Sometimes things just creep up on you… and suddenly you’ve got a collection. For some people, it’s action figures and comics. In my case, it’s PLANTS!
I definitely do not consider myself a green thumb. In fact, my affinity for electronics and my ability to kill the hardiest succulents convinced me some time ago that I have a black thumb. But ever since the start of this year until now, I’ve slowly built a mini-forest in my room and condo balcony.
I have to admit, it’s something I’ve inadvertently taken solace and joy in especially during community quarantine. The exhilaration of seeing new shoots virtually overnight, the heartbreak of trying and failing to fend off a pest attack, the thrill of taking cuttings and seeing them root in water — my little garden helps take my mind off the stress of long work hours as well as the boredom and mundanity from needing to stay at home.
My patch of green has well-documented benefits: looking at desk plants for even three minutes reduces stress, indoor plants help clean the air, and exposure to plants and green space, and particularly to gardening, is beneficial to mental and physical health. There’s very good reason why Metro Manila is in the midst of a plantdemic, and I honestly think my life is better thanks to plants (and of course my lovable dog Calvin).
(Psst… don’t steal plants, especially endangered and rare ones!)
In this latest vlog I take you on a mini-tour of my plant collection thus far. I have some vegetable, fruit, and herb seedlings as well as some ornamental ones. While I’m still not a green thumb by any means, through hard work and some self-discipline (I need to stop over-watering plants huhuhu) the plants I currently have are surviving and will hopefully thrive. I hope you enjoy and are inspired to care for a plant of your own.
