Posted by By Oretta Croushore, Property Manager for Home Rental Services
The temps are finally dropping. Halloween is over. The clocks have fallen back. I’ve seen some fallen leaves here and there. Pumpkin spice everything abounds competing with all the Christmas decorations creeping onto shelves in stores. The Fall/Winter fusion brings a lot of fun activities with it. For some people, the shorter days and cooler temps can affect their mental health.
I, for one, am a person who is greatly affected by the weather shifts. I like to think it’s because I’m descended from some earth goddess who long ago lived in a stone cottage on the edge of a forest. The edge, because she wants the woodland creatures to be able to come to visit her but to be far enough away from the deep dark woods to avoid issues with grumpy trolls and monsters of various types. Plus, she would want to be able to get Amazon deliveries and visit the local caffeinated bean brewer’s shop on the regular. In reality, it’s probably that I have underestimated the importance of vitamin D on my overall health. Either way, earth goddess or slave to my body’s needs, I can feel when there’s a seasonal shift.
Coping with Winter Blues
One of the ways I have learned to cope with my winter blues is to have creative outlets I can escape into. I am a crafter by nature. I tend to do a lot of crochet work in the colder months. One advantage of making a blanket is as it gets larger, I have more of it to keep me warm. I also love to learn new things or to challenge myself. Last year, I challenged myself to make hats and gloves for donation. During the pandemic, I learned macrame. I read a lot, but also like to listen to audiobooks so a craft I can do while listening to a book is like combining two of my passions at once.
Becoming a Plant Mama
A few months ago, I decided to give myself a different kind of challenge. I have become a plant mama. You’re probably thinking, that should be natural for an earth goddess! I have a secret. This earth goddess has a bit of a history with black thumb. I have even called myself a plant killer. I started to realize that I had just accepted my role as The Black Death of Botany. “This ends now!” I said. I will be a loving, caring plant mama. That which I do not kill only makes me stronger.
I have had a snake plant hanging in a macrame planter in my office for a few years now. Not only is it still alive, despite some questionable parenting practices, but it has overgrown its pot! It turns out, snake plants thrive on neglect. (I’m not sure if it’s good that I know that or not.)
I knew the new pot would not fit in my plant hanger so I took myself to the nursery in search of a new plant for my office window. I had mentioned to a friend that I’ve always loved string of pearls. He suggested that I look up string of dolphins instead. Like there’s any chance in the world I was going to pass up the chance to have little dolphins swimming around me!
Twice the Fun!
Now, I have doubled the number of plant babies I have. A slight panic at the idea of keeping two kids alive now. Fret not, there is an app for that. I downloaded a plant app to help me keep track of watering, feeding, and even offers tips for when your little one is feeling under the weather. The app also encourages naming of your plants. Now that I had Medusa (snake plant) and Charlie (dolphins) under control, there was only one thing left to do. GET MORE!
Next thing I knew, I was meeting a lady I met on Facebook Marketplace in a QT parking lot buying some plants out of the back of her hatchback. I’ve acquired some cuttings from various sources, rescued some babies from clearance shelves, and even recently acquired a coveted monstera plant from Ikea (no assembly required).
Reducing Stress
Tending to plants has shown to help reduce stress, anxiety, and mental fatigue. Many plants offer benefits such as improved sleep and accelerated healing. Many of our green friends actually help us out with their air-purifying properties by filtering out all kinds of toxins, including mold. My girl Medusa is famous for removing carbon dioxide, benzene, xylene, and formaldehyde. Don’t worry, she won’t turn you to stone, feel free to gaze upon her to your heart’s content.
English Ivy helps with breathing issues like bronchitis, asthma, and even COPD. Putting this plant in the bedroom of a person afflicted with breathing problems helps to reduce the amount of coughing they do at night. Spider plants are known for being super easy to grow but also wash that formaldehyde right out of your air. That’s an icky gas that’s in all kinds of stuff like fabrics and paper. I am anxiously waiting for one of my Charlottes to give me some grandbabies. Spider plants are famous for growing little spiderettes that like to hang down and look cool while cleaning your air.
Like with most of my obsessions… I mean crafts, I research them a lot on Pinterest. I recently came across an article claiming to know which houseplant you need based on your zodiac sign. I am a Libra. I was pleased to learn that the monstera plant perfectly matches my desire for balance and symmetry in all things. It’s a match made in heaven.
Here’s the full article.
Dying to know who your perfect green match is?
Aries: Cactus
Taura: Fiddle Leaf Fig
Gemini: African Violet
Cancer: Money Tree
Leo: Begonia
Virgo: Prayer Plant
Libra: Monstera
Scropio: Venus Flytrap
Sagittarius: Snake Plant
Capricorn: Bonsai Tree
Aquarius: Lifesaver Plant
Pisces: String of Pearls (seems like the fish sign would appreciate string of dolphins).
If you have been afraid of plants like I was, challenge yourself to try again. There is no lack of information out there about easy care plants and plants that are perfect for your needs. I do suggest checking out the toxicity concerns if you have kids or fur babies.
I’ve come to realize the benefits of having living things around me. I’m not sure if it’s because of the sciency reasons, the health benefits, the mindfulness aspect, or some kind of botanistic voodoo. I’m learning, creating, and nurturing all things which feed my soul. Who knows, maybe plant care is my last step in becoming the earth goddess I am destined to be!
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