Why do I need Permission to buy that Indoor Plant!

Today I am giving you permission. Permission to buy a plant and if you accidentally kill it, permission to throw it away and not care!

Say what!? I see you all shaking your heads and wringing your hands and wondering what the hell I am on about .....So, I’m going to share a story and maybe you can understand why I’m giving you permission.

The other day I was getting coffee and the coffee shop sold gorgeous bunches of flowers ... so here I was, half asleep pre-coffee and this little blue and this bunch of native flowers just called to me. Just looking at it made me happy and smile, so I thought bugger it, and bought that bunch of flowers.

$25 I spent. Not much, but also not a little.

I came home and proudly displayed that bunch of flowers on my kitchen bench and all week I smiled.

But come that six day mark, something was amiss... moving into the 8th day and I knew it was over. I held on, but ten days later, that was it. That bunch of flowers was long gone. $2.50 a day I had spent to bring me joy and I did not question it all as I’d enjoyed those flowers every day.

This week we got new Calatheas at Trevallan. Unfortunately, my house is too dark to continually grow Calatheas well, so I admired them from afar, unpacked them in-store and walked away. Later, however, I thought of those flowers. How I didn’t question spending money on a bunch of flowers I knew wouldn’t last.

So yesterday afternoon I bought myself a Calathea. I took it home and put it in a spot where it may not even survive. Yet, here’s the thing .... it was cheaper than a bunch of flowers, it will last longer than a bunch of flowers and I will get more joy from it than a bunch of cut flowers. If it dies in three months, so be it. If it gets sick and I can save it, so be it.

I gave myself permission to buy something that will bring me endless joy and I’m not putting a time span on it.

We have the notion that because it's got roots, it has to last forever and when it doesn’t, we see it as our fault. We see ourselves as plant killers. Yet we don’t see ourselves as cut flowers killers!

Sometimes we need to buy a plant just because it brings us immense joy and happiness. Sometimes, just sometimes, we are allowed to buy an indoor plant- not because it’s hardy, not because it’s insta worthy, not because you won’t kill it, but purely for the fact it will bring us immense joy while we have it.

So today I’m giving you permission to buy something that may not last but will bring you immense joy.... so, here’s the million dollar question: What plant are you going to buy?

How do I care for my Indoor Plants

Although we all love indoor plants immensely, how do we take care of them?

There is so much information available and a lot of it is conflicting ... so what’s the real answer.

I find the best way to treat my indoor plants is how I treat gardening in general ... simplicity is key.

I adore my plants, but I’m a simple girl at heart.

There is always going to be that indoor plant person that makes their own potting mixes and mixes their homemade fertilisers, has humidifiers and growing lamps… and then there is me!

Let’s look at how I treat my indoor plants as the starting point and then you can always work up to grow lamps!

My house is exceptionally dark, apart from one window area. I have learnt that the plant I want isn’t always going to be the plant that thrives.

I’d rather have a house full of thriving plants, instead of the newest release that’s barely surviving. Therefore, I’ve learnt that if I want a certain plant I need a twin. For example, I really love Calatheas, but my house is too dark for them to thrive, so I have two and swap them out fortnightly. This way, I get what I want inside and the plant continues to thrive.

My watering skills are haphazard and I know some plants that can handle this, so I tend to choose these plants over ones that I need to watch the watering. As my house is usually cool and dark, I find watering once a fortnight to once a month is enough for most plants -you just need to find your groove.

I have also learnt that Planters (cover pots) are the best thing for my indoor plants. Planters are pots without holes that literally cover the black plastic pot that your plant comes in. I place my plant inside these (I never usually pot into a planter, there is always an exception) I find planters enable me to swap plants around easily, protect my furniture, as I can give things a good drink without water going everywhere and I can also easily tip out water if the plant gets too much.

Occasionally, I may pot into a planter. If I do, I treat the planter and my potting method the same as I would a terrarium. I use a lot of Sphagnum moss and very little soil, and carefully select what kind of plant I will use.

I treat my plants to a spa day about once every two months. I take all my plants outside to a shady area, I give them some Organic Link slow release fertiliser, wash their foliage and give them a Liquid fertilise with Triple Boost and Neem oil. I usually leave them outside for the evening and bring them back in the next day. The fertiliser I use is same I use in my garden and all my other pots. Remember I keep things simple.

If a plant looks sick, it usually is. Imagine being cooped up inside all day. The best way to tackle a sick plant is to treat it as soon as possible - take it outside to a shady spot for a week or so. Give it a fertilise and a good drink and leave it be. I find most indoor plant deaths come from over love! Also weigh up how much you spent on it vs how much you will need to spend on it to bring it back to vigorous health. Sometimes it is worthwhile to accept a loss and get a new healthy plant, instead of spending months agonising over it.

If I find a plant is always suffering from insect attack inside, I know it’s not meant to be inside. Instead of constantly battling an insect problem, the plant gets treated with neem oil, trimmed and placed in a shady spot outside to live, where I know it’ll be happy.

What works for others may not work for me. This has been the hardest thing to learn. Just because someone is growing a particular plant well, does not mean I will be successful, therefore, I need to make my own rules in my own house.

The best thing I have learned is to not overthink it. Try a new plant, see if you like it, or more importantly, if it likes you. Move it around, buy a pot that suits that particular corner and more often than not, the plant will follow. Just remember to have fun.

Although I don’t always have all the answers, I am happy to help you on your indoor plant journey so pop down to Trevallan today.

Indoor Plants

A gardening passion of mine is making indoor plants easy - why wouldn’t I when it's the biggest gardening craze since, well, the 70's really! It's not the millennial generation any more, it’s the insta indoor gardener generation.

Really though, who can blame people for jumping on board with this amazing, not so new, craze? Who doesn’t want to be surrounded by lush green foliage inside and out?

We have decreased our yard size and increased our house space. We are on average spending more time indoors than we did ten years ago, so it's no wonder people are trying to beautify their indoor space with greenery.

When done right, indoor plants completely change a way an indoor space looks and feels.

How many of us have instantly fallen in love with a room in a magazine? We think it’s the furnishings and the light, but I bet that space also has greenery.

For over 50 years scientists have been researching why indoor plants make us feel good. One reason is that plants make the indoor air cleaner. Volatile Organic chemicals are found in most household products – paint, furniture, cleaning products and fake air fresheners. Being volatile means they can easily become vapours or gasses, which in turn, can contaminate our air and be detrimental to our health.

Concentrations of many VOCs can be up to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors and can be even more concentrated in enclosed, air-conditioned offices.

It is believed a 3x4m room, just one healthy 200mm plant can reduce VOCs. To reduce VOCs by up to 80% you need at least ten large house plants.

However, indoor plants do more than purify the air.

Research has showed that there is also a link to our mental health and plants. When we are surrounded by plants, our mood and concentration improves, we are more productive and we interact more positively with others.

Research has also shown that although one plant doesn't really cut it in improving our mental health, when we start creating that "look" with more plants, wellbeing increases significantly. In fact, the greater the mix of plants and sizes, the better the benefits.

So indoor plants really do make us feel better. The science is there. It's not a crazy phase of the 70's that’s back in fashion. It’s a life necessity. However, the trick with indoor plants is to never give up. I thought I had my indoor plant game sorted, then I moved and my new house is providing both challenges and some really interesting wins.

Sometimes the most fashionable plant may not work for you and that's ok. It's about finding indoor plants that suit you and your lifestyle.

I can't wait to bring you inside to my indoor plant garden, and be sure to follow my indoor plant blogs for more information

Making Offices Green

Beautify the Inside

Over the years there has been a great deal of research into not only how being outdoors improves your life, but also how being surrounded by green living plants inside improves your life, health, brain functioning and even your bank balance.  (Check out Plant Life Balance website for more details)

Plants aren't a luxury they are a necessity, however, sometimes it’s challenging to keep indoor plants thriving especially in our offices.

Why? Well, more often than not we are faced with problems such as no natural light, air conditioning and an inability to regularly water to plants due to over-watering resulting in wet desks.

At Trevallan, we are trying to come up with ways to make indoor plants easy but still really pretty using a range of planters, terrariums, kokedamas and even plants in bowls.

When we grow plants indoors, we have to realise that sometimes it's about giving up on our perfect plant to have an amazing plant that looks good all the time. Some plants are better suited to indoors and sometimes a really ‘boring’ plant can be made to look amazing in the right container!

Some of the Ways Trevallan is Bringing Plant Life Balance to your Workplace!

Planters

I have found that using planters (pots without holes) has been my saving grace.

I used to under water and ultimately kill my indoor plants as I was worried about water going all over my furniture.

Planters have no hole in the bottom. I just place my plant in the planter (I do not pot). I then can give my plant a really good drink, without the hassle of worrying about water going everywhere.

If by chance I decide I don't like that plant, or want to swap my plants around, I simply remove the plant from the planter. This way I am always keeping my décor the same (by keeping the same planter), but can switch my plants around and create an entirely new look.

It can take a while to get used to watering with a planter, but before you know it, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without them.

Terrariums

I love the meaning of Terrarium - a sealed transparent globe or similar container in which plants are grown! You cant get any more exact than that.

What a lovely idea to have a mini landscape sitting on our desks that only requires a small drink once every few months, in a closed terrarium or every few weeks, in an open terrarium.

I love staring at terrariums and seeing the mosses grow and the plants changing. The maintenance is minimal, but therapeutic, as its a delicate process.

Open Terrariums or Plants in Bowls are great too, if you want your plants to grow out of your jar. In an Open Terrarium, the plants are planted in glass jars or a decorative bowl. Instead of the plant being inside the container, as they would in a terrarium, they actually come up out of the container.  Even better, there is no need to worry about water leaking everywhere as the containers are sealed. Water them as you would a terrarium (at least once a week). When planting an Open Terrarium, follow the same guidelines as when planting a Closed Terrarium, just be sure to pack out the bowl with sphagnum moss.

Kokedamas

Kokedama is a style of Japanese bonsai. It is made by binding the plants root ball with a unique soil mixture, sphagnum moss and string.

Kokedamas are usually seen hanging from ceilings, or specially made stands. Personally, I like to put them in a bowl as this way I can just fill the bowl with some water and the plant can slowly soak up the moisture as it needs. I have tried numerous indoor plants with Kokedamas and they all work really well. Furthermore, these plants can be a real talking point in your office.

Crystal Planters

The beauty and power of crystals has been long recognised with healers, shamans and priests using crystals for their unique and special properties. It is widely believed crystals vibrate at the same pitch as humans - such that the resonance between the stone and the human either combats the vibration of the illness or amplifies that of health!

There are thousands of different crystals on the planet.

Many crystals would be useful in the office, especially ones that amplify harmony, resolve conflict or even attract sales! Some people may think you are a little kooky if you start having crystal grids on your desk, so Trevallan has come up with an idea to have these crystals in your workspace, without others even realising.

Planted Crystals

Very cleverly, we have planted plants into crystals that we think would be most beneficial to have in your office. All you need to do is keep the moss wet and you should start to notice the difference straight away!

You could also place some of your crystals on top of your plants soil. This keeps them earthed and cleansed, not to mention that it also looks really pretty! For some ideas on what crystals are best for your office click here. 

Want to improve your plant life balance or maybe someone else's? The Trevallan ladies are here to help. Not only can we can help you decide on the right plant, but we also provide a local delivery service straight to your office on Fridays.