All things plants: Tips on how to start a container garden, deadhead roses, make herbal teas from garden harvests, and more.
I am shocked by how many ficus plants I’ve owned, given my track record with them. I’ve had several plants in this genus: two ficus lyrata, a ficus benjamina, and of course, two ficus elastica. These are fig plants, but the edible common fig, ficus carica, isn’t your ideal houseplant — it really prefers being … Read more
Let’s talk about the dieffenbachia. For me, it’s the plant that I fall in love with over and over again whenever I look at it, but it’s also the plant that I tend to ignore. My dieffenbachia, also colloquially known as a dumb cane, has been slowly eking by over the past year, and while … Read more
Hello, plant friends! I’m back with a plant blog, but I’m going to switch up the format a little. Since I’m running out of broader categories of plants, I’m going to do deep dives on specific species of plants! They’ll be focused on one plant at a time, so they’ll be shorter and more casual. … Read more
Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief shines a light on orchid enthusiasts and hustle culture. Hey, y’all! I’m back, this time with a quick review of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief. Yes, it’s an adult book, but it’s one about plants! I’ve been a fan of Orlean since I picked up The Library Book, a true-crime nonfiction deep … Read more
I grew up surrounded by money trees, spotting them not only during my rare trips to big-box nurseries but also in Asian homes and supermarkets. According to feng shui, they’re supposed to be lucky and bring about prosperity. Now, I’m not sure if mine has given me any luck, but it hasn’t died on me … Read more
Crotons are the pumpkin spice lattes of the plant world. To put it bluntly, they’re pretty basic. You’ll find them overtaking nurseries towards the end of the summer and throughout fall. Their bright orange, red, and yellow foliage are instantly recognizable. Instantly. Crotons do have a cozy and comforting quality to them, though. While their … Read more
The ZZ plant is nothing to yawn at! Dubbed the “unkillable houseplant,” zamioculcas zamiifolia makes for an agreeable and low-key addition to any plant collection. Its beautiful foliage almost looks plastic, coming with a dark green glossy finish. But despite growing relatively slowly, the ZZ is much more rewarding than a fake plant (in my … Read more
Last summer, my grandma visited us from Canada for a few weeks. She had a lot of life hacks and liked to call things easy, except she’d say it like “E-Z.” When I’m tending to my philodendrons, I think of that hard emphasis “E-Z” because philodendrons are incredibly low maintenance houseplants! My philodendrons have survived … Read more
Introduction Don’t ever talk to its son or its son’s son or its son’s son’s son or its son’s son’s son’s son ever again! There’s no other word to describe the spider plant other than prolific. When given adequate water and sunlight, they grow incessantly. Spider plants are those giant tufted mounds of striking leaves that … Read more
Introduction The schefflera, or umbrella plant, is just one of those plants that looks both whimsical and elegant. As the colloquial name suggests, the leaves resemble little umbrellas, clustering in pinwheels from thin stems. The foliage is a striking green color, glossy when unfurling. The variegated kinds flaunt splashes of bright colors for an added … Read more
