Plant parenthood. Is it a fad or is it a way of life? For me it conjures an image of an alternate eco version of a crazy cat lady. But I truly believe in the concept of introducing more plants and greenery to our lives especially with the increased times spent indoors. These days, they are everywhere. From envy inducing home photos, exercise video backdrops to real estate staging photos. I would love to fill my home with a melange of plants like a box of Cadbury Favourites.
Not to drown myself purely for the aesthetic and textural reasons. But to naturally purify (arguably) all the carbon dioxide I expel and emit a natural aroma other than my linen fresh. Surprisingly, some recent studies have empirically verified that potted plants may not necessarily as effective or provide as great of an impact on minimising VOCs as commonly perceived. Regardless, they still provide intangible value in our health and wellbeing.
Therein lies my problem. I do not possess the mandatory green thumb to make it work no matter how hard I try. Plus enlisting a gardener is not a viable option until my escape-to-the-country home materialises and I can afford such things.
Exhibit A
My poor zamzibar gem. It thrives of neglect they say. Don’t water it they say. It doesn’t need much light they say. Well, I’ve followed the manual to a tee and still can’t seem to make it thrive. I wonder whether it’s my lack of luck with nature or it just hasn’t been in an ideal climate. Even the plant couldn’t stand my deliberate abandonment.
As they say, hindsight is always 20/20 and probably should have started with something even more basic like propagating herbs. A statement fiddle leaf tree might have to be put on hold indefinitely. That, or invest in faux plants and trees for the indoor life. The purists might claim that if it’s not real, then it’s not worth doing (quoting the Dulux tagline was unintended). But I rather not have to worry about rotating plants for sunlight, feeding and watering schedules. My innate skill lies in eating, not cultivating. So it makes sense I start with herbs. They don’t take much space and I get to enjoy them without requiring significant investment.
Seeds on hand, I needed pots to germinate them. Looks aren’t everything but the bright orange terracotta pots channel primary school art project. I wanted to channel amateur kitchen garden competence.
If something is imperfect (deliberate or otherwise), just call it rustic or one-of-a-kind and slap a 200% mark up. Or you can DIY some rustic looking pots and not be ripped off.
I’ve heard many things you can do to deliberately add character to sterile pots so I decided to give it a go. I had high hopes for the pots to be imbued with varying shades of grey tone terracotta and imperfect textural qualities.
Two hours later and the results speak for themselves. They were so disappointing, no photo required as pots did not look any different to when I slapped on the lime solution and left them to dry. The lime grit dusted off and it was like I’d just brought a brand new pot home from Bunnings.
With no option to turn it off and on to fix my problem, I left my DIY on a cliff hanger, to be continued. I know my poor zamzibar gem is waiting with bated breath that I figure this out soon.
Do you someone who can’t get enough of plants or think it’s a trend? Also what are some DIY hacks/projects that have done or wanting to do?
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