Unique plants: bloom your small garden in big happiness. Spring is just behind the corner! It is starting next month. So it is a perfect time to pause my traveling stories and share with you our small passion. A passion that grew thanks to the pandemic: gardening.
It all started in India, with a slightly grey terrace, with a few plants. A beautiful space with potential, yet not fully taken care of by us. Covid helped us to re-prioritize and reminded us of this beautiful space. How to bloom your small garden in big happiness? It isn’t a professional gardener guide. These are some of the tips we followed, this time about unique plants. They helped us flourish our small garden into a beautiful ‘jungle’!
my small garden
I come from a “gardening” family. That was the education and profession of my mom. My sister, AZ Assitente Virtuale, has a magical garden! It is an oasis of peace, my inspiration. In our home in Poland, I have been growing different plants. And it happened only in India, where I fell in love with our terrace garden.
Today, I understand that gardening isn’t about a huge garden. One can enjoy a mini garden on the balcony or the window sill. And such a mini garden can become big happiness. Maybe a corner of your home-grown spices, a beautiful palm tree, or a small collection of potted flowers. It all starts with two elements: time and heart.
BLOOM YOUR SMALL GARDEN in BIG HAPPINESS
DO-IT-YOURSELF
Do it yourself is not just a modern slogan. It is a more holistic approach that includes time and dedication. And gardening, no matter how small or big will need both.
Before Covid, we used to neglect our terrace space and plants. Lockdown helped us understand the great benefits we can have by creating our green space. My Better Half took so well care of it!
We started to spend more time upstairs. We bought more and more plants and finally took care together of the space. It worked like magic! Nowadays, I am so happy with our terrace garden!
GIVE IN YOUR HEART
Will dedicating only more time work to transform your garden? Yes, short-term. To bloom your garden long-term, you will need to add also a bit of your heart. Plants are living things; they will need your care and presence, maybe sometimes also your voice. Do you talk to your flowers and plants when taking care of them? Try it!
HIGH LEVEL PLAN
Looking back at our gardening experience from the past three years, I can see one pattern. Unless you are a professional: keep a high-level plan in mind, don’t over plan it. It is a living space; plants might decide on their own if they prefer more sun or shadow. Your invited or uninvited guests (birds, moles, or insects) might change your plan. With time one can also understand where it is best to sit down and sip coffee or listen to the birds chirping. Let your garden evolve. Today our one in India looks like a small jungle! And we love it. I am sure that my Better Half, three years ago, would have rejected the idea of so many plants. Yet, he bought most of them! 😉
A BIT OF MAINTENANCE
When doing your high-level planning for your gardening space, also consider the maintenance part. Just like buying a pet, you can’t be outside 24/7. Plants might need water, fertilizers, and weeding. The entire space might need a bit of dusting, cleaning, or maybe grass cutting. What if you love to travel? Prepare for it or plan in advance. For sure, your travel passion won’t cross out your gardening.
IT ISN’T JUST ABOUT PLANTS
Last but not least, the garden’s beauty is not only about the plants, pots and flowers. It is the entire space and also the moments we spend there. Yes, chasing life’s moments! 🙂
When blooming your garden, don’t forget about the activities you would enjoy doing there. It might be sipping a coffee, reading a book, playing guitar, doing morning yoga, or playing with your children.
If your mini garden is on the windowsill or in your living room, you can create a nice corner that would add a bit of nature to your daily moments. Unlock all the benefits of your green space!
unique plants
Each garden usually starts with plants, flowers, herbs, or grass! Our garden in India is full of pots with beautiful plants and flowers. Some are very popular, like roses, basil, or palm trees. If you want to add some special feel to your garden or green space, consider the plants below. They are a bit more unique and beautiful, usually available in many corners of the world.
SPANISH MOSS
Uniqueness: it doesn’t have roots!
It is enough to hang it in any space of your garden and mist it every second day. You can hang Spanish Moss on a tree branch, any other plant, fence, etc. You can also grow it as a house plant. It is unique and beautiful. And can change its color from light green to silver. Spanish Moss needs bright but not direct sunlight. In case of a lot of sunshine, keep it outside in the morning and in the evening.
To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.
Audrey Hepburn
Monstera
Uniqueness: Monstera’s leaves usually have holes
The plant is popular across the world. Plus, you can grow it both indoor and outdoor, depending on the climate. Monstera’s leaves have holes to capture more sunlight, absorb more water, and withstand strong winds. It can also be a great creeper.
hibiscus
Uniqueness: Hibiscus plant produces big flowers constantly, but each blossom lasts only one day
We bought a Hibiscus plant from our plants’ seller next to our home. I wasn’t aware, back then, of its uniqueness. Once the blooming starts, it becomes the most beautiful plant in our garden! That’s also when it will need more water. Its temperature tolerance is 15-30’c. For colder months, take it indoors and water it less frequently, ensuring the soil is just a bit moist.
Flowers don’t tell, they show.
TOUCH-ME-NOT
Uniqueness: If you touch the plant, it will start to close its small leaves
I saw the plant first time in a park in Sri Lanka. I wasn’t aware that we also have it in our garden in India. It is a lovely plant, very sensitive to touch. It emphasizes its vulnerability and gives an impression of a shy or sleepy plant. If you decide to keep it at home, remember its great benefits. Touch-me-not leaves reduce pain and help to heal faster any sort of wound.
Touch-me-not plant is native to the Caribbean and Central and South America. It can be also found in South and East Asia, Australia, Micronesia, Africa and in the United States.
Jasmine
Uniqueness: beautiful smell
Who doesn’t know the smell of jasmine flowers? It is so beautiful that it is often an ingredient of perfumes, cosmetics, or fragrance sprays. If you would like to have a pretty plant with small white flowers and an amazing smell, opt for jasmine! Indoors, jasmine needs to stay cool (15-24’c), with well-circulated air. Try to keep the same temperature to grow it outdoor.
And who doesn’t love jasmine tea? It is made by infusing tea leaves with jasmine flower blossoms.
In the south of India, ladies decorate their hair with jasmine flowers. So many benefits!
moses in the cradle
Uniqueness: leaves are green and purple
Moses in the Cradle is another plant that I discovered only during our gardening experience in India.
It is a beautiful plant. Its leaves are green from the top and purple from the other side. When it grows, leaves mix and make both colors visible.
The other best thing about this plant? You can replicate it very easily. Just water it regularly and keep it in a sunny place. Your care will be rewarded. Moses in the Cradle will grow very fast.
Winter horsetail
Uniqueness: bamboo-like look plant
If you like bamboo, but its size is too big for your garden (or weather conditions), consider Winter Horsetail. I love it!
It looks like a mini version of the bamboo or the ornamental grass. Winter horsetail spreads fast, so you might consider keeping it in a pot or using soil barriers. It enjoys full sun or partial shade. If you have a farm, remember that it is toxic to grazing animals.
Winter Horsetail is native to North America and Europe. However, you can also find it in Asia.
need More gardening tips?
If you need some more practical gardening tips for a small garden, drop a note. I would be happy to share a bit more, maybe in another post. For example, how to maintain a beautiful garden while traveling a lot or how to grow it more naturally. Do you want to check what our garden looked like two years ago? See this post: Balanced lifestyle: For body, mind & soul.
Which unique plant do you have in your home or garden? Add in the comments below so that the list can expand! Sharing is caring!
Moments that matter, no matter the plant.
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