I started getting into houseplants a little after my wedding because I wanted an earthy home filled with natural light and greenery. The funny part? I was living in a basement apartment with zero natural light. But me being me, I did it anyway.
I started with two Calathea plants because Google said they were manageable low-light plants. I thought they would be perfect. I was wrong. They lasted maybe three months before giving up on me.
When we bought our house in 2024, which was filled with natural light, I knew it was time to start fresh. I think my first real attempt was with another Calathea, and it wasn’t too bad. Then I got cocky and picked up a rubber fig from Trader Joe’s, which went south quickly. It started to droop and rot from overwatering, and on top of that, my toddler kept ripping off the leaves.
By April 2025, I began experimenting with a small balcony garden bed and focused on herbs. To my surprise, they were a lot easier than I expected, though I struggled with knowing when to cut, prune, and maintain them. Still, they were thriving by May, while my rubber fig was suffering.
In June, I repotted my Calathea and rehabbed my rubber fig back to life, which gave me some hope. That same month, I bought a Monstera from Home Depot because I always thought they were beautiful and brought so much life into a space. Within a week, I had a huge new leaf. It was rootbound and needed a bigger pot, but I was so nervous about shocking it that I put it off for longer than I should have.
By August, I picked up two more plants—a False Aralia and a Golden Pothos—and did a full repot and soil refresh for all my plants. To my relief, they’re thriving. The Pothos is ready to climb and hang, the Monstera and Calathea are happy in humidity and bright indirect light, and so far, even the notoriously tricky Aralia is doing okay.
Closing Reflection
In the right setting, houseplants are my jam. They’re slow and need lots of care, but so do people. I want to buy more plants, but for now, I need my toddler to be a little less destructive and to find proper spots for them that don’t interfere with our living space.
What’s surprised me most about this journey is how much it’s teaching me patience. I’ve always been someone who loves instant gratification, but plants are the opposite. They force me to slow down, wait, and trust the process. And honestly, I haven’t given up on them yet. Snaps to me, because sometimes I impress myself with the simplest nuances.
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