If you’ve been following my work for some time now then you are probably well aware of my affinity for plants over the last year. What you may not know is the story about how I got to have this little indoor Brooklyn “jungle” and the many plants that were killed in the process of it. I wanted to share a bit about how it all got started and how growing plants has enriched my quality of life while I have this plethora of spare time during shelter-in-place. (Side note: having plants during quarantine in NYC has been my absolute savior mentally and emotionally, and on a business level houseplant and food seed sales are through the roof across all regions).
It all started in April, 2019. I had been working with plants in my artwork for several years now but had little faith that I could ever have a green thumb myself. After some much needed encouragement from my boyfriend I finally decided to purchase myself a beautiful English Ivy hanging plant, something I had read was a good beginner houseplant that was fairly easy to care for. Well, within a few weeks I had quickly killed it with too much water, too little water, and then too much water again! But I maintained faith, this time with a succulent, something that doesn’t need much water. I moved the baby succulent from it’s dark corner into a sunnier spot with a larger pot and watched it quickly skyrocket 5-7” taller in the span of a few weeks. My cat decided to be the reason for that one’s reckoning, coming home from work one day to find it mangled on the floor and an all unassuming kitty next to it.
Around this time I was also beginning to educate myself on plants. The history of botany and horticulture, soil health, climate change, different kinds of seeds. Anything I could get my hands on at the Brooklyn Public Library I was reading, along with visiting the botanical gardens in Brooklyn and the Bronx as often as I could on weekends. The more I read about the history of plants, their natural environments, and the things they needed to grow big and strong, it helped me understand what my own houseplants would need and why. I was taking them out of their native homes that their genes had evolved into understanding and working within, so I needed to replicate those similar environmental conditions for them to continue growing strong and healthy. This also became more apparent as I graduated from buying pre-potted plants to now nurturing plants from seed to soil to sprout.
At this point I was dedicated to having a houseplant and adding life to my apartment. So I tried once more, opting for another hanging plant. This time a Pothos plant aka “Devils Ivy” and arguably one of the easiest houseplants to take care of. The first few weeks were difficult, trying to find the right spot for it in my home and figuring out the best watering routine. We definitely struggled, losing a handful of leaves at the beginning, and I even ended up cutting a few of the longer vines to propagate it in case it did die on me. By now it was August, 2019, and after a few weeks I had finally managed to find a slightly shaded spot and watering routine that worked for my Pothos. I was also watching roots starting to grow from the cuttings I had propagated and were sitting in water vases near the window. From this point on my confidence quickly grew and I could see other routines in my life starting to change too, like cooking healthier meals more often at home.
The more that I understood how to nurture plants I was also understanding why I needed certain things to nurture myself. The right amount of sunlight and stress vs. rest. The right amount of food and types of food. The right foundation to even be able to make strong roots in. Me and the plants were learning how to grow together.
By November, 2019, I had a windowsill full of green creatures ranging from my original Pothos to Baby’s Breath, African Violet, Kale, Christmas Cactus, and even Green Pepper seedlings. 6 months after that and I now have grown that windowsill collection into a whole room. Purchasing floating shelves and pot ring holders, finding any way I can to get them on the walls. I’m still an amateur and have unfortunately killed a few along the way. For example, I lost a Royal Fern, a Calathea, and am still struggling with a Creeping Fig Vine that I thought was English Ivy when purchased but was informed otherwise by a plant enthusiast on Instagram! Despite the deaths along the way, I am proud to say that in a year I have grown my family of 1 to 26 plants.
I’ve added some really interesting ones to the mix like the UFO looking plant, Pilea Peperomioides aka “Chinese Money Plant” (which propagates itself quite easily and quickly), and included edible plants like a Kale tree and an Aerogarden where I am growing Lettuce and Mini Cherry Tomatoes! I am even starting to grow my own flowers for future ÆSTHESIA films, first starting with Snapdragons.
The reason I am taking the time to write this all out here and tell you about my journey of truly believing I could never nurture a plant to now having a room full of them is because it really has enriched my quality of life. I am not a rich person. I live fairly modestly. But having houseplants has made me feel richer than anything I’ve ever felt before. Waking up in a room full of green glowing leaves, coming home after a long, arduous day to a space full of life unfurling in the most glorious way is so healing and relaxing in such ineffable ways. When people say that having houseplants can make you feel better they are not exaggerating, they really can.
Caring for plants helped pull me out of a deep sadness I was going through at the time. Watching them grow helped me grow into new stages of life. Watching them let go of leaves they no longer needed helped me learn to let go of things or people I once needed but were no longer healthy or helping me grow anymore. I see my plants getting stronger and growing bigger leaves then when I first got them, and I see myself doing the same. I spent much of my life fighting for the future, stressed for the future, scared of the future. Indoor gardening has given me a way to find mindfulness, be present, be with and appreciate the things that are right in front of me. They have helped me find a sense of inner peace.