I am a plant lady. That simply means that I love having greenery and plants in my home, but also, that I am a bit obsessed with them. I grew up with plants since both my parents are Plant Lovers as well, but as an adult I myself have slowly grown into becoming a real, bonafide Plant Lady if you ask me. And I love it!

I probably have had one or two flower pots at all times in my room/house, but since moving to a bigger (still not that big but now with two rooms instead of just the one, and a window in the kitchen as well) apartment a few years ago, my interest in plants has yes indeed, grown.

Plants has grown on me. LOL.

Becoming a Plant Lady

How did it happen? First you just have the plants because that is just normal, maybe you don’t pay that much attention to them. Then you start looking at pictures of rooms with lots of plants, and finally you start watching videos of people talking about plants. Then you know you’re a Plant Person.

I’ve tried to learn a bit more about the ones I own, and which ones I should never get (because I kill the gentle ones). I love plants that you only have to water once a week or so, that don’t die when you forget to look at them every hour.

I either have succulents (plants with a lot of water in their leaves) or plants that sag when they need water but perk up immediately when they get it. Not plants that die in silence, like the beautiful but oh so fragile ferns. That boy will look green and lovely (so at ease) but then when you walk closer to water him you’ll notice that all the leaves are already dried up and dead – and you just can’t revive it (this has happened to me at least three times so I guess I should stay away from those poor ferns).

Maybe there are no perfect plants, but there is always a plant for your way of living (and watering) I think (if not a nomad, that life is not for most plants).

I know the names of my favorites by now, but I am no expert on plants or taking care of them. I’m just happy when they keep growing, sprouting new leafs and needing bigger pots because they’ve grown out of the old one.

I feel sad when one of them constantly has leafs withering away and dying for me, even though I try my best to give enough water, sun and nutrition. One thing I hate about plant keeping is that if you ask a group of people why your plant is dying the answers are always at both opposite ends: Someone will be 100 percent sure that you’ve overwatered, and someone else that you have dried it out. I’s been burnt by the sun or maybe not getting enough sunshine and light?!

Oh, it’s dead. Never mind!

The look of an Urban Jungle

I have a pinterest board called Greenery that I love pinning images to. There are a lot of people these days who have plants as a big part of their lives and as a hobby. I think that is so cool. I might not call my plant interest a hobby, but it’s a good part of my life for sure.

A home without living plants is sad to me, and you can tell it lacks something – life or color or whatever.

I don’t think everyone needs to have many plants everywhere, as I do, but at least one or two will lift the room. And with that said, I love looking at homes and rooms with a lot of flowers.

On instagram you can follow a lot of cool green accounts, where the only thing they share are their own?plants? – every day!?Book shelves full of plants, wall hanging plants, windows so green you can’t see anything else – and apartments that truly can be called “urban jungles”. They are curated by people who has a Passion for Plants for sure.

The urban jungle idea was born out of city people’s longing for nature, I think. But not too much nature perhaps… We are not inviting elks, ants and pine trees into our homes, but a little jar of moss might spice things up, right?

Open your windows wide

Urban Jungle is also the title of a book that is still on my wish list, although I might settle with the instagram hashtag for now. Go browse #urbanjungle or #plantsofinstagram or #Plantaddict for example. So much yumminess to look at.

Anyway, before I learned of the “urban jungle” term and movement , I did not know this way of having (a lot of ) plants was a life style. To let them overflow, take over, to be the most prevalent interior design of the room even. I love, love, love this about the internet. How it opens us up to ways of being and living we had no idea were possible, because the way we used to live was pretty small and closed. Now it is so very open.

Through blogs, but even more through smart phones with video recording possibilities, we are invited into peoples homes. So many are opening a window into their lives sharing about things you and I didn’t know about (living with mental health issues, alternative living, eco farming, small house living, how to create your own urban jungle, being a collector, non normative life – just to name a few). There is always something out there waiting for you to learn about it. Something strange, or heart-warming, or maybe even life-changing. There are people who widen our perspective on how to live and what is possible. I love that, plants aside.

You can learn almost anything on YouTube. And it is wonderful to learn new things – sometimes on subjects we didn’t even know existed. But maybe this is a subject for another time…

The gift of baby plants

So. Another thing I love about plants is that? they can grow babies, or you can divide a plants to make two new ones. It’s like you’re the one becoming a new parents sometimes. I think it is great that you can propagate most plants to have more of them, to give away or trade with friends (also as security in case the first one does die). In that way, it doesn’t have to be expensive at all. I get my pots and outer planters at the flea market, and then I ask my parents or friends for cuttings or sprouts that can grow roots in water.

This is how most of my collection came to me for sure.

In that way the plants have stories attached to them as well, which makes them special to us. This one came from X and this one was a gift from O, and so on. I haven’t named any of them (yet) but it’s only because my memory is so bad and I would forget them too quickly. But I do remember their background stories, and who was their original “mom” or “dad”.

If I had more money, I would probably have bought more plants over the years. Especially when I discover more unusual kinds, like the ones that has pink leafs – I would get myself a collection of those if I could. But I find them more often on the internet than in the flower shop (some so exotic that they’re rarely available at all) or plant schools, and plants can be pricey to order or source out. Plus, I need a bigger house with more windows soon (as always).

On my wish list for next plant buy would be a growing light though. My plants tend to be sad (like me) when the Swedish winter & our darkness comes.

Winters here are long and prevalent and even if we stay indoors to be cozy, it affects our mood.

Plant memories

I always had something living in the window of my room, then apartment, something I? learned from my gardening and plant collecting mom and dad. Dad was into cacti when I was born, then orchids. In the past ten years or so my mom has been into Geraniums (which dad hates because he has to take them inside and water them all winter when they’re in plant hibernation – they don’t survive our cold Swedish winters outdoors).

Me, I had a thing for African violets (also known as Saintpaulia) when I was a teenager. They stayed so small and have satin smooth leaves and small purple or pink flowers. So cute!

Now I have fallen for the Monstera trend, and the one I bought a few years ago is growing in strange ways and all over the place. I cut it up to propagate it it in water, and it grew beautiful roots. Yay!

My favorite plant is called Pothos and it is very hard to kill (although this summer some tiny, black bugs has taken at least one so far). It can dry out totally, and still stay green. Then I give it a lot of water, and it is never over-watered. It can be in hanging pot and then the branches will flow toward the floor, or you can bind them up and it will start climbing. I like it both ways. And in the room where I’m writing this, I count to three big plants of Pothos. I love how they look, two hanging and one climbing toward the curtain rod in the window.

Are you a plant person – or wanting to be? And if so, what are your favorite house plants or greenery at your house, do you know its name? I’d love to get a conversation started in the comments.

Some books on my ever-growing book wish-list, with affiliate links to Amazon:

?

If you’re new to plant care, you might also be interested in these:

Bonus read: Previous posts where I have written about my love of plants. And for video favorites on plants this post.

xo