I’m not sure if you are as tired as I am with the seemingly endless turmoil wafting back and forth across our collective consciousness like unwanted flotsam, but I’m guessing you are. Even if you are super human and can ball up and push down the dread on a daily basis, how about a nice, fluffy post about something inane?

In a Kondo moment the other day, I was spacing out and looking at one of my houseplants and thinking about how happy they make me. I know, simple pleasures, but we get those where we can these days. So let’s take a tour through the 11:11 pad and check in with all the green, living things.

But first, a quick preamble. Our house was designed intentionally with a very neutral palette, but that means that gray, black, white, and wood dominate. The wood helps soften things, but it was always my intention to bring in color with paintings, wall hangings, furniture and especially plants. I love natural colors and bright green really makes me happy, plus I think it enhances the feeling of indoor/outdoor that we are trying to capture with the space. Also, now that I live here full time I am allowed to have plants because I am (and will always be) the primary caregiver. This is understood clearly and without ambiguity.

I have been working on a collection of green things, and went on a rabbit hole of trying to identify all of them. I’m pretty close, but there are a couple I couldn’t. If you know what they are, please leave a comment. My general care is pretty minimal (water on sunday + pest control + food once a month). Let’s take a look!

the performers

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Aside from an ongoing struggle with a light infestation of mealybugs the pothos (left), these are the plants that just can’t quit. The Wandering Jew (middle) started out as a small anemic plant with a few branches, but is happy and healthy now. That philodendron on the right also started out as a small plant with about four leaves and has now outgrown the stake propping it up. It is in a pretty small pot, but is still trying to take over the world. It is putting out new segments and leaves so fast that there is a leaf three segments back that still hasn’t unrolled. Crazy!

variegated plants have more fun

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I love the contrast and the broad leaf structure of these two dieffenbachia (aka dumb cane plants) – camille and compacta. I’m also a sucker for the classic leaf; like the one that a 5-year-old would draw if you told them to draw a leaf. I had no idea these two plants were from the same genus until I did the research. The big one on the left had three leaves when I got it, so it seems happy.

Also this dracaena deremensis has some pretty bright chartreuse variegation that offers great contrast and color against the concrete.

This snake plant is also pretty damn healthy – possibly healthy enough to start splitting the babies out for new plants soon.

the problem children

I’ve never been an indoor master gardener, but I do alright. One major exception to this would be ferns. I love them, but cannot seem to catch my groove with them. This asplenium nidus (birds nest fern) was much more healthy when I bought it. I upped the water to twice a week, thinking that would work, but it is still struggling. It is growing, you can see from the baby in the picture, but not thriving. I might just have to break down and research how to care for them – lol.

This plant is new to me and it took me a while to identify it. Aralias are common-ish houseplants, but this dinner plate one is less common. Most aralias are more lacy in their leaf structure. This variety almost looks like a fiddle leaf fig, but the leaves are less leathery and they branch. I love this plant. I love the randomness of its proportions and love the size. Unfortunately, it acquired a mite infestation, which I have been fighting. I think we are in the clear after a treatment with diluted alcohol and dish soap, but I did lose a few leaves and am still paranoically checking it often for mite friends. The new growth is abundant, so hopefully it recovers fully.

the newcomers

I’m super into this branchy cactus with its snake skin pattern. I dug around a bit to find the species, but couldn’t find anything. Cactus are notoriously difficult to ID due to how they cross breed, but I bet this one has a name.

This little cactus spirals around and is popping out many little cactus babies. I pulled a few of the nodes off to plant the other day and found out that the sap is an intense skin irritant – burning to itching. Fun!

This is my Queen for the Night (aka night blooming cereus) gifted by my neighbor. She will put out gregarious white blooms larger than your fist that have an amazing scent – and as her name indicates, she only blooms at night. She isn’t blooming right now, but I heard you can dry out banana peels and sprinkle them around the soil to add some phosphorus to encourage blooming. Doesn’t hurt to try.

I hope you enjoyed this break from the impending doom of reality. Just remember I miss you all and love you very much. Now go forth and admire something that gives you happiness. <3