Hey Ambitious Fam! Welcome to Week 2 of my mini Summer Giveaway series where I share some of my summer favorites and latest obsessions with the opportunity to win a prize specified in the post. Don’t forget that my Ambitious Weekly subscribers get a preview of the giveaway theme for the week AND have an opportunity for bonus entries! If you would like to be included on that list, sign up here!
This week is all about my latest obsession: Plant Parenthood! When I included “become a plant mom” on my May Bucket List, I thought that I would stop at just a handful of plants. Now it is July and my collection has grown to 17, not including my first plant death (RIP Rattlesnake Calathea). Before I get into my Plant Parenthood Beginner’s Tool Kit, I have 1 piece of advice to my other plant novices: get to know your space. More than half the battle of giving your plant a happy home is making sure that it has the right conditions to flourish. This means figuring out the direction of your lighting (protip: utilize the compass app on your phone!), temperature conditions, and humidity levels. Once you know your space (and with a little research) you’ll be less likely to bring home a plant that is poorly suited for your home. Don’t get me wrong, there are somethings that you can enhance (like humidity), but understanding your lighting will help make plant parenthood a little easier!
Here are a few things that you should have in your Plant Parenthood Beginner’s Tool Kit:
Cute Watering Can // This item is not super essential, but it’s a good idea to have a designated watering container. I love my gold watering can because the narrow spout (ideal for indoor plants) allows for better control of the water flow which is great for plants that have leaves that don’t like to get wet. My watering can is no longer available, but here is a super similar one from Urban Outfitters!
Pots with Drainage Holes // Everyone wants super cute pots, but making sure that you have proper drainage is ESSENTIAL for your plants to thrive. One of my favorite potting techniques lately is to do a nesting situation. The plant stays in a nursery or “growing” pot (which contains drainage) then placed into a decorative pot. This ensures that there is proper drainage and allows me to bottom-water with ease!
Plant Book // I’m constantly doing plant research on Pinterest and Google. I purchased How to House-Plant by Heather Rodino right before I started my plant journey and I found it to be so beneficial in learning about plant basics. I also bookmarked a few plants that I thought might do well in my space. This book is a great resource for those who want to figure out where to start.
Hygrometer // A hygrometer is a perfect way to get to know your space. Before I purchased one, I was constantly questioning whether my space was humid enough for certain plants to thrive. Now I can see the readings as well as the temperature in the location that most of my plants live–highly recommend!
Pest Control // One of the perils of plant parenthood is the threat of pests. New plant parents are likely to have a run-in with fungus gnats–annoying little flies that like moist soil. No thank you. The internet is filled with tricks and hacks for combating them. I’ve included two in this post! The mosquito bits are good for attacking at the root of the problem by making the soil inhospitable to developing gnats (which lives most of its lifespan within moist soil) without harming the plant. Yellow sticky traps help eradicate the adult gnats, which will hopefully prevent them from producing more gnats.
This week’s giveaway winner will win a propagation station + plant cutting to start or grow their plant family!
The July Summer Giveaway series is open to peeps located in the continental US who are at least 18 years of age. This giveaway closes on July 23rd at 1 pm and the winner will be contacted via email. Click here to enter this week’s plant parenthood giveaway!
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