Redeeming My ‘D’ in Indoor Plants

In my senior year at Virginia Tech, I took a “crip course” on indoor plants. It was the only “D” of my college career. I needed an easy class to balance out my interior design presentation class, which was rumored to require all-nighters to survive. Indoor Plants seemed perfect. After all, I had raised an avocado from seed and was harboring an entire family of spider plants in my apartment. No one told me, though, about the mandatory memorization of Latin names required to pass. Nor did I consider the challenge of staying awake at 8 o’clock on cold Thursday mornings (after my weekly all-nighter) scribbling said Latin names as they flashed by on the slide projector.

I still can’t tell you the Latin name of a single plant, but I have learned a thing or two about raising indoor plants since then. Partly because I believe it’s good to have plants among us. Experts say indoor plants can boost mood, concentration and creativity, reduce stress, clean the air and even prevent sore throats. Here’s a fun article about all this from The Sill.

But my most effective teachers have been the green family members I’ve acquired over the years, including the orchid my husband gave me when we first got married (recently restored by Chadwick & Son Orchids [www.chadwickorchids.com] here in the neighborhood), his grandmother’s massive angel wing begonia and this strange thing my father nursed for years until he nearly drowned it.

So what has all this indoor planting taught me?

  • Sunlight is key. Most “green people”enjoy an east or west facing window.

  • Plants will adhere to a group watering agenda. Mine have politely agreed to an every-other-week (or so) schedule, a little more in winter.

  • They really must have drainage. Forget those pots without saucers. It’s impossible to tell what’s happening in there.

  • Every now and then give them something to eat. My favoriteis Jobe’s Organic All-Purpose Granular. It’s very smelly so don’t apply it before hosting the Mother’s Day Tour.

  • Studies show they love a good conversation.

So, don’t worry too much about what your plant is called. Latin isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Do feed your sweet things and give them the love they deserve for improving our inner world. And please do say, “How do you do, dear philodendron,” now and again.