Leaf me alone!
This year (2020) has taken a drastic turn, and we have all been quarantined for some time now. Our plans have changed, our stress levels have gone up, and our world is at civil unrest.
While it's been hard for everyone in different ways, I have continued living alone in my studio while working on the front line during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It definitely sounds easier than it really is! Although I hadn't gone out as much (pre-pandemic) as I used to in my earlier twenties, the social distancing was taking a heavy toll on my mood.
I needed something new to do, something to take my mind off the "all work, no play" mentality to prevent myself from going insane!
At my last place (not shown), I owned some plants, but they never really lasted too long. Some dracaena, aloe, and succulent variations, but I always over-watered them like an idiot, LOL. I gave up on my indoor garden after killing multiple plants, and never really thought about it for a couple of years.
My current studio apartment (as of 2020) gets ample sunlight due to it's six, 11-foot windows lined side-by-side to make up a wall.
Why didn't I get plants for the first 2 years spent there? Good question! I was busy traveling and focusing on work to even care about an indoor jungle!
Although I wish I had gotten my plants earlier to have time for them to grow into trees, I'm glad that I started late rather than never.
The pandemic got me starting new hobbies such as cooking and growing houseplants. My gallery wall is still up on the adjacent wall, but my focus has shifted due to boredom!
Tip: exotic houseplants are trending right now and look great in any indoor space!
Okay, so now to the good part of this story!
At the peak of spring season this year, I decided to add some decorative plants that would eventually become trees to accommodate my high ceilings.
The two that I started with were the ficus lyrata a.k.a fiddle leaf fig (shown above) and the infamous monstera deliciosa (below).
I made the rookie mistake of re-potting and over-pruning my FLF right after I received it!
After painting a 14" terra cotta planter pink & gold, I couldn't wait to transplant it and let it grow into a tree from there.
The first day that I came home from work after I got her, I was expecting her to be elated and loving her new sunny environment, but instead her leaves were drooping and she looked dead!
Turns out, she just needed a good water after getting shocked.
Lesson learned: let your plant adjust to it's new environment and only re-pot if the plant is busting out of its grower pot!
My monstera plant arrived shortly after the FLF, so I knew then to just leave it alone and let it grow in it's 9" plastic planter that came with the plant.
Besides, that's a large enough pot for it to mature in, and can easily be disguised in a cute woven basket! I just love my monstera plant with its luscious green color and fenestrations.
After a couple of weeks with my two new slow-growing plants, I was getting bored again and went to a local nursery with one of my girlfriends.
There, I found some more great additions to my growing jungle including the sansevieria laurentii a.k.a the snake plant (shown above).
All 3 of the plants mentioned so far only need to be watered (roughly) once a week (depending on the amount of sunlight they're getting) so they're super easy to maintain!
These woven baskets that we found were just the cherry on top to our nursery trip, and was a pleasant surprise! I absolutely love them and the two-tone colors go perfectly with the decor!
As you can see, the addition of the greenery works perfectly in my small space! Pops of pink, green, gold, and natural jute are perfect for merging the jungle indoors and compliment each other wonderfully. Although it will take months to years for these bushes to grow tall/into trees, I am satisfied with the aesthetics and am determined to keep them alive this time!
Shown above: Pink Aglaonema a.k.a Chinese Evergreen (back), succulent arrangement in distressed terra cotta pots, my golden pineapple candle, and a bunch of faux peonies from Stonewall Kitchen. These are all displayed on my white decorative tray from Target!
I have been using this tray to display monthly themed items such as candles, plants, and keepsakes. It's super easy to create your own jungle oasis and I encourage you to start as soon as you can!
As you can see, mine was created in a step-wise fashion, which was (and still is) all part of the journey!
XO Hope
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