The 17th-century English clergyman and historian Thomas Fuller once said He that plants trees loves others besides himself. I’m no garden enthusiast nor do I believe I have green fingers. Nor can it be said I always love others besides myself.
But I would like to believe my wife and I are spreading some love and self care in the home with our recent hobby — caring for a new collection of indoor house plants. Plus a brand new slow juicer!
How did it happen?
The Kindness of Friends Expressed With Plants
It all started when my wife told me over a week ago that some of her primary schoolmates plan on coming to visit her after learning about her ovarian cancer diagnosis.
At the same time, they wanted to buy us a housewarming gift (since we just moved in less than three months ago) but wanted first to know what we needed for our new abode. As opposed to just getting generic gifts.
Knowing my wife, she would never ask for anything, especially if it’s extravagant. But what then should we suggest that would let these childhood friends of hers feel they got the right gift, and yet not cost them too much?
After giving it a quick thought, I told her: Why not ask them to buy us some lovely indoor potted plants? We only had five pots since we moved in:
— Two small pots of money plants (Epipremnum aureum)
— Two small pots of snake plant, also called — believe it or not — mother-in-law’s tongues (Dracaena trifasciata).
— One slightly bigger pot of dumb cane or leopard lily (Dieffenbachia).
We now live in a bigger apartment than before. So we definitely have space for more plants.
What we didn’t expect was to get not one, not two, but five different plants that have doubled our indoor nature quotient in more ways than one!
Five More Plants = Doubling Nature’s Presence At Home
These are the five common indoor plants we were gifted:
— Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora)
— Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
— Monstera Deliciosa (Swiss Cheese Plant)
— Caladium (likely “Caladium Lindenii” or “Angel Wings”)
— Alocasia Dragon Scale
As said, I’m no gardener. Notwithstanding the five plants I already had before these gifts were delivered to our doorstep. (Thankfully, for the most part, those plants we already had could survive on little light and water, and were thus fairly easy plants to care for)
But now we have oversight over a whole new collection of plants. More time and tending will naturally be needed on our part to keep them alive.
Now, better writers than me have extolled on the virtues of having foliage in the family so I won’t waste time trying to here, especially since I’m still learning about these plants. Like how much direct sunlight they need (or not). Frequency of watering. Stuff like that.
What I will say is that seeing more natural greenery around the house now brings a deeper sense of peace and tranquility to me, and a greater desire to take deep breaths and slow down.
This is soul, spiritual and mental food and drink all rolled into one! And given that yesterday was World Mental Health Day, I can’t underscore enough the importance of these daily visual and sensory reminders of how important it is to watch our well being and stay grounded.
Speaking of drink and yesterday, another unexpected ‘gift’ came our way 24 hours ago.
Plants. Vegetables. Fruits. Juice. The Stuff Of Life!
Friends truly are the gifts that keep on giving.
Why do I say so?
One of my wife’s friends who visited, brought with her freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices, thanks to her very own slow juicer back home. Coincidentally, since exploring healthier, (hopefully) cancer-arresting diets, my wife invariably came across the oft-touted health benefits of slow juicing.
Needless to say, my dear wife got all excited about the juice.
Fast forward to two days ago. That was when we popped over to my friend’s place to check out his juicer and get a live demo.
Fast forward even faster to yesterday. We ‘gifted’ ourselves with our very own juicer!
Our first concoction of juice was done this morning. Comprising beetroot, carrot, orange, apple and celery. Well, let’s just say it’s an acquired taste! For me anyway. My wife is sold though on their freshness and their nutritional value so everything that issues forth from our brand new appliance is a joy for her she would lap up without a second thought.
Good.
If I’m being honest, these “nature invasions” are exactly what we need during this harrowing season of our lives. Cos we have to learn to live with my wife’s diagnosis hanging over our heads daily. And any organic way that helps, we owe it to her (and ourselves) to give it our best shot.
That’s self-care. Slow and steady.
It’s how it should be.
Right?
