How to Grow a Green Thumb
Overcome your fear of plant care with these tips
Besides being oxygen factories, living plants have an inherent beauty that make them visual treats and thus coveted in any home’s decoration. Unlike other decorative elements, plants are more forgiving when it comes to working with your space’s style – if you find one plant does not work in a certain room, you can always take it to another one. Take for example the versatility of the lady palm as well as the very trendy fruit salad plant.
But for many, the idea of looking after these green living things seems more challenging than it actually is. Here, we talk about overcoming this fear by actually ‘doing.’
But for many, the idea of looking after these green living things seems more challenging than it actually is. Here, we talk about overcoming this fear by actually ‘doing.’
Be interested and learn
Looking after plants and having them work with your decoration is a relationship that begins with interest. There is a certain amount of commitment necessary in order to keep them thriving in your life. Study their form and growth pattern. Ask or read about their care. When you are better equipped with information, you are able to make better decisions on where to put them for maximum impact or how to keep them healthy.
Looking after plants and having them work with your decoration is a relationship that begins with interest. There is a certain amount of commitment necessary in order to keep them thriving in your life. Study their form and growth pattern. Ask or read about their care. When you are better equipped with information, you are able to make better decisions on where to put them for maximum impact or how to keep them healthy.
Techniques and practices
Once you have a better understanding of a plant’s behaviour, you will hopefully have the courage to do more than just water them. Pruning, repotting, addressing pests, and cultivating are other practices that would not only benefit the plant but will also make you more confident in handling them.
Got some real scissor skills? Besides training your own bonsai, you can also try your hand in creating topiaries.
Once you have a better understanding of a plant’s behaviour, you will hopefully have the courage to do more than just water them. Pruning, repotting, addressing pests, and cultivating are other practices that would not only benefit the plant but will also make you more confident in handling them.
Got some real scissor skills? Besides training your own bonsai, you can also try your hand in creating topiaries.
More than one-pot plants
Creating your own dish- or one-pot garden (besides the usual succulents) is good exercise, too. Dish gardens offer a variety of ways to combine different varieties of plants given a limited space. Your understanding of the soil and care requirements of different plants will allow you to choose which ones will go together in one container.
Creating your own dish- or one-pot garden (besides the usual succulents) is good exercise, too. Dish gardens offer a variety of ways to combine different varieties of plants given a limited space. Your understanding of the soil and care requirements of different plants will allow you to choose which ones will go together in one container.
When you’re ready, you can find more ways of growing plants in a limited space. You can DIY a green wall or have one professionally built for you. However, the basic points discussed earlier would still apply.
Having a green thumb is not necessarily a talent. It is a skill that can be learned and honed through practice. The trick is not to be be afraid of taking the first step.
TELL US
Do you have green or black fingers? Show us your potted treasures by posting a photo in the Comments section.
MORE
Read urban planting stories
TELL US
Do you have green or black fingers? Show us your potted treasures by posting a photo in the Comments section.
MORE
Read urban planting stories
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Like many things in life, taking baby steps in caring for and decorating with plants is a good idea. You can begin with plants that can tolerate neglect or even those that need less materials like these air plants in elegant globes to ease your way into the process.