants to be so fun and really wanted one for my living room side table. It was love at first sight and he has been thriving since. He sits by our couch, proudly and confidently, letting his presence known to everyone that passes by.
5. NINA
I’m patiently waiting for this pothos to start draping downwards. Pothos plants are really easy to take care of and they grow so fast, but I fell in love with the bright, vibrant colours of this particular one. I thought it would be a great addition of oxygen and pop of colour to my bedroom. She’s easy on the eyes and something to look at while I sit on my bed after a long day of being a mom — to my little human. My husband has a rule that a plant’s name is the first name you think of when you look at it, and thus he named this plant Nina.
6. MARTIN
My snake plant was the second plant I ever purchased. He was named after Michelle’s first goldfish from an episode of Full House (yes, really) and was the first plant in my bedroom. Known as NASA’s top air purifying plant, I thought it would be fitting to get one for my bedside table. Martin is so low maintenance, I only water him when I remember to and occasionally wipe his leaves down from the dust he collects in his often neglected corner. I’ve had him for almost two years and he has recently started growing faster than he did before. With a new leaf almost every week/every other week, Martin might even need to be repotted soon!
7. RICKY & STEVIE
Anyone, plant enthusiast or not, can identify an aloe plant from a mile away. Its distinct leaves are good for burns and bug bites which is reassuring for my husband and I, who are experimental and very clumsy cooks. That’s why we have two. Aloes also require very little water. Mine have grown passed its capacity on the shelves it stays on so I am planning to prune and use it in my beauty regimen. Shiny hair and smooth skin, here I come!
8. MS. PATTY
This plant, also known as the pancake plant, is so cute! It protrudes out of its shelf and has been growing very fast. The shape of its leaves are so fun and I love the way it droops. However, it when it starts to droop a lot when its thirsty. It’s nice to have a plant that communicates, making life easy for a new plant mom like myself. Pileas are also very easy to propagate. I have not tried my hand in plant propagation yet but with how each of my plants are thriving, I will start soon!
9. FERN
I’m going to be honest, I killed this plant before I even named it. I don’t kill a lot of plants anymore so I think its safe to say, ferns are not low maintenance and need a lot of water and sun. It started browning the week after I got it but its bushiness and dark green foliage made a beautiful statement on my living room wall. A lot of people also suffer from skin irritations with ferns which we learned about after we started getting very, very itchy. It was hard to decipher which plant was causing us to be so itchy or if it was something else entirely but after this fern died – so did all our itching problems. Rest in peace young fern. You will not be missed.
10. BORRIS
Burrow’s tail was never on my list of plants to get, but this one was given to me by my sister in law. The shade of green is a nice contrast to the dark foliage throughout the rest of the house and I love any plant that drapes out of its pot. Burrow’s tails break very easy though, so careful when watering them or moving them around if do happen to get one. I haven’t noticed Borris grow but he’s still alive which he deserves some credit for. (Both of them. heh.)
11. PLANTY
String of pearls are beautiful when they are full and long but due to how trendy it currently is, they can be super pricey! We purchased a small one in hopes of growing it with a lot of love and attention, but it requires a lot of sun and maintenance. The pot of a string of pearls can’t be too big, the soil can’t be too wet, and it can’t sit directly in the sun. There are a lot of learning curves when taking care of succulents, despite being labelled as easy to care plants. However, the look of these little peas make the TLC seem like no effort at all. I can’t wait for it to fill up and hang nice and long from its pot.
12. RAYMOND
Right after Imad and I got married, he got me a small cactus. We kept it in the kitchen and were super excited to be plant parents. However, he overwatered it and then it died. When I bought this cactus, I told Imad not to look at it and was pleasantly surprised to watch him thriving. It was the first plant to outgrow its home on the shelf and quickly needed to move to a new spot. I just make sure to put Raymond out by the window whenever the sun is out and water him every few weeks.
13. DIANA
The bright green and white foliage attracted me to buy a dumbcane plant. My mom has an artificial one just like it and it had me reminiscing my childhood. Diana has been moved in and out of quite a few homes during her short time in our condo. Her boastful nature made it hard to choose a pot for her and she was too big to fit in the spot I had chosen for her. Diana also did not like being in the bathroom (none of my plants did) and has since then made its way on the kitchen counter, where she’s the center of attention on my almost bare, very white countertops.
No, I do not plan on getting more plants. Every spot in my house that I envisioned a plant to be has been filled and thus, I am and will be a plant mom of my thirteen babies for as long as they let me. Of course, the amount of TLC plants need is something I’m still figuring out. With a few plants that need to be repotted, and others that need a change of soil, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done with low maintenance plants. However, it is immensely rewarding to be able to look after them and watch God do His thing and command their growth.
