There are several things many attribute to Mother Nature for giving that serve as a reminder that Earth is still worth living. Plants stand strong as one of them. These blessings from nature in various homes offer happiness, aesthetic appeal, and a sense of connection. That’s why the concept of plant parenting has boomed over the years.
As you might have inferred from the name, plant parenting refers to the act of showing concern for a houseplant or plants and treating them with the same attention and consideration as a kid or pet. When plants are well-cared for, it not only benefits the plants but also the health and happiness of the people who tend them.
For a lot of Nigerians, the act of improvisation has existed for as long as many can remember. It has seeped in deep into several places, and mental health practices aren’t an exception. It is expected that people will find methods to maintain their sanity. People who needed companionship to support their mental health used to turn to pets, but that is no longer the case. The greatest substitute for treatment these days is to be a plant parent.
While this style of parenting isn’t currently considered common in the country, it is slowly gaining traction among many Gen-Zs and even millennials. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have piqued the interest of several people on them, and it leaves much to think about. This development has us interested in how someone chooses to become a plant parent, and we decided to ask two plant parents who are immersed in this life. Join us as they help us provide answers to the numerous questions about plant parenting.
I don’t consider having plants in your house a niche lifestyle. I love nature, and I find plants calming and therapeutic, which I appreciate. For me, it’s a way to keep the things I grew up with around me”
Todah
I’ve always been a plant person. I grew up surrounded by plants and trees in my parents’ compound. We could easily make different stews with vegetables from our garden. There’s a variety of fruits to fill you up after school. But after moving to Lagos to advance my media and communications career, the lack of greenery made me angry to a point. I was staying somewhere around Constain. In 2021, my colleague gifted me her plant, and I also travelled to Ekiti and brought a snake plant back with me. Ever since then, and especially after moving into my first actual space in 2022, I’ve surrounded myself with plants more often.
I don’t consider having plants in your house a niche lifestyle. I love nature, and I find plants calming and therapeutic, which I appreciate. For me, it’s a way to keep the things I grew up with around me. Spending time in nature and around plants and trees is a spiritual exercise. Instead of calling myself a “plant dad,” I see plants as divine beings that don’t need my parenting but my nurturing. If I choose to keep cuttings in buckets and vases in my house, it’s my responsibility to care for them and engage with their needs to grow and show me wonder.
Plant parenting has taught me a lot about patience, seasons, growth, and the significance of nurturing. It has also made me a more mindful and compassionate person.
Before I started caring for plants in Lagos, I was always on the go. I wanted everything to happen right away, and I got frustrated easily if it didn’t happen my way. But plants don’t grow overnight. They take their time, follow their seasons, process, and listen to their environment. This has taught me to be more patient and to appreciate the process of growth. With the environment, I am admitting more easily now that people need and must find the right space, work, friendship, etc., to foster their growth.
Plants need different things at different times of the year. In the dry season, they need more water and sunlight to help them grow new leaves and flowers. With more rain, they need less water and sunlight to prepare for harmattan/winter dormancy. This has taught me to be more mindful of the needs of others and to adapt my approach accordingly.
Watching my plants grow has also taught me the importance of nurturing. Plants need to be watered, fertilized, and protected from pests and diseases. They also need to be pruned occasionally to encourage new growth. This has taught me that it takes time and effort to nurture something to its full potential. This extends to love and friendship; we must pour into them. With our careers and dreams, you must follow the details and weed out obstacles.
In general, caring for plants has made me a more compassionate person. I see plants as living beings that deserve to be treated with respect and care.
There is no peculiar challenge with the Nigerian factor that’s different from the rest of the world. For me, keeping indoor plants safe from pests and diseases was a major issue at first. However, I have had to learn a lot about pest and disease management in order to keep my plants healthy. You can find a wide variety of plants and plant supplies in Nigeria online. I often have to order plants and supplies online, but I have to admit that it can be expensive.
To budding plant parents out there, start small. Read a lot about the plants you are getting. Be patient. Try to buy only a few plants at a time. Start with a few easy-care plants and learn how to care for them before you add more to your collection. Embrace impermanence, as some plants will die despite your best efforts.
Understand that nothing lasts forever, even if we wish it did. Death is a natural part of life, and it can take away those and what we love. It should make you see life as precious; you should cherish moments and memories.
I’ve always had a fascination for plants. Maybe it’s how beautiful they look or how exotic they make spaces look and feel.
Daniel
I’ve been a plant dad for over 3 years now, since the lockdown, to be precise. I’ve always had a fascination for plants, from how beautiful they look to how exotic they make spaces look and feel.
I have an uncle, Mr Eka, and he has a rubber plant, a fiddle leaf fig, and a bird of paradise. He would clean it every week ever so delicately. It was bizarre. I didn’t think he was crazy. He was my first brush with an actual plant parent.
Becoming a plant parent wasn’t easy because my friends thought I was crazy at first. Funny enough, I made all of them parents along the way. My parents, on the other hand, just went along with it. No questions asked. So, basically, I embraced the role of a plant dad and never looked back.
Plant parenting taught me patience. Patience was not a virtue I was born with. But being a plant parent, all you can be is patient. This interest also grew into farming at a point.
As a plant parent in Nigeria, the harmattan season is very brutal for my babies. The plants don’t do well during this season at all, and it gets quite frustrating. It also took me months to get perlite in Nigeria. It felt like I was speaking a different language to plant sellers looking for it. During these times, DIYs, YouTube videos, Pinterest, and Reddit became my best friends.
Finding rare plants is one in a million finds, and importing plants sometimes gets very expensive. Plant sellers in Nigeria also sometimes sell plants for ridiculous prices. All the challenges I faced as a Nigerian plant parent inspired me to start my very own plant store, The Urban Jungle, which makes the process of becoming a plant parent easy.
One important tip I usually give to budding plant parents is to start with something very hard to kill. That little pothos is a great start. It might be the first piece of your jungle. Smaller is better than a beginner. Also, the best plants are ones that have characteristics like the ones you find locally. They can adapt quickly.
Underwatering is a million times better than overwatering. You can save an under-watered plant more easily than a drowning one. Google is your friend. You learn a lot of things from there. DIY fertilizers, how to take better care of your plants, watering schedules, and many others.
Patience is also key, and you’ll need a lot of that. It takes time to grow a forest. More importantly, in plant parenting, persistence is the name, and trial and error is the game.
1 Comment
Beautiful read