Green Thumb

Written by Chelle on Thursday, June 5th, 2008

I have a fascination with plants. During my university years, it was much better for the plant if the admiration was from afar, since caring for them never seemed to go over well. However, I kept at it and finally had a few plants that survived my yellow thumb. Sadly, I had to part with those plants when we left Canada. While in the US, I kept our plants to a bare, minimum, still reeling from the loss of the other plants and knowing I would have to leave them behind.

Now that we are back in Canada and our intentions to live internationally are non-existent, I have started a meager little collection of plants to green up our home. I have a succulent plant from the farmer’s market, that is doing quite well. We also purchased a Mother’s In Law Tongue (a plant I fell in love with while plant sitting for my cousin), and an Ivy (not sure what kind but it is pretty). My avocado plants are doing well. One has sprouted up and has one bud ready to leaf, the others have good roots!

A month or so after arriving, I decided we NEEDED a terrarium! However, are on a pretty tight budget so I had to slowly begin the process of collecting all that I needed to build it. Slowly building it up has been an amazing experience. I found the coolest cookie jar at a bulk foods store (and used a coupon to buy it!) then we also found a cool jar by the garbage we rescued! We collected rocks then bought some moss (I already had the soil), then we purchased some plants. This time of year all the places were focused on outdoor plants so we settled for an ivy and a nameless pink leaf plant.

When I saw Aimee’s terrarium, I knew I had to find some cute figurines to add that creative edge. So when I spotted these, I knew for the price, they were perfect! Etsy so totally rocks. Oh and this seller was so quick in delivery! Awesome customer service!

They look so groovy in there eh? I so want to plant more terrariums! I think I need more space first The bottle one was so hard to plant and place the figurines! Alas it is the I have ever done with chopsticks! hehe! I have posted more pictures on Flickr I can’t wait to show my Grandma when she comes to visit

Do you have houseplants? A favourite?

Filed under Becca, Ethan, Maritimes Style, green living

22 Responses to “Green Thumb”

Cori, on June 5th, 2008 at 3:35 pm Said:

Those are awesome, what’s old is new again. I remember my mom doing these in the 70s.

I sadly have no house plants. I have a fake tree though. I find the house plants require too much care. I can barely get the laundry done and I feel so bad when they die. Maybe some day.

Coris last blog post..Side Effects of Childbirth

Michelle, on June 5th, 2008 at 3:55 pm Said:

I WISH I had a green thumb and plants around my house! We have one plant, I don’t remember the name, but it’s one of the hardiest out there - it just grows and grows and you can’t kill it
Michelles last blog post..Remember Gifts?

Overwhelmed With Joy!, on June 5th, 2008 at 4:02 pm Said:

I must confess, I’ve never even heard of a terrarium. Thanks for including a “how-to” link. I may give this a try and have Snuggle Bug help me.

Oh, and I love, love, love your new design! I must confess, the last design with several columns was hard for me to read. I like this much better. Beautiful graphics as well.

Much More Than A Mom, on June 5th, 2008 at 4:32 pm Said:

Cool terrariums!

I don’t have any plants now except fresh flowers in a vase. I kill them every time I try…or the cat or dogs get them…or the kid mauls them. I have lots outside…tomatoes, jalapeños, all sorts of herbs, strawberries and a few trees. I’ve decided that I like my dirt to stay outside.
Much More Than A Moms last blog post..My next career should really be in landscape design.

Don Mills Diva, on June 5th, 2008 at 5:42 pm Said:

Our house has sooo many plants - our back wall is almost all glass and we have several skylights. We still have our live Christmas tree that we got six years ago and we just kept and it grows another six inches every year.

Don Mills Divas last blog post..Grateful

Damselfly, on June 5th, 2008 at 6:47 pm Said:

Wow, that looks great! We do have some houseplants. My favorite is a peace lily by the front door. Many plants are good at improving indoor air.

Damselflys last blog post..The long and short of it

Erin, on June 5th, 2008 at 6:54 pm Said:

We have zero plants. I long for a backyard veggie garden and a nicely designed garden of flowers and shrubs with a cobble stone walkway for my photography.

I had plants in my apartment when I was in Halifax…those were the days

Heather, on June 5th, 2008 at 6:57 pm Said:

Hey, those look like fun!

I had some house plants, that were actually annuals that I brought in every winter but I got tired of them and stopped watering them. I think my hubby might still water them once in a while so they’re not completely dead yet.

They were/are bougainvillea.

Heathers last blog post..Some things I’d forgotten

Devilish Southern Belle, on June 5th, 2008 at 8:50 pm Said:

I tried growing some herbs. Despite my best efforts, some didn’t survive. I am trying again. And again. Just whatever I can, when money allows. I have had better-than-usual luck with miniature roses.

Devilish Southern Belles last blog post..Hot summer nights….

shionge, on June 5th, 2008 at 9:21 pm Said:

I don’t have green fingers at all and I think you did an amazing good job

Rachel, on June 5th, 2008 at 9:26 pm Said:

How cool. I love my plants and my garden too. I love the new look. I wish my blog looked as nice, How did you learn to do all of this?

Rachels last blog post..Who knows what to even write about..but wait the hubby.

Awesome Mom, on June 5th, 2008 at 9:29 pm Said:

Those are awesome! I am a lover of houseplants and do pretty good with them. Right now we have a jade plant, a hoya, and a couple of succulents that we are moving with us. My mom is giving me two more hoys of different varietys since her coworkers hate the smell of the blossoms when they bloom and did not want them at work. Thier loss!

Awesome Moms last blog post..Whew

Cara, on June 5th, 2008 at 10:13 pm Said:

Those are great, I remember my grandmother having many of them.
My favorite house plant I have is a succulent calld a Jade Plant.

Caras last blog post..Wordless Wednesday

Nadine, on June 6th, 2008 at 12:02 am Said:

Those are great. I have plants and it’s a miracle they are not dead. I don’t how it happened but the spell was broken and now my plants grow and grow, but don’t ask me what they are called. I have no idea.

BTW - This is the first time I’ve been by with the new design and it’s gorgeous.

Nadines last blog post..How Does Your Garden Grow?

Aimee, on June 6th, 2008 at 12:14 am Said:

So cute!!! Love your new theme too by the way, very fun. Glad you finally got your terrarium.

Aimees last blog post..Garden firsts!

Holly, on June 6th, 2008 at 12:21 am Said:

I love your terrariums. So beautiful. James and his dad are the indoor house types, not me. James has some carniverous plants growing from seed. I knew they would not work. And, they did. Now, though, Darren’s on a work trip, and I’m supposed to be misting them with some water fertilizer solution. I should probably feed the fish too. Like, tonight. It’s not looking good. James also has a sunflower seed going.

Darren loves to grow things from pits. I have all shorts of various food plants growing around the house, and pineapples grown from the top. It’s really an ugly motley crew.

And, he has the one ugly succelent called the night blooming cereus that blooms, you guessed it, at night. I call it the penis plant because the flowers are rather well, guess. But, they smell amazing, so this one plant redeems itself by making the house smell amazing once every other year or so when it blooms. The ones we have outside bloom all the time. And to grow more, you just cut off a piece and stick it in dirt. Great.

The only plant (knock on wood) I have kept alive a significant amount of time is the african violet from Ethan’s shower. That’s significant, right?

Tsoniki, on June 6th, 2008 at 10:48 am Said:

I have (had) a mother in law tongue that was the descendant of a plant my Great Grandma had! My Grandma has the original (or a baby of the original LOL) and every time there is another new one, she gives it away. Who knows how many generations of plants it has given but I love having it. I had to give mine away when we moved but will get a new one on the drive to the new place.

Jacquie, on June 6th, 2008 at 1:30 pm Said:

I used to love my indoor plants. The we moved province to province and we lost them all.

Now I tend to stick to outisde. I love my garden though I haven’t been able to do it this year
Jacquies last blog post..We Survived the Party

Guinevere Meadow, on June 6th, 2008 at 5:27 pm Said:

I have two very, very, BROWN thumbs. I can’t keep stuff alive.

I wish I could, though!

Guinevere Meadows last blog post..Another Fun Morning
outdoor pictures, on June 7th, 2008 at 12:54 am Said:

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Robina, on June 9th, 2008 at 4:09 pm Said:

Wow! That is so cool! You did a great job and I love the little figurines in there. You’ll have to give me more detailed info though, like are the jugs closed? Do you put water in there and forget about it? How exactly does this work?

I have a huge spider plant that always has babies on it. Sometimes I take them off and bring them to work. So I have other plants from those. I have a big palm tree that my ex’s Army Unit sent me in 2001 when my daddy died and I still have it. I have a few others but I really need to get more. I just don’t have anywhere to put them!

Robinas last blog post..Graduation Pics are in!

Gail, on June 10th, 2008 at 11:32 pm Said:

Those are sooooo cool. I’ve never really seen or heard of them before. I might give one a go too.

Gails last blog post..Smiles During the Busy Stuff…..