Just Relaxed Blog

Tag: plant whispering

  • The Unspoken Rules of Being a Plant Parent

    The Unspoken Rules of Being a Plant Parent




    The Unspoken Rules of Being a Plant Parent


    My Descent into Plant Parenthood (and Chaos)

    It all started innocently enough. A cute little succulent on clearance at the grocery store. “Easy to care for,” the tag promised. I, armed with the unyielding confidence of someone who had never successfully kept a houseplant alive for more than a month, believed it. Oh, sweet summer child, how naive I was.

    Fast forward to today, and my apartment looks like a jungle that threw up. I’ve got plants trailing from shelves, sprawling across windowsills, and even one that’s attempting a hostile takeover of my shower. I’ve become, dare I say it, a “plant parent.” And with this prestigious title comes a whole set of unspoken rules that I’m pretty sure we all secretly follow.

    The Art of Plant Whispering (and Other Delusions)

    Rule number one: you must talk to your plants. I don’t make the rules, folks. It’s just something we do. Whether it’s a gentle pep talk to a struggling seedling or a full-blown therapy session with your prize-winning fiddle leaf fig, communication is key (or so we tell ourselves).

    Of course, this comes with its own set of sub-rules:

    • Always compliment their growth, even if it’s just one pathetic new leaf that looks suspiciously pale.
    • Apologize profusely when you accidentally overwater them (again).
    • And never, ever speak ill of another plant parent’s green babies, no matter how much their monstera is hogging the sunlight.
  • The Unexpected Life Lessons I Learned from a Houseplant

    The Unexpected Life Lessons I Learned from a Houseplant

    My Brown Thumb and the Fern That Changed Everything

    Let’s be honest, my thumbs have never been particularly gifted in the plant department. In fact, I’m pretty sure I could kill a cactus in a desert. So, when my well-meaning friend gifted me a cheerful little potted fern, I accepted it with a mixture of delight and trepidation. Delight, because who doesn’t love a splash of green in their home? Trepidation, because, well… my track record.

    Plant Whispering (and Less is More)

    My first instinct was to shower my new leafy friend with attention. I watered it religiously, rotated it for optimal sunlight, and even serenaded it with my questionable rendition of “Here Comes the Sun” (don’t judge, the plant seemed to enjoy it… at first). However, my overzealous care resulted in a soggy, wilting mess. It turns out, even plants need their space.

    Just when I was about to accept defeat and invest in some high-quality plastic foliage, a seasoned plant parent (read: my neighbor with the magical green thumb) intervened. “You’re drowning the poor thing!” she exclaimed, gently taking the pot from my grasp. “Sometimes, less is more.” She proceeded to teach me the delicate art of plant whispering: observing, listening (metaphorically, of course), and responding to its needs rather than projecting my own insecurities onto it. Who knew?

    Lesson 2: Embracing the Pauses and Growth Spurts of Life

    With my newfound wisdom and a slightly less heavy hand, I nursed my fern back to health. It wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were periods of stagnation, where it seemed like my plant was frozen in time. Then, out of nowhere, a new frond would unfurl, reaching towards the sunlight with an almost comical enthusiasm.