Becoming a Plant Lady | Just Moments
Funny story, I pretty much grew up on a farm in the Philippines, and did I ever learn how to take care of plants or tend to a garden? NOOOPE! I had nothing to do with plants most of my life. Other than them magically growing around. Yes, Mom and Dad had something to do with that magic. My mom was and still is very into plants and gardening.
In my defense, I was very busy between nursing school and taking care of my horses. I was either at school, in a hospital, on a horse, or next to a horse. If I could be at school in a hospital on a horse you know I would do it.
Horses eat plants. So there was also a battle of the wills going on between my horses and my parents. Many bamboo, banana, corn seedlings/crops disappeared. I have no clue where or how or why my parents were so angry and my horses so fat...
Since I have moved to the PNW which is a 180 from Arizona where I was born, I get a little blue during this thing called winter. Fall, you are not so bad. Winter though, you are not a good time for a desert-born tropical raised girl. Snow is pretty, don't get me wrong, I love watching it from inside a 75-degree house at a minimum.
I also got busy with life in general. Moving countries by yourself are not the easiest thing and involved a lot of change. I left my family (It was the plan all along so don't jump to conclusions now XD) and horses behind (I gave them to people I trusted) and started a career in the operating room as a nurse in 2013. I found a huge gap in my life. After a year of just getting my feet under me...is that the saying? I realized I had a huge amount of free time. I always enjoyed taking care of things but if any of you had a horse you were bonded to you know you can't just replace them so instead of jumping back into horses I decided to explore my other passions.
My first plant was a spineless prickly pear in 2014 which I still have today which I highly recommend as a good house plant for a beginner. I was still very focused on going to new places, meeting new people, and my career.
Roll forward to November 2019 my husband and I were wondering what to do during the winter. We game a lot during winter but I still feel a little down because I can't go outside and everything is so grey and wet and cold. Sadface. I start to freeze at 70. I thought to myself. I need something green and alive. We went to a nursery and picked out a few plants. A Pothos, Hawthoria, and what I recall, maybe a polka-dot or nerve plant (it didn't last very long). The Pothos was hung in our bathroom and the Hawthoria was placed on the windowsill.
I really enjoyed watching the pothos grow. I quickly wanted more plants. I wanted an Indoor Jungle! I didn't know much about plant care so I killed a few. I'm still learning and that is something I enjoy doing most. Now it was becoming a personal challenge. Keep the plants alive! Luckily, my husband enjoys the plants as well and soon we made it a regular thing to go to a local nursery or plant shop once a month.
Each plant I keep alive I feel a sense of accomplishment. Some of the plants I have now are the kinds I grew up with. Like my Mimosa pudica or sensitive plant. I now know how big it gets when it is not constantly trampled or eaten by horses!
This year winter is not something I am dreading. We have a ton of plants to keep us busy. I am excited to be writing about each plant and my experience with it as a monthly thing.
-DashinMoments