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About

My plant and I want to wish you a warm welcome to our little green island. I guess you’ve found us during a Google search of ‘how to look after your plant’, and well… here you are. Get cosy, this space has plenty of room for you and your plant. We have lots of tips, tricks, and tidbits to share with you, so don’t be shy! Settle in.

Maybe you found us through a friend who thought you’d like our content… if that’s the case, hi there new friend. Welcome to our safe space for plant parents and plant lovers. You’re in for some fun if you couldn’t tell already.

If you found this wonderful green space through other means, that’s okay! We don’t discriminate here. We hope you feel welcomed.

My plant and I started this page to share our journey and all that we have learned along the way. We hope that you will all learn from our experiences and avoid making the same silly mistakes we made. I also want to show off my beautiful plant baby to the world and my plant wants to show the world that I am a cool mum.

My Purple Passion Plant

Alongside my images are pictures from Unsplash. Special thanks to Unsplash for the amazing images they have sourced, which I have used for decorative purposes and to references information used within this site.

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Why am I here?

You may be wondering why I have made it my mission to share with you my plant journey… So here is my ‘why’ or something like that.

Over the years, watching my dad garden his way out of depression and seeing the peace it brought him made me realise that there are benefits associated with caring for plants. I had a plant of my own as a young child. I had a big aloe plant, which I was responsible for watering. My mum and dad handled the rest of its care. But I liked the responsibility I was granted.

When I started university, I found myself alone and struggling with my mental health. My friend and I saw a plant sale at our Student Union and I felt a little flutter in my heart. I knew gardening helped my dad and I hoped owning a plant would help me too.

I bought Phineas and Ferb, a Peace Lily, and an Aloe Vera plant (yes they are named after the cartoon series :D). I took them to their new home (my student accommodation) and stared at them for a little while. You wouldn’t tell your kid or dog that you have great expectations from them, because of the pressure. Likewise, I did not say that to my plant babies, even though I secretly had great expectations.

I positioned them where I knew they’d get the best natural light and started Googling how to care for them effectively. Days went by and I started to notice my focus on my plants helped me to mediate, streamline my thoughts and block out negativity. Caring for Phineas and Ferb made me realise that full focus on something else can help to block out bad thoughts. I started to fully understand how gardening helped my dad.

That was the beginning of how my plants helped me work through my mental health issues.

Maybe you have mental health struggles or know someone who has and you’re wondering how you can help them. Gardening and caring for a plant could be a great start. 

Though, please note this was my personal experience and my dad’s experience that I witnessed whilst growing up. It worked for us and I hope by sharing this and using this website, you or a loved one can feel supported.

However, I know this isn’t one size fits all and it may not be as beneficial to you. Please note that I would advocate speaking to a professional (like a General Practioner) for other forms of support with mental health struggles. `

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Decisions Decisions

Hey everyone!

This is a short blog post with small gems of advice just to share with you my own experience with choosing a plant.

I’ve been there before, staring at a wall of greenery at the local plant store. It is daunting, isn’t it?

When I went shopping for my first plant by myself (this was the second time I would be buying plants) I was a little nervous. The first time around, I had my friend to bounce thoughts around with and I felt confident speaking to the store assistant then because they were around the same age as I was. But the second time around, I was alone, staring at a wall of plants and wondering if I should even bother buying another plant. I was about to chicken out.

I dragged some courage from the sole of my feet and walked towards the store clerk, I couldn’t stand in the shop all day. And frankly, I was actually determined to leave with a plant, regardless of my initial shyness.

Here is where the small gems of advice comes in…

  1. I asked for help! Yes, who would have thought? I didn’t, Ha! The store clerk was wonderful and really supportive. I asked her which plant would be best suited for my current lifestyle and told her about the two plants I currently had. She gave me options and eventually we settled on a Purple Passion Plant. I bought my new plant baby and left the store a happy plant mum.
  2. I did a google search on my way home. The advice the store assistant gave me was great but I wanted to know more. I personally like being fully prepared so, no amount of knowledge is too much. I took screenshots of what others were saying went wrong with their plant care so that way I wouldn’t make the same mistakes. I wanted my Purple Passion Plant to thrive!
  3. I named my plant when I arrived home. I called her Powerpuff because I liked the alliteration of ‘PowerPuff the Purple Passion Plant’. I found a nice place for her amongst my other plants and as always… took pictures. One must never shy away from a great photo opportunity!

Making a decision, like choosing a plant, can be very hard and I understand. It took me 10 minutes in the shop walking around, staring and shuffling before I could ask for help with my decision. I hope you all have the courage I eventually found to ask for help when making decisions.

Wishing you all the best when you want to select a plant and even for any other important life decisions.

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Over-watered or Under-watered?

Watering Can

So, what do you do when your plant is dehydrated and when your plant is overhydrated. well firstly, you read this post! So you’re on the right track if you have found yourself here.

Secondly, you’ll need to know what a plant looks like during these scenarios. To know the signs of what a plant looks like if it is dehydrated, or over-watered, read the information on this post: Tips

For a dehydrated plant

Rehydrating a dry plant is actually rather easy. However, it doesn’t happen instantaneously. What you’ll first need to do is pour water slowly into the plant’s pot (with the plant still in it of course). Do this until the water begins to run through from the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Once that is done, spray any remaining leaves. Fun fact: Plants take in water through their leaves as well as their roots.

The rehydration of the plant won’t happen automatically. It could take hours to revive the plant so be patient.

For an overwatered plant

Start off by moving the plant to a shady area, even if it is a full sun plant. Let the plant drain into a container to get rid of excess water and if possible, create some extra air spaces surrounding the root ball (just poke small holes in the soil area).
In some cases where the plant isn’t too large, repot into a different pot to promote dryness. Continue to leave the plant to drain. You can begin to water the plant again when the surface of the soil is dry (touch to feel soil).

It all doesn’t seem too difficult right? Exactly! I know seeing your plants look unwell can be frightening and daunting but with a little patience and this quick informative guide, you’ll get your plants back to health in no time! Good luck.

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The Journey

I want to share with you the one secret I’ve learned along the way as a plant owner. It’s the one thing you’ll need throughout the journey of plant ownership. From selecting a plant to caring for it after dehydration. This one little thing is all that you will need. And that is…

P A T I E N C E.

Patience is vital at all stages of plant ownership. You’ll need to be patient with yourself if you make mistakes or if your expectations aren’t met. You’ll also need to be patient with your plant because they do not operate in the same time frame as our own.

With great patience comes great responsibility…or whatever the quote said.

If you are anything like me, patience may not come naturally to you. So I have had to learn how to be patient. Some suggetions on how to become more patient and things to try include:

  1. Yoga
  2. Long Walks without a destination
  3. Meditation
  4. Reading classics (this is on the list because I dislike ‘classic’ books like Moby Dick.)

These are just some ideas and you could come up with your own ideas on how to develop the patience needed during your plant ownership journey.

I wish you the best of luck with finding patience!

For those who already have patience… keep us impatient people in your thoughts and wish us luck. We need it!

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Contact Me

Don’t be shy! Drop me an email if you have any concerns, suggestions, want a chit chat, or need help with your ‘plant parent’ journey. I don’t bite and love hearing from my Little Green Islanders.

Email: akehinde1@sheffield.ac.uk 🙂

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A peek at my life

This blog piece will show you how I manage my day to day life as a plant owner. My life generally consists of looking after my plant, sleeping, eating, and doing my university work. I also manage a food blog on Instagram but that requires minimal effort. Whilst at university, I only look after Powerpuff, my Purple Passion Plant, so my focus is solely on Powerpuff.

On Mondays, I attend lectures till 12 noon and then mist or water Powerpuff as I prepare a smoothie for myself. By 1 pm, I turn Powerpuff’s plant pot so different sides of her leaves receive an equal amount of light. Then I begin my university reading and any outstanding activities I may have to complete. By 4 pm I check on Powerpuff’s leaves and prepare my dinner. From 6 pm onwards I use Instagram, watch a movie or talk to friends. I occasionally take cute Instagram pictures of Powerpuff throughout the week to show her off.

Tuesdays are busier so I start the day off checking on Powerpuff and rotating her pot so a different side receives light. I continue the day with breakfast and reading for university. Then by lunchtime, I have a snack, clean my flat, and prepare an actual lunch. After my late lunch, I mist Powerpuff lightly and prepare my ingredients for dinner. As I mentioned before, I have a food blog on Instagram, so whilst I cook dinner, I record the process, use different lighting settings, and change camera filters and lens. Once the meal is prepared, I have dinner and clean up the kitchen. I’m usually knackered by this point, so I read a novel to finish up the day and sleep.

I spend Wednesdays editing the recorded content from the day before and writing a caption for my Instagram post. Like always, I rotate Powerpuff’s pot but this time round I do not a mist or water her. She gets a rest day whilst I edit content and laze around my flat eating and reading non-academic books. I generally take a day away from reading mid-week so I give Powerpuff a water break also.

Thursdays, I’m back to reading academic texts, doing university tasks, and leading a structured life. Powerpuff gets her dose of mist on her leaves, then I rotate the pot as always. By lunchtime, whilst eating, I review the edited content intended for Instagram. Once reviewed, I upload the content to Instagram and engage with followers’ comments and shares. I prepare for dinner and continue reading or doing university tasks. After having dinner and going to bed, I check Powerpuff’s leaves and soil to see if she’s growing healthily.

Fridays are for ’rounding up’ any uncompleted tasks, reading, and checking Instagram. I spend the day doing this whilst making time to have lunch and dinner. This time around, I water Powerpuff’s soil and mist her leaves then rotate the pot. To end the weekday and celebrate the start of the weekend, I watch a movie on Netflix or Disney+ and go to sleep afterward.

Saturdays and Sundays are generally spent sleeping, eating, resting, watching shows, and catching up with friends. I don’t water Powerpuff as she gets the weekend off too, but I do make sure I rotate her pot to get equal lighting on all leaves. I make sure to inspect the soil incase it becomes dry, but it is very rare for this to occur so if it does, I just heavily mist the soil and leaves.

That’s it, that’s generally how my weeks look like. Powerpuff slots in perfectly in my life. I think the only difficult part about looking after her, is having to make a conscious effort to water her or rotate her pot. But after a few times, it becomes a habit, especially if you implement a routine. Taking care of a plant does not have to take over your life or be a full-time job.

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Tidbits

Being a plant parent isn’t easy and sometimes it can get repetitive, boring and on some occasions, you can forget you’re a plant owner! So here are two tidbits for you to get the most out of being a plant owner.

  1. Create a plant check up routine:

Even if you do not need to water your plant, make it a habit to check up on it anyway. Effective ways to do this is by turning the plant pot around so different parts of the leaves receive the same amount of light and it has a balanced healthy colour. You could also check the soil by touching it to ensure the plant isn’t drying up. Lastly, mist the plant a little, creating a dewy look on the leaves.

2. Purchase aesthetically pleasing plant pots that match with your interior design.

Housing a plant in cute pots can make it look more attractive and also help you to engage with your plant/s better. You may even learn more about your plant’s health through repotting and moving the plant into a new holder as you’ll be able to have a better look at the roots and soil.

It is the little things that matter, like routine and pretty plant pots. Fingers crossed you find what works for you to help you connect and engage with your plants.

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Tips

Along the way, I have learned that Google is my best friend and other plant owners are my support system. Owning and caring for a plant is easy when you know what you are doing. To know what you are doing you need lots of information. So here are some basic quick tips below:

How to know your plant is dehydrated?

The stems and leaves of most plants start to droop. Sometimes they go brown or become discolored. It is a little hard to deal with these drooping and discolored parts so the best thing to do is to save the rest of the hydrated plant and let the other parts shed away. The best advice that I have learnt is to constantly monitor the plant and adhere to proper watering schedules based on your plant’s needs.

How to tell if your plant needs more light.

There are a few tell-tale signs which suggest your plant needs more light. Light is a crucial part of a plant’s care and growth, so please make sure you know how much your plant requires and stick to it. Here are indications that your plant is not getting enough light:

  1. The growth of the plant would be sparse or leggy.
  2. Your plant would be leaning towards a light source.
  3. There would be no new growth.
  4. Almost like a dehydrated plant, the plant leaves and tips would be browning.

How to tell your plant is at the wrong temperature:

  1. The leaves of the plant are dying quickly.
  2. The leaves may also begin to yellow and fall off. This usually implies that the temperature has dropped dramatically.
  3. Leaves wilting and the edges changing colors (mainly browning) suggests that the temperature is too warm for the plant.

Be on the lookout for these signs to moderate plant temperature and ensure your plant is healthy and well cared for.

Below is a link for you to follow, where you can find my up to date Plant Directory. You will find in-depth information about caring for specific types of plants, such as their water needs, light requirements, and temperature specification.

Plant Directory

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My plant directory

Aloe Vera Plant

Introducing my plant babies; past and present.

Hopefully, my little directory can help you decide on what kind of plant to get if you are interested in beginning your plant journey. This post will also be super useful for any current plant owners struggling to care for their plant. 

I do not have an extensive list but with the little I have cared for, enjoy this read and I hope it is informative!

Purple Passion Plant a.k.a velvet plant ‘Purple Passion’

Family: Asteraceae

Light: Natural Bright Sunlight but shaded. Too much sunlight can cause damage to this type of plant. The best place for a plant like this is somewhere with partial or indirect lighting.

Watering: This type of plant has really sensitive roots so it is best to limit the amount of water you give them. Watering it once a week is ideal and it means that your plant will be moist and not overwatered.

Temperature & Humidity: Turn up the heat to keep these plants happy! Temperatures ranging from 16-21ºC are ideal and in some cases, the warmth of up to 29ºC is appreciated. This means temperatures 15ºC and below can harm Purple Passion Plants. This type of plant is most likely to thrive in a bathroom due to steam and humidity as it is generally found in tropical regions of China (side note: I almost killed my Purple Passion Plant, when I placed it on my window ledge overnight during winter… it wilted very quickly and took a lot of effort to revive).

Growth: These babies can grow up to 3 feet and full maturity takes around 2-3 years.

Peace Lily

Family: Arums

Light: They are a lover of low and indirect light. If this is difficult to achieve, you can use an inflorescent light to support its growth.

Watering: Peace lilies need water to be happy, so maintaining a moist top layer of soil is very ideal. If leaves begin to turn yellow, you’ll know it is underwatered and dehydrated.

Temperature & Humidity: Cold weather and a sudden change in temperature is a big no-no. A Peace Lily, most likely would not survive temperatures below 7ºC. Room temperature between 18ºC and 26ºC. Since they love being watered and warm temperatures, it makes sense for them to appreciate humidity. So, constant misting and use of humidifiers are great ways to encourage a humid environment for a Peace Lily.

Growth: Their height can range from 16 inches to 6 feet, which is very impressive. They grow at an average rate and repotting would not need to be done for 3-5 years.

Aloe Vera

Family: Asphodelaceae

Light: Aloe Vera plants love bright areas, but too much direct sunlight can be damaging. Leaving it in direct sunlight for a few hours is fine, however, the most ideal place for this type of plant is near a south or west-facing window. A grow light is also a good option if you find it difficult to provide a natural balance.

Watering: Every 2-4 weeks extensive watering should be done, however, make sure that the water is well-drained as moist soil from overwatering can cause harm to the plant. During winter, water this plant less often because during winter Aloe Veras go into dormancy.

Temperature & Humidity: They hate freezing temperatures so keep them warm! The minimum for them is 8ºC. They are good with dryness, and low-level humidity so most places in your home would be suitable.

Growth: Can grow up to 2-3 feet! Make sure to turn the plant around every few months so that the plant can grow out evenly.

I hope to expand my directory as I acquire new plants to look after. But for now, I hope you have found this little directory useful.