I like to think of myself as a writer who gardens and a gardener who writes. I was hooked into this lifestyle more than a decade ago, when I decided that my new husband’s tomato patch had to be extended into a full-blown suburban veggie paradise. It was a classic story of “city girl trades concrete jungle for kale jungle.”
Before that, it was a humble peace lily that gave me the houseplant bug, so I have her to thank for 15+ years of houseplant obsession. I get a kick out of saving and reviving houseplants that others write off, although my greatest sin is still overwatering.
When we went back to renting in cities, I gardened in community gardens, campus gardens and post stamp-sized balconies. Setting up gardens from scratch in three different (micro)climates taught me to stay humble and to always keep learning.
Nowadays, when I’m not writing, you’ll probably find me pottering around my suburban backyard where I’m creating a pollinator paradise, complete with herbs, veggies and flowers.
If you’re nosy like me, you can follow my plant experiments on Instagram @greenwithpurpose. I also write about plants, gardens and books on my website, GreenWithPurpose.com
If you’ve been gardening in the United States, you’ve probably consulted the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map at least once. The PHZM or, as gardeners lovingly call it, the USDA …
We’ve had a very warm October this year, so I’ve postponed the task of planting spring bulbs from one Saturday to another until November rolled around. On the one hand, …
Many years ago, when I first discovered that a surefire way to get free houseplants was to bring some in from the garden, you would have thought I’d hit the …
If you were to walk past my garden and do a bit of eavesdropping at the height of summer, you would no doubt think you happened upon a scene from …
Can you think of a plant that, upon hearing how low maintenance it is, you just roll your eyes? Because how can it be low maintenance when you’ve managed to …
When I first started gardening in earnest, my learning zeal was as high as the leggy tomatoes I was growing. I was humble enough to know that I didn’t know …
As an overly-protective gardener, I’m equally excited and anxious about my vacation plans for this summer. I’m more than ready for a change of scenery, and the anticipation that comes …
Note: This article was first published on January 25th 2023 and included ten plants. It proved incredibly popular and has now been updated to include fifteen plants that need a …
As much as I enjoy growing classic houseplants and sometimes buying trendy ones (such as this pickle plant), there’s something very satisfying about getting a plant that’s not super popular. …
Ask any self-respecting houseplant aficionado if they have a kill list, and they’ll likely admit to having put a few leafy friends to rest. It happens; you learn; you move …
Fittonia (also known as the nerve plant) is one of those houseplants that is both a looker and easy to find for sale (not a small feat in the world …
When you start bringing plants into your home, you’re automatically enrolled in a crash course on all the nemeses you’ll be facing. Whether it’s aphids, thrips, gnats or root rot, …
If I showed you my six-year-old kalanchoe plant, you’d be hard-pressed to identify what it actually is. It looks part succulent, part weird sculpture and part mythical tree straight out …
Have you ever heard of a pickle plant? (No, it’s not a neverending gherkin vine, as delicious as that may sound.) I hadn’t heard either until one beckoned to me …
Right about this time of year, when we’re getting ready to pull the Christmas decorations out of storage, my family faces a seasonal dilemma. Should we continue to use the …
My first memory of cyclamen is tied to browsing through mail-order furniture catalogs as a pre-teen. I was more interested in the decorative houseplants than in the furniture. These weirdly-shaped …
If there’s one thing my Rural Sprout colleagues and I have in common, in addition to our obsession with composting everything that dares move, is our hatred of waste. I …
If you’ve ever seen houseplants planted in LECA and you thought to yourself “why would anyone use cocoa puffs to pot their plants in?”, let me assure you that you’re …
Let me start with a weird question: have you ever tried to drink a glass of water while holding your breath? It doesn’t sound like a good idea, does it?* …
Have you ever heard of anise hyssop? I hadn’t until a few years ago when a generous gardening friend shared an extra plant she had oversown. That first spring, I …
As it often happens, this article was inspired by a leisurely puttering session in my garden. I was collecting seeds, as you do in late summer, and wondering how many …
Whether you’re a newbie plant parent or you’ve started your plant-collecting journey years ago, you’re probably already familiar with the three factors you need to pay attention to for a …
Have you ever been tempted to move your houseplants outdoors in spring? I must admit, the temptation was hard to resist for me about a decade ago when I first …
What’s the first thing you do when you bring home a new houseplant? One of my friends tends to have a set-it-and-forget-it approach to new plant babies. While another has …