5 Plant Care Tips (From Someone Who Sells Them)

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | Plant Care Tips For Beginners

From the very beginning, Shawna Christian has cared about plants. This past month Shawna Christian celebrated the one-year anniversary of opening her shop, Tansy, a bright, airy storefront in Burbank, CA bursting with gorgeous plants, eclectic decor, personality and warmth. Shawna’s journey with plants started ten years ago when she started renovating her house and backyard. “It was this ten year journey for finding stuff for my home from all around the world and making it bright and colorful, and creating this backyard that turned into a garden of Eden.”

Shawna realized that she couldn’t wait to spend every spare moment in her yard tending to her plants. She started realizing that she could stay out in her garden for up to eight hours without having a single conscious thought. “It was like my version of meditation,” she says. “When I decided to open up a shop I wanted to bring what I was experiencing in my own home and garden to a place where people could come and start their own journey with their own homes and their own plants. I found such joy and peace with it.”

I talked to Shawna about some of the common mistakes people make when they start cultivating their green thumb, and advice she has for beginners.

1. Start Out With Easy Plants.

“I think the biggest issue for most people is not understanding the type of plant they want,” Shawna says. “People will walk in and they’ll gravitate towards the really cool looking one or the one with a lot of colors.” A lot of times, she says, new plant owners get ambitions beyond their abilities, and overextend themselves. “Buying difficult plants is not the way to start, because you’ll kill it, you’ll get disappointed and you won’t want to do it again.” Shawna recommends starting with easier plants to get into the rhythm of attentiveness before moving on to plants that can’t survive being forgotten about or ignored.

For beginners, Shawna has a few starter plant recommendations. She says a ZZ plant, or Zamioculas plant, is a great place to start. “They’re stunning plants, and some of the easiest plants to take care of.” They’re a great plant for lower light environments, which can be ideal for people who live in houses or apartments without a lot of natural light. “Not everybody has these big windows with all the sunlight coming into their home. Most people live in apartments or places where there’s only specific pockets of light, but they want to be able to put plants everywhere.” She says that basically the only thing a ZZ can’t handle is direct sunlight, because it can burn. “You can stick it in a closet for a month and it won’t die.” ZZ plants are also able to store water in their root systems for months, meaning that they only need to be watered about seven times a year. “They’re just the easiest plants in the world and honestly they’re beautiful.”

Another low-maintenance staple is the Sansiveria, also known as the snake plant or the mother-in-law tongue. Another low-light plant, the Sansiveria also needs only occasional watering, around seven times a year. “Both of these plants can be ignored,” Shawna says. “As a first time plant owner it’s really easy to forget you have to take care of a plant. You’ll go a month and a half and realize you didn’t water it. Both of these plants are easier than sin. You don’t have to do much to keep these plants beautiful and luscious.”

2. Make Sure Not To “Over-Care” For Plants.

When you’re new to plant care, it can be easy to overwater or give them too much exposure to light in an effort to make sure they get enough. “For the most part people tend to overwater because they don’t know what the plant needs,” Shawna says. It’s particularly easy to overwater plants if they’re in pots without draining holes, because the roots can end up sitting in excess water they don’t need.

Shawna says it’s easy to understand what your plants are telling you if you know what to look for. “On average if you get plants that have yellow stems, yellow leaves, and are a little bit squishy to the touch, that’s overwatering. If you get brown leaves or droopiness, that tends to be under-watering or too much sun.”

One thing that first-time plant parents tend to misunderstand is that there’s a difference between caring for indoor and outdoor plants, specifically when it comes to the amount of light they need. A lot of indoor plants are shade plants, meaning they’re only ever meant to get partial sunlight. Yes, Shawna says, “they do need a little more constant light if they don’t have that outdoor piece, but any light through a window is magnified.” Morning to 2pm light is especially brutal, she says. “It’s like an ant in a magnifying glass. If that’s the kind of light they want, then they probably want to be outside.” Parking your new houseplant on a windowsill that gets direct sun might seem like the perfect choice, but chances are it’ll give your plant more light than it can handle.

3. Talking To Your Plants Really Can Help.

“They’ve done scientific research that says your plants will thrive better if you talk to them. It’s the weirdest thing,” Shawna says. “There’s a whole science with plants. They obviously don’t have mouths, they can’t speak, they can’t smell, but they have a nervous system.”

She says plants are a lot more responsive to their environments than people might think. For instance, a plant will grow better if it’s in a planter surrounded by others of its same kind as opposed to plants of different species. “Even though they are somewhat of an inanimate object, there’s something really magical about them.”

4. Growing A New Plant From A Succulent Cutting Is Easier Than You Think.

Many plants can propagated somewhat easily from cuttings, but succulents in particular need almost no help to regenerate. Succulents are draught tolerant plants that need little care, and when pieces of a succulent are disconnected from their life force they quickly start looking for a place to root. Shawna says that when a piece falls off of a succulent, or if you get a cutting from one, the first step is just to leave it alone. “Don’t water it, don’t put it on a wet paper towel. Just walk away. Within two to three weeks you will start to see a root pushing up from that cutting, looking for a place to root. You can literally turn around, plant it and start a whole new plant. Succulents are really specific; there aren’t a lot of plants you can do that with.” She says Tansy has a trough outside full of succulent pieces that have started to root after falling off of various plants.

5. Do Your Research.

Shawna’s biggest piece of advice for new plant owners is just to make sure they understand a plant’s needs or maintenance level before investing in one. “When you’re a new plant owner just start easy. Don’t go and buy the rare hard-to-find plant. There’s a plant craze now. People are buying plants left and right and will get too many plants and they can’t take care of them. Each one has its own personality, its own water and light system. My advice is to go slow and do your research.”

This story was originally published on July 3, 2020, and was updated on November 3, 2020.

7 Herbs You Can Grow at Home

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 7 Herbs You Can Grow at Home

There are few pleasures as simple or joyful as being able to pick fresh herbs to use in your cooking. Not only are herb plants useful and delicious; their luscious leaves and fragrances can make a home feel truly alive. Keeping herbs in the home can encourage you to cook more if you’re hesitant, or just raise the quality of your dishes if you’re already a star chef. There’s nothing more satisfying than cooking with herbs that you grew yourself.

Growing herbs can be intimidating for first-time planters who aren’t sure what it takes to keep them alive; here are 7 herbs that are easy to grow in your home and use to season meals all year long.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

1. Rosemary

One of my favorite scents, rosemary is a sweet-flavored perennial that goes great with savory dishes like roasted potatoes or chicken, and can even go in tea and ice cream. Rosemary is a hardy herb that can be grown simply by bringing a cutting from a larger bush inside; it can thrive indoors if you make sure to meet its needs. It generally has roots that are as long as the plant is tall, so make sure to give them deep enough of a pot to live in. Rosemary is also particularly sensitive to overwatering, so keeping them in a pot with drainage, or putting some gravel into the bottom of their pot, will allow them to keep from rotting.

Rosemary loves hot, sunny locations in the summer, so placing it in a South-facing window, which are generally brighter and warmer, will suit them. If you take these steps up front, rosemary can be an extremely durable plant that will provide you with fresh flavor for years.

Rosemary, along with thyme and sage, is easy to propagate from cuttings, so if you’ve got a friend with a rosemary bush outside you can start your own plant for free!

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

2. Mint

Mint is a beautiful, versatile plant that’s easy to take care of and can be used in so many recipes (or simply to garnish your favorite tea or mixed drink). Make sure to place them in an East-facing window that is a bit cooler if possible. Mint prefers to thrive in soil that’s consistently moist, which means that keeping it in a container with drainage is important to avoid standing water.

As with most of these leafy plants, experts recommend pinching leaves off the mint plant as you remove them rather than pulling them; pinching encourages growth in lower, dormant leaf buds and keeps your plant producing viable leaves.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

3. Oregano

In the mint family, oregano is another low-maintenance, fragrant herb that makes a great, fresh addition to pasta, pizza and vegetables. It prefers a bit hotter light, meaning South-facing windows suit it best. Oregano is more sensitive to overwatering than mint, so it only requires watering when its soil is completely dry. Oregano is a short-lived perennial, meaning that it needs to be replaced or reseeded every two years.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

4. Cilantro

Cilantro is a fresh-tasting herb that makes a great addition to salads and tacos. Cilantro prefers to grow in hot, bright places, making South-facing windows ideal for them. Similar to mint, cilantro thrives best in moist, well-drained soil.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

5. Parsley

Parsley might be best known as a garnish but it can be used for so much more; it can provide flavor for a lemon pesto or tabbouleh or add seasoning to a salad or soup. Similar to rosemary, parsley tends to have deeper roots and will need a taller pot to thrive. It needs bright light and good drainage to grow; parsley is used to humid environments and will welcome the occasional misting.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

6. Chives

Most often used to top baked potatoes, fresh-cut chives can add a fresh, zesty flavor to a variety of dishes. Chives will grow best in a sunny, South-facing window and benefit from regular watering and misting. When it’s time to harvest chivies for a meal, snip off leaves with some sharp kitchen scissors; just be sure to leave at least two inches at the base of each leaf so that it can regrow, and don’t cut more than a third of the leaves at one time.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

7. Basil

Fresh basil can add a world of flavor to many Italian dishes and can even be used to make homemade pesto. Basil craves heat and light, so make sure to keep it near one of your brighter windows in moist soil. This plant is one of the easiest on this list to care for and is even sold in most grocery stores, but as a perennial, its stems will eventually grow woody and die. To keep a fresh supply of basil, you’ll need to replenish the seeds or replace the plant on a yearly basis.

9 Accessories For Plant Lovers

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 9 Plant Accessories

Whether you’ve been working with plants your whole life or have just decided to add a plant to your home, you know that houseplants have so much to offer us. Tending to plants can be a great hobby and even, for some, a form of meditation.

Live plants contain multitudes of benefits; they’re living art, transforming our homes with their colors and vibrance. They can improve our air quality, cleanse our spaces and even show us, over and over again, the rewards that can grow from the attentiveness and intentionality that comes from caring for plants each day.

There’s no shortage of ways to get more involved in planting as a hobby but here are a few items that can help you turn your home into your personal oasis.

Hydroponic Bulb Planter

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If you’ve ever wanted to experiment with plant cuttings or just want a stylish new piece, this hydroponic planter is the perfect addition to any space.

Mandala Style Flower Ceramic Planters

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These beautiful planters bring a bit more color and style to an already vibrant collection.

Hand-Blown Glass Watering Globes

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Both beautiful and practical, this hydroponic bulb can ensure your plants get watered while you’re out of town or too busy to keep a watering schedule.

Hanging Flower Bud Vases

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If you’re not confident with live plants you can still have a touch of florals in your home with these flower bud vases.

Glass Plant Mister

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This mister will look at home on any shelf while making sure your plants stay hydrated.

Air Plant Frame Holder

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Air plants are among the easiest plants to tend to, and this holder will do a great job of displaying them if you’re looking for a starter plant.

DIY Hanging Orb Terarriums

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Designing and assembling your own terrarium can be a great use of an afternoon or an activity to do with friends and family, and they’re great to display in windows.

Easy-Grow LED Planter

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This display isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it also makes sure your plants have access to enough light even in dimmer settings.

Small Hanging Planter Set

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These planters are easy to fill, easy to install and can line your walls with beautiful green life.

5 Houseplants With Special Benefits

There are few ways to inject life into a home that are as effective or satisfying as adding live plants. Keeping houseplants in the home isn’t just a good hobby or a way to devote attention towards tending to a living being, although those are both great benefits. Houseplants exude all the forces of life, growth and nature that we glean from the outdoors, brightening our day and refreshing our surroundings. It does the body so much good to be surrounded by green life even while indoors.

In addition to the natural benefits that come from adding more life to your home, many plants also have special abilities to lend to us and our indoor spaces. Here are five houseplants that will not only provide you with a refreshed and peaceful space but will cleanse your air, provide you with sweet aromas or bring you positive energy as well. The living world has so many gifts to offer us, if we take the time to invite them into our lives.

Sansevieria

Also known as a snake plant, the popularity of the sansevieria has exploded over the past few years. Snake plants are hardy and resilient, thriving on low water and even dim light. They are also great oxygen providers, and many sources recommend keeping a snake plant in the room where you sleep to give you access to better air quality.

Pothos

Pothos plants are easy to care for and radiate light with their bright green leaves. They’re also great at filling space; a pothos plant hung from the ceiling can fill a corner with its leafy vines, creating just as much lush green as an expensive tall plant at a cheaper price.

Rosemary

Every home should have access to fresh-grown herbs, and rosemary plants are an easy place to start. Rosemary is hardy and will fill your porch or kitchen with a beautiful fragrance without needing much maintenance. The biggest risks with rosemary plants are overwatering and crowded roots; experts recommend keeping rosemary in a planter that’s as deep as the plant is tall so the roots have room to grow, and keeping it in a pot that has drainage.

Money Tree

Aside from the soothing patterns these plants are often woven into, money trees have a great symbolic value. They’re seen as an icon of prosperity, good luck and fortune and are believed to bring good things. In feng shui, money trees are known for creating positive energy wherever they’re placed. They’re also easy to care for, not having many light or water requirements.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera plants have been kept around for their medicinal benefits for thousands of years; they were first used by Ancient Chinese and Egyptians to treat burns. Having a living aloe plant in your home can bring the same benefits we’ve relied on for thousands of years to your home. Aside from its beautiful coloring and hardy nature, aloe leaves can be used to soothe skin, particularly after a burn.