Beginners

If you’re new to plants, you are in the right place. Below are some tips to help you along on your plant collecting journey.

One step at a time. You don't have learn everything at once. That’s usually what makes it feel overwhelming. Focus on these five things and everything will start to fit into place.  

1. LIGHT COMES FIRST
   Before you pick a plant, look at your window. Light is what drives everything. It determines how your plant grows, how much water it uses, and how it responds over time. When your plant matches your light, things get easier fast.
2. PLACEMENT MATTERS
   Where you put your plant changes everything. A plant sitting right in front of a window will behave completely differently than one across the room. Start within 1–3 feet of your window and adjust from there before changing anything else.
3. DON’T WATER ON A SCHEDULE
   Forget schedules. They don’t work. Check your plant instead. Use a chopstick or a meter and feel the soil. Your plant will always tell you when it’s ready, you just have to slow down enough to notice it.
4. USE THE RIGHT SOIL
   A lot of issues come from roots staying too wet. You want a mix that drains well and lets air move through the pot. I keep it simple with soil, orchid bark, and perlite so the roots can breathe and dry out properly.
5. PAY ATTENTION TO SIGNALS
   Your plant is always communicating. Leaves getting soft, growth slowing down, color shifting — those are all signals. You don’t need to guess what’s wrong, you just need to start noticing patterns.

Start with your light, then choose a plant that fits your space.

If you want to feel confident instead of guessing, start with the Beginner Plant Guide. It walks you through the foundations of lighting, watering, and  pests so you can understand what your plant is doing and why. As you start to build confidence the next guide would be about pests. 

Enjoy your time with your plants, they know you are there.