a thrifting, reading, and gardening diary
Introduction Hi, hello from one of my latest plant acquisitions — the peperomia marcello! (Sometimes called the amigo marcello.) Truth be told, I haven’t had the best of luck with peperomia (aka the radiator plant), mostly because I end up ignoring them and then shocking them with too much water or sunlight. But I’m holding … Read 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
Y’all, I have gone three weeks without acquiring new plants. Congratulations to me! I’m sure this will change once autumn makes my home more suitable to indoor plants, but for now, I’m appreciating any plant that’s displaying steady growth. Especially the big ones, like my monstera, philodendron ring of fire, and variegated rubber plant! I’ve … 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
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
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
An Introduction to Dracaenas I first got the impulse to buy a dracaena after watching Netflix’s Tuca and Bertie, which features these too-cool-for-school teenage plant heads, one specifically named Draca. Draca is, in my mind, a dracaena, which too is effortlessly cool and trendy. In fact, the last time I checked, I had five dracaenas! … Read more
An Introduction to Pothos As far as houseplants go, pothos are notoriously easy to maintain. At least that’s what they say. I’ve gone through two plants before finding the right routine for my golden pothos. But with ample indirect sunlight and light watering, you’ll have yourself a loyal green friend. What I love about the … Read more
