The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Schefflera
All (genius) puns aside, I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a perfectly good plant parent bash themselves over a fallen plant baby.
I’m not gonna lie... It kills me a little bit.
Chances are, if you’re willing to go this far down the rabbit hole of sorrow after one plant casualty, this pesky attitude will likely make an encore in other areas of your life.
Let me make one thing abundantly clear:
That is not what the plant game is all about.
It’s about uplifting yourself,
reconnecting with nature,
and practicing healthy care routines.
Don’t get me wrong.
I love a good dead plant meme as much as the next plant enthusiast...
But there’s a point where it’s just plain self abuse... and I ain’t having it.
Today, I’ll be showing you how to kill your plants with grace, and extend that energy to other areas of your life.
Assuming The Worst
We often forget that plant care is a two way street, exposed to the elements of life.
While sometimes you can take preventative measures, like anything in life, there are often factors that go beyond our realm of control.
How was I supposed to know my cat was gonna take a leak in my rubber tree?
Believe it or not, sometimes plants just croak at no fault of your own.
Perhaps your roomie left the window open the other night and it got a bit too drafty. (If this is the case, I’ll pray for their life.)
Inversely, a disease or pest could’ve swooped in for the kill while you took a short weekend trip.
Maybe the plant just lost the will to live altogether.
Of course, you can’t always narrow it down to just one factor.
It’s important to remember that you’re interacting with a living organism.
Just like our day to day interactions with other humans, problems almost always arise due to a misunderstanding between both parties.
Continuing this metaphor further, we all know it’s unproductive to beat ourselves up over a conflict.
Making assumptions and using them as an excuse for self abuse is basically like opening your doors and inviting suffering in to stay.
Avoiding these habits with plants and people can facilitate more productive results in otherwise sad situations - interpersonal conflicts and deceased houseplants alike.
Just like real life, sometimes the dead plant really is our doing.
In such a case, this next part is for you.
Quit Bad Mouthing Yourself
When I talk about having murdered a plant, it can be a little sad, but I still prefer to keep things lighthearted.
I might even laugh a bit.
Or a lot.
I swear when I see some clients talk about their plant casualties, I can practically see the storm clouds rolling in.
They moan about how horrible they are with plant keeping, as their remaining, pristine plant family watches with confusion.
They ask how they could’ve been so stupid, often over mistakes I still make today.
They even go as far as to condemn their indoor gardening hobby altogether... (We will discuss why this is a BIG silly next.)
HOLD UP. WAIT. For those who need to hear it...
Hi, I’m Kaylan.
I work as a professional plant stylist + consultant. I’ve amassed plant collections in the triple digits. I STILL slaughter plants from time to time.
Thus, I’m calling upon you to:
Laugh it off...
See the positives...
Make it into a meme...
Keep on keepin’ on!
You should always be your biggest cheerleader, and your plant hobby is no exception.
Remember, even if this practice is confined to one area of your life, it won’t be long until you’re talkin’ crap about yourself all over the place!
(With friends at the mall, around the water cooler at work, in your very own head! Not a good look…)
If you’re not gonna show your value to the world, how will anyone else see that value for themselves?
While I may seem like I’m making a big deal here, I firmly believe we subconsciously get in the habit of subtly degrading ourselves - never realizing the negative impact it has on our lives or how others view us.
Trust me, even if it’s just plants, negative self talk doesn’t look flattering on anyone.
I entreat you to watch yourself for all self defeating banter and adjust accordingly.
It’ll free up space in conversations for more productive and positive content.
Not only this, but it opens you up for my next important point.
Turn Every Bad Experience into a Learning Experience
The ultimate bright side to any sour situation is self growth.
I wouldn’t be half the plant parent I am today if I didn’t straight slaughter a couple money trees.
Or have my home be the site of many a fern genocide.
I mean, dang, I’ve even killed a snake plant!!!
That’s right.
I almost straight slaughtered this guy, but hey he’s coming back!!
Unfortunately, plant murder turns out to be the best way to grow your plant skills.
It’s the sick world we live in.
It’s the best way to learn what doesn’t work and an inevitable byproduct of experimentation.
I’m a firm believer that experimentation is truly the best path towards becoming a plant master.
This principle can be extended to all other areas of your life.
I didn’t really feel like I was going anywhere with my life until I got comfortable making mistakes.
Failures don’t really start rolling in until you actually get out of your comfort zone, try new things, and start making determined progress towards your goals.
I started my business as a plant sitting company.
Somewhere along the lines,I started getting more landscaping inquiries than anything else.
Despite being a tiny girl who drives a small sedan, I gave it my best shot.
I ended up borrowing a bigger vehicle for my first big landscaping job.
AND making two trips.
I hated it.
There were times it was just a complete hot mess.
Do I still do landscaping?
Nah, not really.
But I did gain invaluable clarity on my brand throughout this stressful mistake.
Now, I couldn’t be happier with my company’s focus: enlightening others with nature inside the home, and transforming people’s health outside in the edible food garden.
Landscaping was never what I wanted, but I tried it and learned a whole lot in the process.
Best of all, I discovered the calling to expand the online presence of my business, to enrich the lives of as many people as possible.
Through online consultation, design, and education, I reached a business model I couldn’t be happier with.
Whenever the struggle bus pulls up to your stop, take a gander around and ask what you have to learn.
Life runs a lot more smoothly when you stop others, as well as yourself, from taking all your power away.
Even the tiniest behaviors, like the ones discussed today, can eventually drain so much energy and progress from your life - piece by piece.
We have a duty to our plants, and we gotta make sure we’re running smoothly to do best by them.
This all starts inside that brain of yours.
Decorate it with unrivaled positivity to initiate the best possible you that you can be.