Thriving Green: The Ultimate Guide to Plant Parenthood

By Andrea R Gallinger

 Embark on a journey into the lush world of plant care with Thriving Green by author and plant care specialist Andrea Gallinger. This concise yet richly informative book serves as the ultimate guide for both novice and seasoned plant enthusiasts, providing valuable insights into the art of plant parenthood.

Gallinger's approa

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrea Gallinger
• Release date: Feb 24, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869181954

Book preview

1

Introduction

I am Andrea, a horticulturist, gardener, interiorscaping technician, artist, and passionate plant enthusiast. In 2020, I graduated from Finger Lakes Community College with an Associate’s degree in Horticulture and a calling in my heart to grow and care for plants. With professional landscaping experience catering to high-end clientele and a background in maintaining indoor plants, my journey is rooted in hands-on expertise. Having learned and been mentored by seasoned plant professionals with over thirty years of experience, I bring a wealth of knowledge to the table.

In the field, I often attract intrigue and curiosity from passersby who wonder about my profession. Frequently, people approach me with questions on plant care. I derive genuine joy from helping and educating individuals about plants, and I am excited to share that knowledge with you.

One thing that you will notice about this guide is that there is not an index of popular, or well-known houseplants with a specific corresponding care profile of instructions. Much like I did as a new plant parent, many new plant parents take one or two things they read about a species of plant and tend to have a black-and-white way of approaching plant care for all their plants. Caring for plants is not like following a recipe, whereas if you follow the same instructions with the same amount of ingredients each time, you can expect to yield the same result each time indefinitely. I encourage all plant parents, as newbies or seasoned plant parents, to always research the origin of a plant species to find out its native habitat, climate, and microclimate. Find out exactly where a plant thrives on this planet, and do what you can to improvise similar conditions. I also highly recommend that new plant parents keep a log or journal to document their care regimen and schedule each week. Doing this will help you approach plant care in a much for intuitive, intentional, and mindful way, rather than adhering to constructs that are highly subjective and black and white. Embrace the nuanced complexities and learn as you go.

I truly believe that plants can add immeasurable value to our lives, and I'm eager to help others find the peace and contentment that comes with growing and caring for plants.

Andrea Gallinger

2

Chapter 1:Importance of Proper Watering Techniques

Let's begin with one of the most important yet confounding topics of indoor plant care: Water!

Taking care of plants indoors is very different from taking care of seasonal plants outdoors. Outside, Mother Nature rules and is much more involved in plants' success or failure and health. Indoors, YOU are Mother Nature, and those are big shoes to fill.

When I get asked questions about plants out in the field, or friends or new technicians ask how much water to give a certain plant species, I tell them the answer is always a loaded one. Starting in this field, I tried to make