My new lockdown houseplant obsession

So the lockdown has officially turned me into a plant lady and I’m not mad at it. I officially have a houseplant obsession. I’ve always grown up surrounded by houseplants and simply taken it for granted. My mum had some epic plants that are as old as me, if not older. I’m talking money plants and other beauties that just seem to survive without any intervention. Or so I thought. The same went for my Grandma, she just seemed to have a green finger. Every plant she touched flourished.

Then there’s me. 

I never understood the most basic theories behind the plants I bought. Over watering some, then over adjusting for the next unsuspecting plant babies, and completely under watering the next bunch. I mean, I killed succulents. They became mushy lumps. I didn’t even know it was possible. But yup, I accomplished new lows with my houseplants. 

Being at home for the past few months gave me the time and inclination to actually learn. It was like a new challenge for me and of course, like looking after two kids and a dog wasn’t enough, I needed a hobby. So houseplants became my hobby. 

The rapid evolution from plant killer to having a houseplant obsession

Before the COVID-19 lockdown, I had one plant. One solitary beautiful monstera I’d bought a year ago from a gorgeous small boutique florist-cum-coffee bar in a town not too far away from the sleepy village I call home. I’d gone for a coffee with a friend and left with a plant. I tell you,  the owner of September Flowers knew what she was doing when she came up with the coffee-flower combo. 

Seeing as I managed to keep the plant alive for an entire year, it figured that I’d learned a few basic plant rules and it was definately time to buy more. The first five new plants (yes, I said 5!) came from the same florist, September Flowers. They were doing an online plant sale as the shops were still shut. It felt right to be able to support a local business through the lockdown and also bring me some joy at the same time. This is what I said to my other half too, when the owner personally delivered my new plant babies to my door a week after I’d placed the order. He wasn’t as impressed with my reasoning as I’d thought. Still, I’m pleased to say that a month in, the plants are still flourishing. 

My new house plants

The five plants I bought from September Flowers in their sale are: another Monstera, a Rubber Plant, Prayer Plant Monstera Oblique and a ZZ Plant

I’d love to say I knew this off the back of my head but in all honesty, I downloaded a plant care app called Planta. One of the features is it can identify your plants for you. Planta also advises you on when to water, fertilise and spritz your plants. I’ve learned a lot about plant care from using this app as a starting point. It seems to be like marmite and a divisive topic in some of the house plant groups I now frequent in Facebook. Yes. I’m taking my plant mum role super seriously.

5 reasons a houseplant obsession is good for you

• Looking after plants is great for mental health
• Adds a sense of pride and ownership
• Some plants purify the air in your home
• Plants reduce noise in rooms
• Plants boost productivity

Budget-friendly house plants

I’m all for saving money and being frugal. Particularly as nobody really knows how or when the pandemic will end. We’ve seen our household income decrease and with two kids to look out for, it’s important not to make any huge purchases. That’s why all the plants I bought were on sale! 

I bought another 3 plants from Lidl of all places. My mum bought me a book on houseplants after she saw a photo of the first batch of plants I bought. In it, they recommended people not buy plants from supermarkets as they are bulk bought, left in refrigerated conditions and are generally not best looked after. Also, the authors, like me are keen on supporting the smaller independent businesses. 

A good reason to leave the house?

That being said, I hadn’t been out of the house in about a month and volunteered to do the food shop so I could scope out the condition of the houseplants int he Lidl Special Buy just in case… Turns out the authors were right, the plants were left outside the shop even though it wasn’t particularly warm. But they looked to be perfectly healthy so I picked a few up. They were a fraction of the price I’d have paid anywhere else so I didn’t have to feel guilty about adding them to my trolley. I will still try to buy the majority of my houseplants from independent sellers in the future though. 

My second purchase of COVID-19 lockdown plant babies consisted of a Mother-In Law’s Tongue, (which in all honesty I wish I’d bought three or four more of, not just the one) a Philodendron and an Autograph Tree, though I’m not certain I’ve identified that one correctly.

I’m sure there will be a few more purchases before the end of the summer. My houseplant obsession shows no sign of wavering just yet. I’m finding the art of caring for my plants to be really calming. It also adds a sense of routine to my day, which you’d think having to look after two kids would have given me but surprisingly it hadn’t.

Are you a plant mum? Are you naturally green fingered or is your home the place plants go to die? If you have any failsafe tips for me, I’d love to hear them!

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