Right Plant, Right PERSON

Text and Photos by Jennifer Schamber

“Right plant, right place”… It’s one of the golden rules of gardening that horticulturists repeat over and over again. It’s the very basic and wise rule of thumb that advises people to choose a plant that is suitable for the location in which it will be growing. Things to be considered include: soil type, sun exposure, moisture needs, deer resistance, hardiness zone, size restrictions and other more minor variables. But maybe there’s something missing from this advice, maybe what really should be taken into consideration is “Right plant, right person”. There’s no guarantee that all plants and people are going to be compatible. It’s kind of Z Z Plant like choosing a mate. On the surface, a couple might seem to be a perfect match, but once they learn that they have different rhythms in life, they may find it necessary to try different paths. Different types of people with different variables in their homes, are sometimes going to have different success stories when it comes to plants. So, let’s dig in and explore different successful combinations of plants and people, this time around, we’ll focus on houseplants. Case Study #1: A kid and a cactus Kids are naturally drawn to cactus plants. They are easily lured by their interesting shapes and their spikey texture. Some really have a hard time not touching the spines and may not learn even after getting pricked a few times. This sense of danger makes wanting to grow one of these unusual plants quite irresistible. So, the plant gets taken home and

Variegated set on the windowsill, and it

Hindu Rope gets the first of many “sips” of water. After about a month of lots of love (a.k.a. too much water), the plant slowly rots at the base. Despite the fact that the plant died, this is actually an opportunity for a kid to learn firsthand some valuable lessons on not just botany (why does this plant not need much water?), but also geography (where does this plant naturally grow?), soils (how does soil drain or retain water?) and resiliency (how can some plants thrive on little care?). Solutions: There are a wide range of kid-friendly plants that work well for a majority of new indoor gardeners. Some favorites include: Echeveria, Peperomia, Pilea, Hoya and Spider Plants. Case Study #2: Oooh… Look at that orchid! There are very few plants more alluring than an orchid in its full glory. This plant that appears practically perfect in every way is an easy sell when in full bloom. The new orchid owner follows the directions as indicated on the tag and the plant thrives for another month or two, after which the flowers start to wilt and drop off, one at a time. The plant gets brought to the local garden store expert by this new plant parent who is very sad that they have “killed” the plant. Upon further inspection, the expert assures them that the plant is actually doing quite well, that they’re doing a great job and that now they have to wait until next year to see another round of blooms. Some plant parents might say, “Great! Can’t wait!”, while others may say, “I don’t have time for that”. Solutions: If you always want something blooming on the WORM CASTINGS and WORMS WORM CASTINGS and WORMS WORM CASTINGS and WORMS dining room table, you’re going to need more than one. You’re Natural Organic probably going to need to rotate Fertilizer 4-6 plants throughout the year. Some people may not have the space or the patience to wait for orchids, kalanchoes or cyclamen to bloom again, so sometimes those plants are treated like a MidAmericaCompost.com 678.316.7554 long-lasting bouquet of flowers, and after they’re done blooming,

they get composted. Otherwise, finding something that looks great but doesn’t bloom, could be a better long-term solution like Parlor Palms or ZZ Plants. Case Study #3: “What’s that plant in that magazine?”… The Curse of the Fiddle Leaf Fig For a while there, it was probably the most photographed plant in home design magazines, and it was declared the hottest

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“must have” plant by just about every interior designer across the country. The plants are shipped out from humid, sunny and perfectly tropical Florida and placed in pretty much the opposite conditions in which they thrive. “Oh my gosh, it looks so good!”, is the first reaction to this plant, followed six months or less later with, “It still has three leaves left, do you think it will be okay?” This plant can be grown successfully indoors, but not everyone has the exact conditions to make this possible. It’s usually recommended to start with a small one to see if it will work in a certain spot. Even UV tinted windows may cause these plants to die a slow death, so having patience with getting to know the plant before going all in with it will usually prove to be worthwhile. Solutions: Consider other upright plants that can grow in lower light like bamboo palms, rubber plants, Amate scheffleras and various dracaenas. The main lesson here is that sometimes we learn so much more from our mistakes than our successes because in learning why the plant died, we have a much better understanding of how it can thrive. Some of the best gardeners in the world will tell you that you don’t truly know a plant until you’ve killed it twice. Sometimes we learn from these lessons and go on to grow it successfully, and other times, we accept that we just aren’t compatible with this plant, and we move on. And that’s totally okay, too!

Jennifer Schamber is the General Manager of Greenscape Gardens, and plays leaderships roles in the Western Nursery & Landscape Association, GrowNative! and the Landscape & Nursery Association of Greater St. Louis. She has earned Green Profit Magazine’s Young Retailer Award, and Greenscape Gardens was named the National Winner of the 2015 “Revolutionary 100” Garden Centers by Today’s Garden Center Magazine.