Becoming a Plant Mom

I’ve been wanting to get a plant. I saw a post online saying to get one and name it after yourself. That way when I talk to it and nurture it, I’m being kind to myself and taking care of myself.

I loved that idea, and since I’m working on self-care, I thought I’d give it a try. A friend of mine also wanted a plant, so we went to IKEA on a mission. I love looking at the plants from IKEA and have previously purchased a palm and bamboo before. This time their selection wasn’t the best (let’s blame coronavirus).

We both live in basements, so we needed something simple that doesn’t require a lot of light — something we couldn’t kill. So we went to Lowe’s to search for something low-maintenance. Another friend told me that ferns and ivy are perfect for that. I had no idea that the selection at Lowe’s was so wide. I found 3 plants!

There’s a beautiful tropical-looking plant (bromeliads) that has bright purple flowers growing out of it, I named her Ash after myself. I just water her when the soil is dry and she has to be like 6-10 inches from the light. I put her right next to my window that doesn’t get direct sunlight. I will talk to her and nurture her to be kinder to myself and treat myself better.

Ash (bromeliad) in her perfect spot

Ash (bromeliad) with her beautiful purple flower

I also found an ivy-esque plant (brasil from Brazil). Instead of “Ivy” I wanted to name her after a celebrity crush or something. Due to the current situation going on with Naya Rivera, I decided to name her Naya. Naya Rivera was my first real lady crush so this is personal. She requires low light and again only water when the soil is dry, so I placed Naya next to Ash near my window. I did repot her first, because she looked a tad crowded. My friend told me to put a coffee filter in the new pot and then the soil, so I did! I just bought some regular potting soil and used that.

Naya (brasil) and Ash (bromeliad) in their home

Naya (brasil) ready to be repotted

Naya (brasil) after the repotting

And the third plant was a hibiscus plant. Hibiscuses always remind me of Hawaii and even though I know I probably can’t keep it alive, I thought having it anywhere near the home would be a welcome sight. I named her Lilo and placed her outside on the deck because she needs 6+ hours of sunlight and she won’t get that in the basement.

Lilo (hibiscus) outside on the deck

Let’s see how long I can keep these alive. Maybe I’ll start gardening if I’m successful. And I’m definitely getting another palm for work once my office opens back up. I can keep Te Fiti alive this time! Mahalo!