There are many general “rules” about plants and their needs. The obvious ones are sunlight gives energy, water nourishes, and soil provide nutrients. For house plants, you are basically taking these plants out of their natural environment and forcing them to thrive in your home, so it’s a no brainer that some refuse. It is important to honor the plant life and know that not all are willing to enjoy your home. And for this reason, I will not be buying many Alocasia. Notice how I say “many” because I will not say “never!” I have bought a few Alocasia Polly and after a few attempts and treating for spider mites, I finally gave up and threw them out in the garden. And do you know what happened? They flourished outside. I didn’t even pot them into the ground, they just didn’t want to live in my house.
Now, back to the point of what plants need. All plants need light. And yet, I’ve seen clients show me their fiddle leaf fig in a North-facing window, with an awning on the outside, lots of shade, and it’s perfectly happy. Or, my stylist who cuts my hair has the lushest Pothos, and yet he has absolutely no windows. How? I know what you’re thinking, he must have growlights. Truly, he has no sunlight or growlights and his plants are not only surviving, they are thriving. These events are what I call a Plant Miracle! The kinds of things that don’t make any sense, but they have found a happiness in an unexpected place.
I try to find these moments. Whenever my Giant Peace Lily puts out a bloom, I am always in awe. I currently have two flowers blooming at the same time and it is an absolute stunner. I’ve found a hitchhiker plant that started thriving and completely settled into a home with another plant. Is there a lesson for us in this? Gosh I hope so. I want to be a living miracle that thrives in the most unlikely of places. I want to beat the odds in an unexpected way. I want to push to succeed even when the conditions are not “quite right” or downright opposite of what I need to succeed.
I’d love to hear of your Plant Miracle stories, and even more importantly, share how you’re beating the odds and thriving when no one thought you would!