Growing Plants Indoors for the Crazy Plant Lady

Who else is completely loving the crazy plant lady trend? I don’t know what happened between the 1970s and 2010s but there was quite a gap of trending popularity for the indoor plant. However, it has come surging back and today I’m happy to share some tips for growing plants indoors!

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Growing Plants Indoors

I’ll be the first to admit that if you haven’t attempted growing plants indoors then it can be intimidating. For many it is just one more thing they need to remember to keep alive. For others, the investment seems too high. And yet for many, having indoor plants in their homes brings new life and freshness to their space!

Above pillows can be found here.

Two years ago I wouldn’t even attempt to care for indoor plants. I killed every succulent I ever owned. But then, I discovered some plants that would survive my black thumb. And after that I’m here to tell you that it is possible to keep healthy indoor plants even with a busy schedule!

Tip 1: Buy the Right Plant

I want to give you a list of some of the easiest indoor plants to care for to start this off. If you go right to trying out an olive tree then you will probably be discouraged before you even attempt to become a plant lady.

I also put together a free printable care guide for my favorite beginner plants. Make sure to subscribe to get your freebie and have access to my free members only printable library!

So here are my all time faves (and the plants that have survived me for years now!):

Tip 2: Don’t Overwater

This is one area that most novice plant lovers (myself included) tend to fail. Make sure to read the care guide for your indoor plants and take note of what kind of watering they enjoy. My ivy and fiddle leaf fig tend to need more water than my pothos and wax plants.

Each plant has it’s own temperament and overwatering is one of the most common issues for black thumbs.

Along with not overwatering, you also need to make sure your soil has good drainage. If the roots of your plants are sitting in water constantly then they will drowned and consequently you’ve committed a plant homicide. 😉

Tip 3: Put Your Watering Schedule on your calendar

Here’s where we get down to it. Without consistency your plants will suffer. It’s kind of like child rearing. Except they don’t talk back.

My biggest “aha” moment was when I put a reoccurring appointment on my calendar to water my plants. The fiddle leaf fig, ivy and bird’s nest fern get watered each Monday. My pothos gets watered every other Monday. And my philodendron gets watered twice a week (Because the pot is small! That matters too!)

My money tree and ZZ plants get watered whenever I remember to, because honestly, they seem to do better if I completely forget about them! It’s a head scratcher on that one.

Tip 4: Consider the Vessel

Like I mentioned above, some of my plants I water more often because the pot is small. The smaller the pot, the less you can water it at one time, the more often you may need to check it. It makes logical sense if you really consider it!

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My philodendron and ivy are both in extremely small pots and must be watered more often.

Another thing to consider is the material your pot is made of. My clay pots tend to hold the moisture longer so the plants inside need less frequent watering. Conversely, plastic pots don’t soak in any of the water to “save for later”.

Tip 5: Work Your Way up to the Big Boys

Once you’ve “mastered” the easy to care for indoor plants, then you can work your way up to the big boys. This gives you time to understand your own personal time commitment to growing plants indoors, plus a basic understanding of how plants react to your watering and sunlight habits.

My fiddle leaf fig is more finicky (say that three times fast) than the rest of my plants. But bright sunlight and 3 cups of water every Monday seems to be the trick!

Tip 6: Think Outside the Box

This is more of a design tip than a plant care tip, but when you are designing your spaces you can always think outside the box with plant display! Any trailing vine can easily be made a focal point. You can see how I designed this indoor vertical garden here.