A trip to the Atlanta Botanical Garden made me rethink my whole plant care routine

I visited the Atlanta Botanical Garden last month and spent a long time in their orchid house. The guide there pointed out how they group plants not just by looks, but by the exact humidity and light they need, even if they're from different parts of the world. I had all my houseplants on one windowsill because I thought 'bright light' was enough. Seeing their setup, I realized my fiddle leaf fig was getting too much direct sun while my fern was drying out. I came home and moved five plants to new spots in my apartment. My calathea, which I've had for three years, put out two new leaves in a week just from being in my more humid bathroom. It seems so simple now, but I was just matching plants to light, not the whole environment. Has anyone else had a plant totally change after you moved it to a different room?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephbutler27d agoTop Commenter

Oh man, that's so true. I killed a cactus by putting it in a shady corner thinking all desert plants just bake. Turns out some need way less light than you'd guess. It's all about the little details.

robin_roberts8427d ago

Yeah "it's all about the little details" is so real. I totally thought the same as you @josephbutler, more sun is always better. Learning that some actually need shade blew my mind.

sean_hill918d ago

That guide's point about grouping plants by humidity and light is a total game changer.