how i keep my plants alive + thriving
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Over the years, I’ve worked out a few key points that keep my plants not just alive but thriving. And honestly, I’m not someone with a crazy jungle of plants. I like to keep it simple with just a few select, beautiful ones that make my home feel fresh and alive.
Today I’m sharing what has worked for me, some lessons, some tools and products I love that has helped along the way.
One of the biggest lessons? Choose plants that actually fit your lifestyle and your space. For me, I love to travel, so I need plants that can handle being left alone for a week or two without completely giving up on me. I have a few tricks to help this and i’ll get into soon.
prefer to watch? catch the YouTube video here
I’ve been in my own home playing with plants for over 15 years… gosh, that makes me feel old! The funny thing is I never really considered myself a “plant person.” I didn’t love gardens, greenery, or even houseplants at first.
But somewhere along the way, I started experimenting and I discovered plants that actually made me feel pretty awesome, some worked for me and my lifestyle. And honestly? It’s been life-changing.
The best part is your plant journey doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need a jungle of 50 different plants. Even one or two carefully chosen beauties can completely shift the feel of your home.
I have 4 types of indoor plants, thats enough to feel calm and keep up with the maintenace etc.
I have a Fiddle Leaf Fig, a Ruby Ficus, Monstera and some Pothos. This is a fantastic balance of deep greens, bright greens, large leaf and small.
Over the years, I’ve narrowed down my care routine into four simple categories:
Lifestyle Fit
Water + Food
Light + Dust
Tending + Trimming
Lifestyle fit
Not every plant suits every home or every person. We love to travel, we have a lifestyle that aloows us to create trips away at the drop of a hat if we wanted to. So I need plants that can handle being left alone for a week or two. I also learned not to overdo it.
Adding even just one or two plants to a room with none before creates a huge difference in vibes and responsibility.
The key is to choose plants that match your lifestyle. If you’re a beginner, start small and build from there.
One of the biggest tricks was placing certain plants in the bath filled with water, yup big monsteras would be sitting in our bath with water half way up their pots. Now this is and was a very tricky “hack” as it was completely trial and error with each pot, plant, time of year and length of time we were away. I also used the laundry sink for a few smaller plants with wet rags in the bottom.
This completely changed the game. Now I can’t lift my fiddle leaf into the bath but she’s doing well and It’s all learning.
Things change and that’s ok. I’ve lost a few really pretty plants over the years, but realising they were too much work and didn’t work in our home was actually a really good lesson.
If you’re busy, choose low-maintenance ones like Pothos or Ficus. The goal is to enjoy them, not stress over them.
Water + Food
This is the foundation. Plants need consistent water and nutrients, but the biggest mistake I made early on was overwatering. I’m sure this is the number ONE mistake 99% of people make.
Less really is more.
I stick to a regular routine that suits each plant and I add a gentle plant food every few weeks to keep them strong and vibrant.
It doesn’t have to be complicated think of it as giving your plants a balanced diet.
A game changer was creating the plant routine into my calendar, It was a simple note to check plants or does the fiddle leaf need water?
It helped the muscle memory of something needs my attention every few days or once a week. Until you’ve done things consistently it’s hard to remember and create new routines.
Plants can be in a small container of soil and there is no way that soil can give them what they need throughout the year so helping it along with products is absolutely necessary to keep them alive and thriving.
At the start of Spring and Autumn I sprinkle in some Scotts Osmocote Pots, Planters & Indoors Controlled Release Fertiliser this helps:
Up to 6 months controlled release feeding
The high potassium and low steady nitrogen formula stimulates flowering and maximises blooms
Added wetting agent enhances water absorption into the soil or potting mix and helps plants take up nutrients
Once a month I use Maxicrop Indoor Plant Food, this is safe and easy to use. It provides a complete balanced plant food promoting strong, healthy growth. Raises the plant natural ability to withstand the stress of indoor conditions.
Light + Dust
Light is non-negotiable. Some can handle a few hours a day and some prefer a lot more. The locations you decide to put your plants will help determine the types of plants. Watch thos areas in your home, how much light comes through is it strong all day or seems indirect and only some of the day? these are all going to help you to choose and place a perfect plant.
My Monstera, Pothos, Fiddle Leaf and Ruby Ficus all love bright, indirect light. It’s their sweet spot. Our living areas have a lot of indirect light due to the shutters and direction of the home.
This one surprised me. Dusty leaves actually block sunlight from being absorbed, which slows growth. Giving the leaves a gentle wipe keeps them not only shiny but healthy. I can not stress enough how important it is to wipe down the leaves of your plants! put it in your calendar and don’t miss it. They won’t survive and thrive. My “plant cleaning” is usually every couple of Fridays.
Tending + Trimming
Plants grow and change.
Old leaves die, new ones push through. I used to feel guilty cutting off yellowing leaves, but I learned it actually helps the plant redirect its energy into healthy growth.
Now, trimming feels almost therapeutic, like giving my plants a little haircut. It keeps them looking fresh and encourages strong new growth.
My Felco snips get a good little work out and refreshes everything.
EASY LINKS TO ITEMS I LOVE
tools + items I love.
Using the right tools and help can really make or break your experience with indoor plants. After many many years like over 10 I am so happy I have found some great help.
