I Watered My Plants Today

By Madylin Nixon-Taplet

“If you’ve never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, plant a garden.” – Robert Brault

We can truly learn so much from plants. When a plant is dying, the best way to save it is to cut the branch that’s killing it. Within some time – given the disease has not reached its roots – the plant will eventually sprout something new and stronger from where it was cut. Now wouldn’t that be something miraculous? To be able to grow more beautiful from something that was once so toxic by simply cutting off the thing that made it that way in the first place? About two years ago I lost an entire life and gained a brand new one. And yes, it was definitely as dramatic as it sounds. In December 2016, I graduated from undergrad. Finally, my life was beginning. That shining light ahead had been made so clear for me by the promises of the American higher education system. I had no idea where I was headed, but I’d dreamt it’d be somewhere wonderful and beautiful and not without clarity. Because all that I have worked for – i.e. the sheet of paper that said I accomplished one of the hardest parts of life – was finally in my grasp. Right? Right?

Model: Ashley Dixon

Photographer: Madylin Nixon-Taplet

Within four weeks of my graduation, I was homeless. I was alone. I was struggling. I hated my job. It was the kind of work only meant to be a temporary salary while in school, but was quickly becoming my only means of financial survival. I was stuck and I felt all but accomplished. Something deeply and profoundly dark was creeping into a life that was supposed to be meaningful. So what do you do when you feel so bound to that kind of darkness? When you’re insolvent and lost and alone? You walk into Home Depot and purchase your first plant. Ithica, I called her. I had no idea what kind of flower she was, or what I was supposed to do with her, but I knew I needed to surround myself with something that brought the light back into my world. And oh, she brought such light!

One night I turned to my love and said, “I resonate so deeply with these plants, like recreating something from my past life. But I don’t think I was a plant back then. I think I’ve just always been meant to care for them.”

I found my peace in my garden.

I discovered gardening and plant care as the most wonderful form of self care. Aside from the days of obsessing over whether my tomato and pepper plants would produce fruit, I enjoyed the time I spent singing to, loving on, and watering my beautiful, green babies. Most days my plants heard my rants and secrets. They saw my tears and laughter. Both witnessed and experienced struggle. They grew as I grew. By the end of the summer, after they’d grown tall and bared gifts, I felt an overwhelming sense of ecstatic pride– that is until I tasted my first tomato and immediately curled my lips with the bitter taste of accomplishment gone awry. I loved my babies, and I worked the rest of the summer to make them just as delicious as they looked.

I found meaning in my garden.

I am a person who needs to be needed. I am unafraid to admit that. My plants needed me, and I them. As sentimental as it seems, they allowed me to be lost without retribution, but instead with redemption. If I messed up and had to cut them down, they promised to

grow back, as long as I kept trying. If I neglected them for too long – because not every day was a good one – they promised to take care of themselves until I returned. Because I always returned and it felt as if they knew I would. That kind of bond is the spiritual kind. The faithful kind.

I found my identity in my garden.

I am a creative. It is so hard for me to admit that sometimes. But I created this space. I planted a seed and nurtured and watched it grow into the beauty that is this space. And it wasn’t simply the remarkability of my created space that meant so much, as it was the fact that I’d proven to myself the extent of my multifaceted nature. I’ve always been an eclectic person, one who takes on bits and pieces of each spirit she encounters. Why was I not allowed that in my professional work? Why must I only be good at one thing? My existence was my power, being broken was my vice, but my ability to regrow time and again was my gift. And I was hell bent on using and sharing that gift.

As the warmth of summer died and winter came along, I turned my attention to houseplants. I’d already had a few here and there that were pretty low maintenance, but I wanted to know what it was to REALLY experience plant care. Now I’m the proud mother of over 50 house plants, all unique and majestic in their own way.

I am a plant mom and photographer. I allow people to see the beauty within themselves and I nurture the spirits of those around me. Weirdly, my plants help me to see that. I want to share some of that energy with anyone who is interested in the lives of plants.

SO HERE IS A LIST OF THREE OF THE EASIEST HOUSEPLANTS TO GET STARTED WITH AND SOME TIPS AND TRICKS TO KEEPING THEM HEALTHY.

Spider Plant

Model: Krystyn Whitty

Photographer: Madylin Nixon-Taplet

PET FRIENDLY

NAME: Chlorophytum comosum

TYPE: Houseplant

• “Airplane” plants meaning they are great for hanging planters.

• Form “babies” that can be cultivated: just clip them at the base of where they grow with garden trimmers and put in a small glass container filled with distilled water, and place in a window for a few weeks. Once roots grow to at least 2-3 inches, you can plant in soil.

• Preferable to plant babies in the Spring in a small planter.

SOIL: Well-Adapting

• They prefer well draining soil: potting medium of vermiculite or coco coir

• Love to be “root-bound” = tight roots/small containers

• Only repot once per year in the Spring or when the roots begin to show through the bottom of the pot.

• New pot should only be about 1-2 inches larger in diameter than the previous pot.

• NO CLAY POTS – they need moist soil and clay pots absorb moisture too quickly.

WATER: Sensitive. DISTILLED WATER ONLY (I also occasionally use rain water)

• Water at room temperature

• Moist soil but not soggy

• You can also water from the bottom

• Water once per week or when top 1 inch of soil is dry

• Don’t allow it to sit in water for more than about 20 minutes

LIGHT: Bright but Indirect

• Hanging planters are perfect for spider plants. Hang in front of a west facing window (or any window that gets a decent amount of light throughout the day) with blinds or light/translucent curtains.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR!

• Burned Leaves: the tips of the leaves will burn if there is too much light or if any other type of water but distilled or spring is used. Every now and again you may still see some burnt leaves. I normally just trim these back as is necessary. Trimming also helps the plant produce more leaves. ONLY use garden shears or trimmers, no scissors. They don’t have to be fancy or expensive. I got mine at the dollar store lol.

• Root Rot: leaves will turn black if roots are left in sitting water for too long.

Pothos Plant (Devil’s Ivy)

NOT PET FRIENDLY!

NAME: Epipremnum aureum

TYPE: Houseplant

• Most popular is the Jade Pothos or Golden Pothos

• Perfect beginner’s houseplant

• Can grow almost anywhere!

SOIL: Standard

• Your standard or everyday potting soil works well with this plant. You can also use quick draining soil.

• Love to be root-bound which, like our friend the spider plant, means small planters!

• Only repot once the roots have filled the container and the new pot should only be about 2-3 inches larger.

WATER: Deep Watering

• Let soil dry out about 50% before watering again. Usually about once every week to once every two weeks.

Bright yellow leaves on these plants = TOO LITTLE WATER! That baby is thirsty. Check her soil and water her up!

Black new leaves = TOO MUCH WATER! Slow down. She’s got enough. Let her rest a week or so.

• You can water these plants from the top or bottom. Just depends on where they’re placed.

LIGHT: LOW LIGHT

• These are low light houseplants. The shadier the space they’re put in, the darker and greener their leaves become.

THINGS TO KNOW

• A. Propagation: Pothos plants can be regrown from cuttlings.

• Cuttlings = the leaf AND stem that falls from the plant

• Just place the cuttling in distilled water and place in a sunny window until they grow roots. This can take a few weeks. Then place the plant in well draining potting soil in a small, root bound pot. Place in a nice shaded spot and watch her grow!

SOIL: FREE-DRAINING SOIL MIX

• This plant is SUPER prone to root rot so you always want your soil to drain well. Cactus or Succulent potting soil is great for this baby!

• Terracotta/ Clay pots are great for this purpose because they dry soil out very quickly.

• Only replant once the terracotta or clay pot has cracked.

WATER: LOW MAINTENANCE

• Only water once per month. Allow the soil in the pot to completely dry out before watering again.

• Remove any standing water from the saucer underneath the pot.

• These plants prefer to be watered from the top.

LIGHT: LOW LIGHT

• These plants are amazing because they grow well in dark/shaded spaces! They also do really well with fluorescent or artificial lighting which makes them great for office spaces.

Snake Plant (Mother-in-Laws Tongue)

NOT PET FRIENDLY!

NAME: Sansevieria trifasciata

TYPE: HOUSEPLANT

• This plant is classified as an evergreen perennial plant – meaning with proper care it can live quite a while – and is apart of the Asparagaceae family.

• Its easily identified by its stiff vertical leaves growing from a basal rosette (simply put it has a circular arrangement of leaves).

• The Snake Plant is perfect for an on-the-go working woman because it’s low maintenance and doesn’t require a lot of attention.

GENERAL TIPS

Best way to tell if a plants needs watering is to feel the soil. GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY! It’s ok, I promise. It’s an amazing way to get in touch with your plants and their soil. Wash your hands, rinse well and dive in! If the soil sticks to your hand and feels wet, there is plenty of water there for the plant to thrive on. Leave it alone! If the soil sticks under your nails but doesn’t exactly have that super moist feel watch the plant and its soil over the next few days. She doesn’t need water yet, but she’s definitely getting there. If the soil is cracked and hard and crumbles in your hands like a sad little mess, WATER LIKE CRAY CRAY! In some cases, if the soil is too dry and the plant seems “stuck” you may need to move the soil around a bit with your hands as you water, but be VERY careful not to break or disrupt the roots.

I heard once that watering most plants is best done in two stages: soaking and soaking again. Fill the container with water until it drains out of the bottom and then do it once more for good measure. It’s important because while the soil within one inch or so looks soaked, everything else below it is untouched and just needs a little extra to get done to those thirsty roots.

I water everything with distilled water. You don’t have to because I know people have bills to pay and adding gallons on gallons of distilled waters is not in the budget, but I would definitely stray as far away from tap as possible. It’s full of fluoride and can cause shock in many plants. If you’re serious keeping your plants healthy but want to save some dough in the long run, you can invest in a apparatus that collects rain water. There are many available online or in garden shops and nurseries.

I don’t think you should be as extra as I am about my plants, but I do encourage you to pay as close attention as you can. For my personal growth I keep a pretty detailed Plant journal that has kept me on track with watering, damage, growth, etc. Its time consuming but hey it helped me write this guide for you!

Sing to your plants. Or play something nice for them. There are studies that show that plant growth is affected by different vibrations, sounds and energies around them.

Everyone experiences care differently. Though it doesn’t always seem it, I’m introverted at heart, so being at home with my plants, my photography, my pet and my thoughts is a kind of indulgence that I don’t take for granted. You may find some inclination in it as well.