The ultimate-ish guide to Indoor Plants from a novice🌵🪴

Late last year I attended the U of T Clubhouse fair with my fellow digital storyteller and friend, Anisha. One of the clubs we checked out was the Muslim Students Society and they were giving away free succulents with an opportunity to paint the pots.

Fast forward to now, I have become somewhat of a succulent fanatic in the making. I’ve had a total of about 10 plants and only two have died (I said in the making haha 😂) so if you’re someone who’s looking to start your own collection, you’re in the right place! 😌

First of all, what is a succulent ??

The best way to explain what a succulent is to imagine the types of plants you would find in the desert. They are usually very thick and fleshy so they are able to store water since the desert can be super dry and unpredictable. In my opinion, this is why they are a great way to start your plant journey - they don't die easily.

You may be wondering, why should I get a succulent

Here are some reasons to get a succulent:

They’re pretty and are a great way to beautify and add character to a space
Succulents are super low maintenance
- If you forget to water them for a couple of days there’s a very good chance that they be fine. The longest I went without watering mine was about 2 weeks during winter break
They come in different colours and shapes
Did I mention that they’re pretty?!

Recently, I attended a workshop hosted by the U of T Student Union on how to best take care of your plants and learned a few tricks on how to take care of your plant. Here are some best practices!

Ensure that the container you choose has a hole to drain out excess water
Place where there’s access to sunlight
- This can be a bit harder because of there isn’t a lot of sunshine during the winter months but try to place them near a window.
When you transfer your succulent from the thin container they come in to their new home, make sure that you don’t bury them too deep. Also make sure to dust some soil away, so parts of the roots can be exposed and grip the soil of their new container.
- Use an app to help you determine what type of pant you have incase you forget
- Since not all plants are the same, it’s important to learn about them so you know how best to care for them.
- Blossom Plant Identifier and Plant Snap are great apps to help you find out what plants you have and how to best take care of them. The downside is they do require a subscription but they do offer free trial which is great for a one time thing. Another great option is to use Google Lens.

Where can I can buy pots?

The dollar store generally has lots of options! Some come in blank clay-like pots while others are more decorative and fancy. I personally prefer the blank clay-like ones because I can paint them and decorate them how I like.
P.S. when looking for some inspo, Pinterest is usually my go-to!

I know you’re probably, wondering where do I get succulents??

So I’ve been lucky so far because 3-4 of my plants have been given to me for free from attending various workshops and events where they were being given out for free. I got these three from the UTSU workshop.

I have also purchased a few.
- The my mini rose bush and Kalanchoe was from a Hart House Plant Sale. I believe they maybe hosting another one later this year so you can stay up to date by following their Instagram account: @harthousefarm
- I purchased this one form a plant shop called Wild Bloomin in Kensington market late last year.