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Houseplants can be a great way to spruce up your space and bring a bit of nature indoors. As living things, they do take some care to stay healthy and thriving. Have you wanted to add some houseplants to your home but aren’t sure what type would work best for you? We checked in with Riley Talain of Redwood City’s Little Green – A Plant Bar for some easy tips on which plants are safe for households with pets, which work well for newbies, and more (this Q&A has been lightly edited for length and clarity).
Q: How did you get interested in houseplants? Why do you love them?
A: I first got into houseplants in 2018 and bought five at one time to get started. I love nature and greenery and wanted to add that to my space. Plus, they’re cute! It helped my routine to take care of something and immediately made my space more comfortable to be in. My mom (Little Green owner Sharon Grant) at first didn’t get it. She thought they were “too ’70s.” Fast forward a few years, and she did a complete 180 and now owns more plants than me! She says I wore her down by constantly bringing new plants into the house.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is new to houseplants?
A: A green thumb can be learned. It can feel daunting because they’re alive, but practice does make perfect. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of going through a few plants. You’d be surprised at how well they can bounce back when on the brink of death. And if they’re goners, then they go back into the earth and foster new life for other plants. I kept a small notebook in the beginning with notes on how often to water different plants and put Post-its on plants that needed more attention so I could remember them easier. Eventually, I didn’t need those guidelines anymore.
Q: Which plant do you think is easiest to care for?
A: I would say pothos. Not only are they reasonably hardy, but they’re easy to understand. Plants speak to you; you just need to learn how to listen. What’s nice about pothos is that they’re especially vocal. They tell you when they need more sun (the stems grow long like they’re stretching), they tell you when they need more water (the leaves flop and may crisp if very, very dry), and they tell you when they have too much (they brown from the stems and get squishy). They grow quickly, so you get immediate feedback about how you’re doing and a feeling of accomplishment. They like bright indirect light, which is common in most homes, and they have average water needs that are easy to keep track of.
Q: What would you recommend for someone whose home doesn’t get much light?
A: You need to put your plants where they will do best, even if that’s not necessarily where you’d like them to be. Plants like snake plants, ZZ plants and peperomias would be a good pick, and I would water them a little less than recommended. Sunlight gives the plants energy to soak up and use the water given to them. If they don’t get enough sun to energize them, then they might get bogged down. If you’re really worried and passionate, you could always get a grow light.
Q: What are some plants that are pet safe – and some that people with pets should steer clear of?
A: Most ferns and peperomias are pet safe. Spider plants are safe and have a catnip effect. It’s the only plant our cats would ever chew on! Stay away from pothos, philodendron and dieffenbachia. It’s always important to do your research, as not all plants are created equal and what might go for one palm may not be the same for another. We had an employee who’d rub garlic and citrus oil around all her plants to discourage her cats from chomping.
Q: Which houseplant do you think makes a great housewarming gift?
A: Something easy, like a peperomia or pothos, and something midsize. Six-inch to 8-inch pot-size plants make great gifts as they’re nice and established plants and make a big difference in a space without much effort. The first thing my friends would say when they would come into my space is how fresh my air was. Plants are my go-to housewarming gifts.
Q: Do you have a personal favorite?
A: I feel like because we specialize in succulent arrangements that I should say succulents, but really it’s alocasia. I love the look of them; just one big leaf and a stalky stem! Unfortunately I’m not very good at taking care of them so I don’t own any – I just admire the ones in the shop from a distance. My mom’s definitely used to be succulents but since I “wore her down” it’s now peperomias. They have a lot of variety and are semi-succulent so they’re really easy to care for.
Q: Do you have any special routines with your houseplants?
A: I like to water my plants when it rains, so long as it doesn’t mess with my watering schedule. I feel like they’re left out when I don’t. And sometimes when I leave the house, I’ll put on a short music playlist for them. It’s specifically for plant energy. I’m not sure if I really believe it, but I think it’s nice for them regardless. My mom would name her plants in the ’70s, but now I think she just talks to them when she tends to them. She’ll probably deny that, though.
Q: What’s the most common issue or problem you’ve run into with houseplants?
A: I don’t water as much as I should. I try to make a habit that when I refill my glass of water, I give a bit of water to them as well. I’ll even say out loud, “a little for me” and take a sip, “and a little for you” and give them a glass of water. Problem is, I’m not very good at remembering to drink water either. People can bring their struggling plants into the shop, and we can diagnose the problem and play plant doctor, and it actually seems like overwatering is more of an issue. I think people want to tend to and love their plants and can easily overdo it and give too much water.
Q: Anything to add about houseplants that readers might not know?
A: Re-pot your plants in the spring. We enter the growing season as days get longer and plants have more energy to recover from being uprooted and replanted. You can size up just two inches, so a 4-inch potted plant can be rehomed into a 6-inch pot. This is great for your plants, but I mainly bring this up because I think it’s great for you. Plants do wonders for our mental health. It’s important for us to reconnect with nature, and tending to something alive other than ourselves is good for our brains. To me, there is nothing more centering than getting your hands in dirt. I never want to repot my plants; it feels like such a chore. But once I’m scooping that dirt, digging my fingers in, and really checking with my plants – looking at their roots, gingerly removing them from their homes, placing them in their new pots with purpose and care – it empties my brain like nothing else. Soon I’m looking through all my plants to find new ones to re-pot just to keep the activity going.
More information on Little Green is available at littlegreenaplantbar.com/.
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