There’s an old saying for those who are looking to create more balance in their life that caring for something should start in this order:
Plant-----------→ Animal ----------→ Human
The reason behind this strategy is to build the concept of responsibility by taking baby steps towards reaching your goal. You may have heard of this approach in connection to AA, becoming a new parent or Sexaholics Anonymous but in general, this is very good advice for anyone who’s looking to enter a solid relationship with another individual.
photo via aboutflowers.com
If you believe that you may be on the “Plant” end of the diagram, there are excellent varieties you should be aware of to get you set up in this type of training but before I give you a list to go on, you might want to keep in mind these useful tips.
- Water- Just like people, plants have to be well hydrated in order to survive and flourish, making this the number 1 rule when you purchase your plant. Be careful to read the instructions given to you by your florist or nursery since every species is different with their needs (Again… just like people). If you feel you might fall in the forgetful realm when it comes to this task, you may want to start with a cactus, which needs very little and is drought tolerable.
- Sunlight- Plants are living entities who need plenty of sunlight in order to create their own photosynthesis (food generation) so you’ll need to find a brightly lit area of your home to set your new friend up in front of. Again, there can be a variation between different species but I can promise, there needs to be some kind of sun at least part of the day available to the plant if you’re hoping to ever continue to phase 2- an animal.
- Love- It might sound corny but plants need love just like humans do and the way to accomplish this is to follow both previous rules as well as add a little extra into the mix. While the age-old theory claims that talking to plants will help them grow into epic proportions, some people prefer to sing to them instead. While you may be reading this and thinking it’s silly, plants have been proven to positively react to human verbal contact and have been recorded to double in size compared to those spent in solitary. If you need another reason to loosen up around your ficus, just remember that it’s great practice for starting a conversation once you get to step 3- a real human being.
- Suggested Plants- Fiddle Leaf Ficus Trees, spathiphyllum, ferns and cacti
YOU CAN DO IT!