How I Became a Plant Lady (and Stopped Killing all my Houseplants!)

How I Became a Plant Lady (and Stopped Killing all my Houseplants!)

Some people are born with certain genes, like the green thumb gene.  I am not some people.  In LA, I managed to kill every plant I ever bought.  From cacti to succulents to flowering plants.  I’ve somehow found a way to kill them all.

I come from a long line of green thumbers.  So naturally, I just assumed that I too would be good with our little green friends.  False.  After adding yet another member to the plant graveyard, I threw in the towel…  And I didn’t look back.

Then, Covid hit. 

Since we were under quarantine and my mom (AKA: Martha Stewart) was with us, she kept encouraging me to try my hand at gardening.  I thought, why the heck not?  That’s when my garden came to life.  Turns out, when you have the time and drive to create a successful garden, it can not only be easier to do than you think, but bring you a ton of joy.  We are still harvesting from it and I’m even planting new vegetables for a fall harvest.

On one of my many trips to the nursery for my veggie garden, I stumbled across this beauty…

The woman working at the nursery told me it was a Wandering Jew and they were really easy to keep alive.  I had new found confidence from a successful start to my garden, so I bought it for I think $5.  As I walked out to the truck with my new plant baby in hand, Matt looked at me with raised eyebrows.  He knew all to well the history of my black thumb of death.  He is actually quite great with anything green, which I always envied.

I brought her home with me, ordered a new pot and named her Blanche Devereaux.  Here’s what I did differently this time around…

1. I watered when she needed watered, not whenever I felt like watering her.  In the past, I think I killed all of my plants from either overwatering or forgetting about them altogether.
2. Learn the signs.  If the leaves are droopy, they most likely need a drink of water.
3. Research your plant.  A quick google search will give you all the info you could possibly need to help keep your plants happy and thriving.  Learn if your plant likes to dry out completely before the next watering or if you need to always keep the soil damp.  Find out what type of light it needs and find the best lit spot in your house for that particular plant.
4. Misting is so important.  It never even crossed my mind that my plants needed to be misted.  They’re made to live outdoors in natural humidity and in the rain.  In our houses, they don’t get either of those two things, so misting is particularly helpful for them to thrive.
5. Don’t forget to fertilize.  Every plant needs vitamins to live it’s best life.  Your house plants are no exception.
6. Clean them!  Your plants need a regular leaf cleaning to keep the happy and able to breathe clearly.  If their leaves are covered in dust, they’re not going to do well at all.
7. Don’t repot immediately.  When you transplant a plant, it basically shocks them.  Wait a reasonable amount of time (google your plant!) before changing pots.  If you have to make a switch, simply set your potted plant in a decorative basket or cachepot to make them look prettier.

All pretty straightforward advice, right?  I didn’t do any of these things before.  The combination of all of these steps ended up keeping my plants looking so healthy and happy.

I downloaded the Planta app and use it daily to help remind me which plants need what.  It’s made my life so much easier!

Here’s a look at a few of my favorite plants in my home.

ZZ Plant

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Snake Plants (Inspired by my friend Holly from Our Faux Farmhouse)

Aren’t they all just so purty?!  And I’ve been keeping them alive, healthy and happy for months now.  ME!  Can you even believe it??  These pops of green life throughout my house bring me so much joy.  They make each room feel more organic and full of life, because they are.  Plants are so good for air quality in your home.  It’s actually recommended that you have one houseplant every 100 sq ft in your house for optimal air quality.  And who doesn’t want cleaner air?

Most of my larger plants were purchased from Plantz.  They were kind enough to provide a coupon code for my Gorgeous Girls for 15% off any plant: Angela15.

Plantz agreed to host an Instagram Live session with me this Thursday, October 1st at 6pm EST to answer all of our questions about our houseplants.  I’m SO excited for this because I personally have a ton of questions about my plants.  I hope to see you there! 🙂

Leave a comment below if you’d like to see a full house plant tour soon here on the blog.

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