A Complex Relationship with Ferns
People often say that ferns are picky plants, and it's true that they have very specific needs. But I don't think they're picky at all - I think they just know what they enjoy, and if you're not giving it to them, they won't thrive. Ferns love moisture and humidity, so if you give them too much sun, their leaves will burn. They're delicate queens that require a lot of care, but if you get it right, they grow beautifully. My staghorn fern in my bathroom is proof of this - I've had her for about four years now, and she's been thriving in the perfect spot with filtered bright light and plenty of moisture.
The Staghorn Fern: A Resilient and Beautiful Plant
I have to say that I'm a big fan of staghorn ferns. They're so much heartier than regular ferns, more resilient and adaptable. And they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes - from the delicate, lacy fronds of the maidenhair fern to the sturdy, robust growth of the staghorn itself. I have a staghorn fern in my bathroom that's growing out of a coconut shell, and it's just stunning. The way the light catches its leaves is like nothing else, and it's always a joy to tend to her and watch her grow.
Plant Parents and Their Green Girls
I think that many people who plant their homes with greenery are also trying to create a space that nourishes their souls. For me, my plants are like girlfriends - they're beings that allow opportunities for introspection, self-care, and reflection. When I'm watering them, I'm not just thinking about giving them the right amount of water - I'm also checking in with myself, asking if I'm drinking enough water, getting enough sunlight, or taking care of my own needs. And when I'm pruning or repotting a plant, it's like I'm taking care of myself too.
My Bedroom Oasis
One of my favorite spaces in my home is my bedroom, which I've lovingly greened up over the years. It was one of the last spaces that I tackled intentionally and slowly, without rushing through the process. And now, it's a peaceful retreat that I love to curl up in with a good book or a cup of tea. My staghorn fern is perched on a wooden shelf, looking stunning against the backdrop of my books and decorative objects. It's like a little piece of living art, and I adore it.
The Monstera Albo Verigata: A Rare and Exotic Treasure
I recently added a new plant to my bedroom collection - a beautiful monstera albo verigata with stunning white variegation on its leaves. This plant is a real treasure, because it's relatively rare and can be tricky to find. But I was determined to track one down, and I'm so glad that I did. The way the light catches its leaves is like nothing else, and it's always a joy to watch it grow and thrive in its new home.
Cacti: The Underdog of Plants
When I first started exploring the world of plants, cacti were definitely not my go-to choice. I thought they were rough and unforgiving - and I was right! But as I learned more about them, I realized how delicate and intricate they are. Cacti have evolved to be incredibly resilient in harsh environments, with specialized roots and stems that allow them to store water and withstand the harshest conditions. And they come in so many different shapes and sizes - from the tiny, globular cacti of the Mammillaria genus to the majestic, towering saguaros of the Sonoran Desert.
Gold Trimming: A Quirky Touch
I have a confession to make - I love gold trimming on my plants. There's something about the way it catches the light and adds a touch of glamour to even the humblest of greenery that really speaks to me. And it's not just for show - I think that gold trimming also adds a sense of luxury and sophistication to a room, which is why I use it on my shelves and decorative objects. It's a quirky touch, maybe, but one that makes me happy every time I see it.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enWell, hello, Darling.I'm Christopher,AKA Plant Kween.And this is my handmadehome in Brooklyn, Darling.Basically Plant Kween is ajourney where I express myselfas a non-binary femmeand explore the wondersof plant parenthood.So my profession,I'm an educator.So Plant Kween is aboutproviding opportunitiesfor folks to learn aboutthe wonders and beautythat is indoor gardening.I got into plantswith my grandmother.She was really intogardening, and itwas a space for her to createmoments of joy and healing.And so when I wasyounger, she wouldtake me to some of her favoritenurseries in Philadelphia.And it was a magicalexperience, especiallyas like a littlebaby queen, you know,looking at this luscious,magical jungle of a nursery.And so she would let mepick some of the plantsthat she would take home.And whenever I wasover her house,she would remindme to water them.And so at a very youngage, my grandmother wasnurturing the nurturer in me.And so about fiveyears ago, I went outand bought my very first plant.It's a marble queen pothos.She was struggling, and Imade a promise to myselfthat if I could takecare of this plant,then I had somethingon my hands.And so five years later,she is 9 feet long.I've propagatedher multiple times,so she's all over the apartment.And she has over 200 sisters.I like to describe myapartment as maximalistwhen it comes toplant and minimalistwhen it comes to decor.So I like the decor tobe like very spaced out.I love blank walls.The like, like, blank spaces.People may find itweird, but I don't know.I think it's like aplant parent thing.But whenever I step into aspace, I whip out my phone,and I pull out the compass app.And I'm like, oh, what directionare the windows facing?And so that was like the firstthing I did when I got in here.And I was like,south-facing windows?Not one, but fivesouth-facing windows?Oh, yes.I was like, let's go.Deposit already in.Application sent.Am I approved?Let's go.One of the first things thatI did when I got the keyswas that I came here.I cleaned the space.I cleansed the space.And I ordered food,and I sat on the floor,and I watched the sunmove throughout the space.It was so peaceful, so calming.I had a little playlist playing.I was like in a very zen mood.And as the sun moved throughoutthe space throughout the day,I marked those particular spots.And I was like,oh, this would begood for this particular plant.The sun is here forthis amount of time.And so that was like thevery first thing that I did.I just wanted to get a bettergrasp of the environmentthat I was bringingmy plants into.Hi, Darling.So we are currently inmy little plant nook.And I have about 90 greengirls in this particular space.And the very first thing thatI did when I got this apartmentwas the install the shelves.If you know anything aboutmoving into spaces in Brooklyn,going vertical is the wayto go, because we just don'thave a lot of floor space.So 9 times out of 10, givingyour plant too much sunlightwill cause sunburn.And so, because Iget direct light,I have sheer curtains and thecurtain rod to kind of filterout some of thatlight, so the plantsaren't getting thatharsh, harsh sun ray,but are gettingfiltered, bright light.So that's always the wayto go, especially if youhave south facing windows.And so one of myprized possessionsis Miss Monstera Deliciosa.This queen right here,she's a bit of a diva.She's taking up a lot of space,but she's absolutely beautiful.And I actuallystarted this queen.It started with this onelittle leaf right here.So I bought this queenin downtown Manhattanin Chinatown.And she was sitting in a vase.And they wererooting her in water.And I was like,hm, let me see if Ican get this queen to grow.And so I brought the queen home.She struggled for a bit.I didn't know if shewas going to make it.And I just allowed her rootsto mature in the water.And about-- I think it'sbeen almost four years now,and she's grown intothis amazing vine.So Miss Monstera Deliciosais native to the tropicalrainforest of Central America.And if you notice, shehas these beautiful rootsthat are growing in.So these are area roots.And we have to remember thatthe green girls that we bringinto our spaces arejust small, little,miniature versions of theirmajestic selves in the wild.And so this queen is actually avine, a very, very large vine.And you can kind of getthat feel as you're lookingat this particular queen.And so if she wasin the wild, shewould be growing up asurface, whether that'sa tree trunk, or a wall.And these roots would beanchored into that surface.She's not doing thatright now, because Idon't have the space just yet.But I will be applying amoss pole to this queensometime soon, so that itmimics the natural environmentand habitat that shewould grow in the wild.I use that space as anopportunity to just lose myselfin my little indoor jungle.And so sometimes when I'm havinglike a really stressful dayor I just need to take abreak from technology,--we all need a break fromtechnology at this point--I'll literally just go in there,no technology, close the door,and kind of just eitherengage in like some pruning.You know, maybe identify somevines that I want to propagate.And so using mindfulgardening as a opportunityto engage in meditation.Right, because meditation couldlook so many different ways.It doesn't have tobe you just sittingthere with your legs crossed.It could be like whateveryou need to do in order to befully present in your body.And gardening sometimesallows me to do that.Darling, sometimes our greengirls need a little haircut.And that comes inthe form of pruning.And so what you'll find is thatyellowing leaves, like these,or browning leaves,basically decaying leavesare more likelyto attract pests.And so the bestthing to do to keepyour green girl servingthose lush looksis to give her a little trim.OK, girl.So we are now in my littlecorner of my living room.And this is basically whereI get a lot of my work done.This is my littlemakeshift office space.I have some randomlittle instruments.I believe the saxophone issuch a sexy and beautifulinstrument.I do not know how to play it.But you know, Iappreciate it from afar.You know?I put it on my playlist.Little saxophoneinstrumental moment.We have some snake plants here.We have this snake plant.And then we also havethis one over here.The snake plant is oneof my favorite plants,because they're soeasy to care for.They're adaptable when itcomes to different lightingsituations, and they'rewonderful air purifiers.And so always gotto have a little bitof the snake plant in the area.And so these are some ofthe green girls that keepme company when I'm working.And I tend to have aplant buddy of the day,where, I'll, you know, placethat plant on my desk and kindof just use it as an opportunityto inspect the leavesand escape the screens.And so it's a littlepractice that I do to helpme stay grounded and rooted.So I love my bathroom.And the reason that,you know, I wasparticularly drawnto this bathroomwas because it had a window.So a south facingbathroom window?Yes, God.Everything.I enjoy when there'slike a creative elementto how the plant is existing.And so in my bathroomI have a staghorn fern.And I have a complicatedrelationship with ferns.And I feel like a lotof plant parents do.People say that they're picky.I don't think they're picky.I think they justknow what they enjoy.And they're like, girl, ifyou're not giving it to me,I'm--I'm not going to thrive.Right?And so you know, fernsreally, really enjoymoisture, humidity.If you give them too muchsun, their leaves will burn.So they're delicate queens.And but if you givethem what they need,they grow so beautifully.And so the staghornfern is a much heartierfern, more resilient.And so I have a staghornfern in my bathroomthat's growing outof a coconut shell.And I have had that plantfor about four years now.And she's had her ups and down.But I think I found likethe perfect spot for herin the bathroom, where shegets filtered bright light,and she gets a lot ofhumidity and moisture.And so she's just been thriving.I also have a staghornfern in my bedroomthat's mounted on wood.And so it's like a pieceof living art, which I'mjust like, yes, if I canincorporate that into my space,lovely.All plants are works of art.She's gorgeous.She's sturdy.She's resilient, and oneof my favorite green girlsin my bedroom.Well, Honey, welcometo the bedroom.This was one of the lastspaces that I greened up.And I wanted to doso intentionallyand really piece it together,and not rush the process.And so some of my favoriteaspects of the bedroomhas to be this greengirl right here.She is the monsteraalbo verigata.She has these beautiful,little white variegationon her leaves.And she's a hotticket right now,because she grows very slowly.And that has todo partly becauseof her anatomy in that some ofher leaves lack chlorophyll.So she's just a little slowerwhen it comes to growing, whichalso means thatgrowers in nurserieshave to wait some time forthem to grow and mature.So she's a hot ticket.I actually got her for$50 back in the day, aboutmaybe three, four years ago.You could not find her forthat price, but she's mine.I love her.And she's adorable.I really enjoy gold trimming.I don't know why,but I really do.And so I have these cutelittle gold shelves.And I have thebooks on the floor.And I have theplant on the shelf.This shelf right hereactually was a mistake.As I was putting theshelves on the wall,the second one slid down tolike this slanted position.And I was like, oh,this actually lookspretty cute and different.And so I kind ofkept it that way.And then on the otherside of my bedroom,I have a littlecollection of cacti.When I first began my journey,I stayed away from cacti.I was like, oh, they're rough.They're-- uh, I don't knowif I want to get into them.And then the more andmore I studied cacti,I realize how delicate,intricate, and reallybeautiful they are.And so these are a varietyof different cacti.You have the spiralcactus right there.You have the pricklypear cactus right here.And these queens are,you know, green girlsthat are really resilientand actually don'treally need a lot of care.They just need a goodamount of sunlightand that you make sure you checkthe moisture of their soil,because you want to make surethat they dry out completely.You know, I think of myplants as like my girlfriends.They are beings that allow anopportunity for introspection,for self-care, for reflection.And I think it'salways good to havea good group ofgirlfriends to remindyou to care for yourself.And I feel like that's whatmy plants really do for me.And so you know, whenI'm watering my plants,I'm like am Idrinking enough water?If I'm like figuring out, arethey getting enough sunlight,did I let sunlighttouch my body today?Right?And then when I'mlike, you know,making sure theyhave the nutrientsthat they need to grow, I'mlike, well, did I give myself--you know, my body,being, and soul--the nutrients I needto like, you know,continue to spread my roots?So my green girls, you know,are a constant reminderof the various different waysthat I need to constantlyengage in caring for myself.And Darling, if youliked this video,give it a thumbs up, andsubscribe to Handmade for morehome tours, like this, Honey.\n"
