Houseplants can brighten your winter home

Summary

The article discusses the importance of proper care for houseplants during winter, emphasizing the common mistake of overwatering and suggesting that a bit of neglect can actually benefit the plants.

Abstract

Sandra B reflects on her experience with indoor gardening during winter, highlighting the therapeutic value of plants and gardening. Despite having a greenhouse, she acknowledges the challenge of keeping plants alive with the right amount of care, particularly emphasizing the danger of overwatering. Sandra suggests that indoor plants may thrive with less attention and watering than most people assume, especially succulents which are sensitive to excessive water.

Opinions

The author, Sandra B, considers herself to have a green thumb, though she admits it's not always the case.
She values her plants as a form of therapy, especially during the winter when outdoor gardening is limited.
Sandra believes that the most common cause of plant suffering or death is overwatering, which she equates to "too much love."
She recommends testing soil dryness with a finger before watering to avoid overwatering.
The author suggests that giving plants less attention and water could lead to them thriving, contrary to the belief that they require constant care.

If you don’t kill them with kindness!

bedside table ©Sandra B

This piece is a response to Ellie Jacobson’s newsletter prompt from her publication Flint and Steel, in which she asked if we have a brown or green thumb.

I like to think I have a green thumb, but truthfully not always. I love plants and gardening. It’s my therapy. And this time of year when we are stuck inside I don’t get to do too much of it, even though this year my husband and son built me a beautiful greenhouse from recycled windows saved from our house. So I have some plants out there as well. But they are mostly plants that I wanted to protect from cold weather temperatures. Once I moved them into the greenhouse, I didn’t do much except come visit, talk to them occasionally, give a little water and make sure everything is still closed uptight.

But back to indoor plants, which is what most people have. The number one thing that I found that will cause plants to suffer or die is overwatering. Yes, that’s right, too much love. Most plants can't handle overwatering, especially succulents that are so popular right now.

The best way to test the dryness of the soil is to test the dryness with your finger before adding any additional water. So if you really want to try having some plants but think it’s too much trouble, maybe this time try giving them more neglect. I bet they will surprise you this time and thrive.

Houseplants Can Brighten Your Winter Home

If you don’t kill them with kindness!