I know this is a bit of a more serious topic, but if you're comfortable sharing, and you've had an experience, how has botany and the houseplant hobby/community helped and/or improved your mental health? Id love to hear your stories if you're comfortable sharing! :)
For me it’s something fun and can be so rewarding when you get a new leaf or a plant looks great!
2 likes Same! it's definitely always something to look forward to over the life of a houseplant :)
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I’ve recently lost my sister and my brother dealing with loss I turned all my energy to taking care, learning about plants I really feel like it has helped me, it’s very therapeutic
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I’m sorry for your loss. One of my plants is my grandmothers so I feel like in my soul.
2 likes I'm sorry for your loss, I know how it feels losing a loved one, but I absolutely agree with it being therapeutic. I lost my friend dawny a few years ago, maybe 3-4 months before I started this journey and I think its helped a lot. I appreciate sharing something so personal, because I personally believe that sharing can pave the way for another to do the same!
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I tend to get stressed and overwhelmed with a list of things to do in my head. Taking care of my plants is a simple task I can take on first, before tackling my actual to do list. It helps calm my mind. Taking care of my animals is the same way. I know exactly what I need to do and how, and I can deal with that easier than whatever is stressing me out 😂
3 likes Yeah, I have my dog, my brothers dog, (hes in the military, long story) and an older cat, so i know exactly how that can feel, even if it feels like a chore. Same with houseplants. Theres a semi-clear guideline, and things go wrong when you don't follow those guidelines. I get over stressed too, and I do this. I look at all of my problems, and treat it as triage in an emergency room. It's one of these for each task: "you need immediate care or you're gonna die." "You can wait a little bit, but you need care." You aren't that bad, wait till tomorrow and come back." "Eh, take some Tylenol and see me in a week." I personally give my tasks a lot of Tylenol..
0 likes Ha ha! I like that. “Give tasks Tylenol”. That’s my basic approach to housework 😂
2 likesRipping out weeds is cathartic sometimes. Digging activates some sort of ancient "oh good, we'll be prepared for winter" instincts that are really soothing. Plants are also nice because you get the immediate gratification of things like getting all your seeds planted or pruing something to look its best, and you also get long term gratification where months of work reward you with things you can really be proud of. It's a way to get exercise without paying attention to the work, and I've found using my chainsaw when working on the bigger plants tends to help release muscle tension because of the vibrations
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I’m new to homeownership and a yard. This fall will be my fourth. But really, only the second since I put any effort into the yard. How do you not get discouraged when all of your work all summer is basically ruined by the fall and the winter? There’s definitely a lot I have to learn when it comes to mulching and preparing and pruning. I live in the Pacific Northwest AND I live in a flood zone and a valley lol- so it gets really windy and really cold and really wet and everything just looks ruined come spring.
3 likesMeasuring your progress helps. Each year you add a few perennials you reclaim a little territory from the weeds. It also helps to focus on whatever tasks will stay right the longest; like if you weed a garden bed, those weeds will definitely be back, but if you do much-needed porch repairs, that stays fixed. The more long term projects you finish, the more they satisfyingly stack up and the more time you have to make headway on repeating tasks. It also helps to add plants with a variety of bloom times; adding some that bloom late in the season or have good fall color helps keep things looking cheerful. For winter you could add some evergreens, and some shrubs have really bright bark colors that would be at their prettiest after the leaves fall.
2 likes Good advice. Thanks. I try to plant 99% evergreens or perennials because everything being dead permanently come fall and winter would take all the wind out of my sails I think. I do a little each year with the in and out. This was my house before I bought it.
And now. I didn’t paint the house or install the deck but I did entering else by myself. ☺️
*Everything else
0 likes When I was trying to come to terms with the fact that my happily ever after was a dream and realizing I’d actually married a very manipulative abusive narcissistic alcoholic who dropped the act the second we got back from our honeymoon, I didn’t know what to do. Everyone had just spent so much time and effort and money and emotion on our big celebration. I was racked with shame and guilt and fear. Then someone gifted me a cyclamen at work. I proceeded to kill it, unintentionally, like I’ve done to every plant before. This really bothered me for some reason. I was determined to keep a plant alive. I started pouring myself into hours and hours of yard work. Stabbing at the grass with my shovel until I was sunburned and blistered. Mowing, weeding, watering, digging out flower gardens and walkways, reshingling the house, laying bricks. Anything to get out of the house. I realized I was waaaay more capable than I thought. And then winter came. I started buying indoor plants, and what started as a healthy, albeit expensive, coping mechanism, turned into something really fruitful and rewarding. I don’t know everything about plants, far from it. But I have spent the last two years having a more healthy relationship with things that grow. (I learned how to stop over watering and fussing finally 😆). Being an excited plant mom when a plant sprouts its first new leaf. Learning about grow lights and different species. Attempting ever more difficult plants. Today I texted my friends a picture of my Rhaphidophora Decursiva’s first leaf with a fenestration and I think I heard the eye rolls through the phone. 😆 But I’ve gone from killing everything I touch to keeping more alive than I lose. And while sometimes I get annoyed with myself for having to water for two hours, it's an extremely nurturing and satisfying hobby. They can't talk to you, nor bark nor meow. So you have to just try your best and rely mostly on hope and faith. And there's something oddly encouraging about that.
5 likesI don’t know you but I am so proud of you for getting yourself out of that situation. You are a warrior and your plants will always thrive because of it 💙
4 likes I'm proud of you being able to escape that situation!
1 like Thank you
0 likesI was recently diagnosed with a life changing illness all while my relationship/life was falling apart. At the time I used to use YouTube for my escape and would spend literally all day falling down the rabbit hole. On a random day my mom bought me a Pothos and it was all history from there. I went on YouTube again lol and just went crazy learning about plants and going to nurseries and talking to the employees trying to learn as much as I could. When I found out about propagating it was a wrap lol. I went crazy buying plants and propagating and now I live in a jungle lol. Plants and the community really did save my life and continues to be an outlet for me when things get overwhelming. PS I’ve let go the YouTube habit 💪🏽
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It’s the only “social media” I partake in because it’s 100% positive and supportive!!
1 like Exactly!
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I struggle with dissociation and anxiety and my plants very much help me stay in the moment when caring for them! Has helped me practice both mindfulness and gratitude☺️
4 likes I'm glad you're able to move on with your life even with anxiety, I can relate :)
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I lost my job in June and it devastated me. I feel like I lost part of my identity. I am 50, so bouncing back is harder. Plus we bought a house in February, so having our income slashed was a big deal. Buying new plants (which meant skipping the plant show we had tickets for), not buying supplies, and just having to make due have been part of the game. I have been learning more about what I have and working toward making what I have better. I would feel like I was a failure in everything unless it looked like a YT or IG picture. But finding out that others struggle too was a comfort. Celebrating little wins helped. And just learning from others....all really helpful..
2 likes I don't have other social media because everything is either fake, or it's pushing somebody else down.. I can definitely empathize with losing income, my dad lost his job a while back and it was definitely an adjustment for my family. I hope you're able to get another job (if you don't already)! I'm sure you'll be great/are great at it :)
1 like Thanks. Still out of work and now hubby is part of the US government shutdown, so no paycheck there either. Just reminding myself that it is just a period of time. Thank you for your kind words.
1 like Youre welcome, it's always important to support one another when theyre going thru something tough, especially if you havent had that yourself :)
1 like I was having a really bad day a few weeks ago and I went to this little plant boutique in our town. I walked in and the owner asked if I needed help. I told her I was having a bad day and just needed to touch some plants. So was so kind and supportive and just chatted with me asking about my plant babies and letting me show her pictures.
2 likes I always love going to small businesses, especially since the owners 9/10 are really helpful and overall a great experience! Hopefully your days got better after that :)
0 likes It did. We were talking and she was saying she may look to sell in the next year and was I interested. Unfortunately apparently a small Plant shop isn’t the most lucrative income but it’s definitely on my radar as a “pre-retirement” gig 😂
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