Can you believe August is right around the corner? Summers cruise by so quickly. So it’s important to (safely) get outside to soak up the sun, be in the moment with nature, and take a mini road trip with the family to a plant store! Haha! That’s exactly what I did on Sunday. I convinced my family to take a drive to Brooklyn, NY to pay Greenery Unlimited a visit. Let’s face it, I didn’t need much convincing since the weather was beautiful and we were visiting a neighborhood that was new to us. Now a days, even a walk in our community is an adventure!
Park down the street from Greenery Unlimited
I love checking out new plant shops and nurseries but with the pandemic, its been a challenge. Honestly, it’s a blessing in disguise for my wallet, LOL. Although online plant shopping doesn’t help much! When anyone asks lately what has been your most recent purchases, well, besides the necessities, its been plants, plants, and more plants!!! Plants anonymous, anyone?! I just may need to check in. Ha!
Seriously, plants bring so much natural beauty, life, color, and joy into our personal spaces. Which is why I began collecting them to begin with more now since the pandemic started. I look at my plants and I instantly cheer back up :).
So, I figured what can excite my family on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, well Greenery Unlimited would! Oh yea, and a reason to take a trip to one of the 5 boroughs in NY.
Plants Galore outside of Greenery Unlimited.
Prior to going, I called the store to make sure: 1.) they were open; 2.) allowing guests into the store; and 3.) if they had the plants I wanted. The store only allows 6 customers at a time, so when I arrived mid afternoon, there were two customers ahead of me and I waited no more than 10 minutes for my turn to go in. Upon arrival you can sign in or let the store associate know what you are there for and they’ll sign you up before going in and shopping away.
The store is beautiful with pots and plants covering it leaving just enough space to walk around. Greenery Unlimited definitely carries a great selection of plants like Fiddle Leaf Figs, Birds of Paradise, Alocasias, Sansevierias, Calatheas, and Peperomias, were some of the species that I came across.
The customer experience from the moment I called the store to when I went to purchase my plants was exceptional. I was greeted with friendly and welcoming people. Just for the customer service, I would go back again even though it’s a little ways away from our home. Their plant selection was nice too as I mentioned above, but I mainly went for a Calathea Orbata, another Watermelon Peperomia, and another Pilea Peperomioides (which I totally forgot to pick up while I was there and instead got a Peperomia Caperata). Also, the Calathea that I wanted was sold out.
New plants babies! I also purchased the cube pot and good old Neem oil.
I just love the silvery and green leaves of the Peperomia so one, two, or three of the same genus isn’t enough!
Spotted Hilton Carter’s (aka The Plant Doctor) latest book. Has anyone grabbed a copy?
Leave a comment down below, have you visited or purchased from Greenery Unlimited? What did you buy and what was your experience like?
Also, let’s continue the conversation over on Instagram join me @mindfulpotsandplants.
Hope you are doing well, staying healthy, and safe
Welp! I am back from a short hiatus. I went on a mini vacation the last week in June and through the 4th of July holiday weekend. It was fabulous being able to fully disconnect and be present. Then the week after, aka the first full week in July was somewhat chaotic settling into the “regular” routine of my day-to-day life. Blogging seemed like a distant pleasure.
Nonetheless, as promised, I am back with a mini haul! I received these plants a few days before my little getaway from home. I was soooooooooooooo nervous even through my vacation what conditions these plants would be in upon my return. For the most part they did well. Although some of my newer ones got yellow leaves and browning tips :(.
I still get a little nervous ordering plants online, especially from shops I’ve never order from before. I decided to give SonderlingSucculents shop a try because I was on the hunt for, yup, you guessed it, another Rubber Tree Plant. These are definitely one of my favorites, but I say that a lot about my plants. As it should be right, you should get plants that move you and inspire you. LOL, ok that sounded cheesy.
Let’s move along, shall we, I came across this shop in my search and it had great reviews and stars, because HELLO! that’s the first thing I refer to before making a decision to purchase.
The seller is also great in terms of communication! I purchased my plants just a little over a week before my vacation. I sent her a message on Etsy to let her know that and she responded a day or two after confirming she mailed it so that I can recieve it prior to. If that isn’t amazing customer service then, I don’t know what is. Disclaimer: my intent to contact her wasn’t to rush the seller to ship my plants but to see if she would have preferred to hold on until my return.
Okay, now that’s off my chest, and without further delay, let me introduce you to my two newest babies!
Ficus Elastica (Ruby) Tree
Arrived in 4″ pot
This tree is commonly known as Ruby Rubber Tree. It’s another variegated rubber tree, like the Tineke, but with hues of deep pinks and dark greens. I wanted to add this one to my collection not only, as I’d mentioned before, because it’s a Ficus, but because it’s pink! I love plants with pink hues. This plant grows in the tropical environments of Mylasia and India, according to Green Unlimited. These plants prefer bright, indirect light and I rely heavily on my moisture meter for its watering needs. However, Green Unlimited notes that these types of plants are more drought tolerant. I have mine slightly back from a South facing window and I mist it occasionally as these plants do well in humid environments.
I have to admit, that in my excitment to unwrap the great packaging SonderlingSucculents did with both plants, I ended up losing a leaf (if you look closely in the picture, you may be able to spot the empty space at the bottom).
I personally have found Ficus (with the exception of perhaps the Lyrata), to be easy care (*knocks on wood*). Although I haven’t had any of mine for long they just haven’t been as ‘finicky’ as some of my other additions and so-called “easy” care plants.
Next up, is a wish list plant (like all of mine are, haha!).
Dieffenbachia Splash
Arrived in 4″ pot
Commonly known as a Dumb Cane, what a name and it doesn’t do this beauty any justice. However, I’ve found it to be quite finicky, considering it does well in low-light conditions. I’ve had to remove a few leaves (maybe, 3 since I got it two weeks ago). I am still learning this plants needs but definitely isn’t lush, just yet. Peep the yellow bottom leaf, which may have been due to travel stress and climate change. I am hopeful, that this one will turnaround for the best as it continues to adjust!
Before you run over to SonderlingSucculents’ shop to get a hold of these, note that since I’ve purchased these two plants, they’ve sold. However, still check her shop because she has so many other beautiful selections, of which I have my eye on some :).
I have a third haul coming! Like many of my plant purchases, this one was an unexpected and unplanned for purchase from none other then, The Plant Chica’s shop. I’ll give you a hint, the two plants that I ordered are drought tolerant and desire a little water to thrive! Comment below if you think you know!
Until next time.
Peace and Love,
Sheyla
Bonus: here are a few extra pictures of me unboxing these plant babies and the plants after I removed them from its packaging. As you can see, they came extremely well packaged!
Let’s be honest, as much as I love plants, I am a sucker for modern planter pots as well. They are the cherry on top, the jelly to the P&J, the icing on the cake. They add style to an already classic house plant. Part of my blog’s name has ‘pots’ in it because they are complimentary to plants and dare I say it bring a lot of joy. Oh, just me?!
I must admit, finding the perfect pots (online) has been a challenge. I tend to be a little picky with the pots that I chose in terms of aesthetics (what seems to be a commonly used word among the millennial generation).
So let’s chat about pots, my favorite pots and the need to understand them because it’ll be your plants home until you need to re pot in the future.
The Important Benefits of Terracotta and Ceramic Pots for Plants
According to, Platt Hill Nursery, terracotta and ceramic pots “are the most common materials in the world of plant pots”. Honestly, these are the only two material of plant pots that I currently own and not because of some deep understanding of the ‘why’ but naively, again just the aesthetics and what will look great in my home. It’s all about style, am I right?!
Well, as I did more research on the uses of terracotta clay pots, I’ve learned that this type of material is beneficial for plants that are not moisture resistant. Did you say, cacti, succulents, and snake plants?! Bingo. The clay material, unlike ceramic pots, are porous, allowing the moisture to soak up quicker.
On the other hand, and from experience, ceramic pots retains moisture. Which plant do you know enjoys having wet feet or being soggy? None, that I know of. However, there are plants that enjoy having an evenly moist soil, for instance, my Alocasia Polly, otherwise the tips begin to brown.
I’ve learned to keep my drought tolerant plants in terracotta pots, always! While the other plants that I have planted in ceramic pots, like my Monstera Deliciosa do okay but watering will be less often to prevent root rot. This is generally caused by over watering the plant. I recommend a soil moisture meter to help you monitor the soil, I purchased this one from Amazon, but any would suffice! The moisture meter has come in handy for my Bird of Paradise as well. Luckily, this plant is drought tolerant, so I’ve been able to go at least two weeks without watering it in the growing season, because the ceramic pot that it’s in holds moisture longer. I was nervous at first that the pot would negatively impact the BOP, but it’s a matter of monitoring and balance. A few pesky fungus gnats showed up and it was most likely due to me initially watering the plant on a weekly schedule vs. checking the moisture to ensure that it truly needed a drink.
Most of my plants are still potted in their nursery pots, which is helpful for many reasons.
1.) Usually nurseries or plant shops recommend not repotting right away to not shock the plant with both the climate change and soil change. It would have to acclimate to both simultaneously;
2.) Many plants prefer to be root bound before moving it into a bigger pot (rule of thumb: when re-potting a plant move it into a pot that’s at least 2″ greater than its current).
3.) There is generally less worry with the plastic nursery pots of over watering.
4.) Lastly, you can transfer a plant in it’s nursery pot into a decorative pot. You can change the decorative pot as often as you’d like, as a result!
Preferred Pot Material
I must admit, I’ve never been into terracotta as much as I’ve been now and after learning of the benefits. I always found these pots to be boring and not as fun as its cousin the ceramic pot. Ceramic pots come in different colors and designs to accommodate every plant parents’ style.
But, since pot’s style is not everything when it comes to preserving the life of the plant, it’s important to choose wisely which pot is more suitable for which plant.
Favorite Plant Pot Shops
Okay, now that we know that we cannot chose a pot without consideration of the plant that will sit in it, let’s chat about where to find the most stylish ceramic and dare I say terracotta pots?!
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has obviously been a challenge to buy anything in person and finding the right pot (at least online) has not been an easy task, well for me a least. Like my home decor and furniture, I can be picky, and with pots, its been no different for me.
Let’s start with ceramic pot options!
I’ve purchased these pots from Potey via Amazon, they have a site as well.
Potey
Source: AmazonSource: Amazon; these came two in the package,
Voeveca is another brand I’ve purchased from Amazon as well. I transplanted my 4″ Monstera Deliciosa in the smaller pot which is a 5.5″ planter. They have many nice styles of pots, which I’ll be checking them out again in the future.
Source: Amazon; these come two in the package, score!
This next beauty is from Home Depot and my BoP is planted in this pot. I love this one, it makes such a statement and not that my BoP needed a statement because she is fabulous on her own!
Source: Home DepotMy Bird of Paradise which I transplanted in the pot mentioned above. The pot is sitting on a plant stand, I purchased this one from Amazon. In this picture, you can also see to the far left is my Rubber Plant Tineke, next: my mini Fiddle Leaf Fig; on the opposite side to the bottom right is my Chinese Evergreen and right above is my Monstera Deliciosa (I transplanted that one in the last pot picture from my Amazon purchases).
Lowe’s has a nice selection of pots as well especially under the Allen + Roth brand, which may be its exclusive brand. I could be wrong, so let me know in the comments below.
I definitely want to check out Home Good, Home Sense, and TJ Maxx in the future for pots as I’ve seen Plant YouTubers score some nice finds at these stores.
Okay, now that we got Ceramic pots out of the way, let’s chat about where I’ve purchased Terracotta pots!
Believe it or now, Terracotta pots have been a challenge to find online, for me at least. So when I find one, I know it’s my luck day!
Terracotta pots are definitely more reasonably priced than ceramic pots. You can find them for as little as under $1 USD at a store like Home Depot depending on size, pattern, and color/finish, of course.
On the other hand, ceramic pots are pricier and you can find these for under $10 USD, again depending on size, pattern, and store as well.
Overall, before you make your planter pot purchase, take into consideration the plant and where it would thrive in the most. Ceramic or terracotta?
Your turn! Share where you enjoy purchasing your pots and are you team ceramic or terracotta?
I am so excited to share my newest plants with you! I received these beauties from The Plant Chica shop over at Etsy today. If you’ve read my other recent posts, you may have a feeling that I love The Plant Chica’s plant selections. Their plants arrive with such care, great packaging, and in great health. For reference on how obsessed I am with their plants, I’ve purchased 5 in total within the last month (Chinese Evergreen, Queen Marble Pothos, Ficus Tineke, and these two which I’ll introduce momentarily). Send help!
I was so eager to get them and here they are, now a part of my growing plant collection…
Most commonly known as Alocasia, Elephant Ear, and African Mask (possibly more names but these are the most popular ones). According to, The Spruce , this plant is tropical (native to Asia and parts of Australia). I have to admit that I did NO research whatsoever on this plant prior to purchasing which is unlike me as I usually do some.
Now, that it’s home, I am doing a crash course to find out this plant’s needs, just like my next introduction, this too is considered finicky (“hint, hint”). Additionally, Alocasia requires bright but not direct lighting, evenly moist soil but not drought tolerant. The leaves can easily fall if you don’t meet any or many of its needs. This plant is highly toxic to humans and pets. I was watching the Alocasia Polly video from Good Growing , she mentions this plant loving high humidity and suggests placing this plant near a North or East facing window. I may place mine near a North facing window since it’ll be close to my Watermelon Peperomia and Majesty Palm, both which I mist daily. I hear misting is not effective, but I somehow believe I am doing more good than harm, so why not?! She also suggests sitting the pot on a pebble tray with some water for added humidity if misting is not your thing or if you don’t own a humidifier. I’ve heard these tricks before for other tropical plants that prefer high humid environments. You know like in the tropical rain forest. Any way, Alocasia sounds like a bad and boujee plant if you ask me, so wish me luck!
Up next is…
You guessed it and you probably saw the first picture too!
I decided to give this mini Fiddle Leaf Fig, as it is commonly known, a try before jumping into buying a bigger one. I hear they can be finicky, so happy to welcome the challenge and praying this little guy grows happily in its new home!
Contrary to the Alocasia, I’ve done a lot of research on this plant prior to purchasing. These plants do well on a consistent water schedule, prefer evenly moist but not soggy soil, and bright indirect light. I am thinking of placing mine on the side of a south facing window where it will get that bright light it desires without getting hit with the sun’s rays directly.
And, nope, I am not a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree expert!
Stay tuned for my next post which will be a part 2 mini plant haul from another plant shop via Etsy. It’s my first time ordering from this shop, so I am excited to welcome my newest babies home!
In the meantime, I need to purchase some cute pots for these. So excited for that as well!
Thanks for swinging by. This post is all about dropping some tea! Not that kind of tea, because no drama over here! But let me spill the plant tea on some of my FAVORITE plant stores that I’ve enjoyed shopping at.
The silver lining of 2020 has been the opportunity to (re)ignite my passion for plants and nature. This is due, in part, because I miss traveling so very much *ugly cries*. I would travel at least once a year somewhere fun and exciting. I’d daydream about the place from the moment we’d book our trip up until boarding at the airport. Welp! That’s been replaced with plants, because they make you feel all sorts of great vibes and helps you relive happy memories.
I want to spill the plan(tea) of places and sites I’ve purchased my plants from and had great experiences. Buying plants online can be both nerve wracking and exciting, but there is a thrill when the UPS carrier rings your front door bell with your new plant in hand!
Etsy shop(s):
1. The Plant Chica– this shop is awesome! I’ve ordered and received 3 plants from them. My first plant arrived carefully packaged, healthy, beautiful and thriving. The other two arrived on Friday, June 19th and I love them – love at first (plant) sight!
My first purchase was an Aglaonema ‘Valentine’ or Chinese Evergreen. Already, this plant is shooting out new growth. For reference, I received it on June 6th.
I easily get distracted staring these Pink and Green leaves! So fun and it’s already producing new growth – I’ve had it for two weeks so far. Prayers though, I re-potted it today since the roots were sticking out at the bottom.
My last two and most recent purchases are jaw droppers. Queen Marble Pothos has stepped into my plant life and so has the Rubber Plant Tineke. Such beauties! See for yourself…
The Queen herself (no, not Queen Bey, hey!), this Pothos screams elegant classic vibes (luxury home decor, anyone?) . Just look at her variegated leaves… The two on left are both Ficus Rubber Plants. The lighter version (Ficus Tineke) is the one I purchased from this shop and the darker one (Ficus Burgundy), I purchased from a local florist shop. How gorgeous?! I recently ordered the Ficus Ruby and a mini Ficus Fiddle Leaf Tree as well to complete the family, can you tell I am obsessed?!
Oh, and there to the lower right is my Queen Marble Pothos trying to steal the show! A true queen.
2. QueenofSucculents – absolutely love my succulents and I cannot stop staring at my String of Pearls. I recommend this shop for it’s fast shipping and healthy plants.
These came in individual nursery pots before I moved them together into this terracotta. I’ll admit, I haven’t had much luck with succulents, despite, how ‘easy’ they are. Nonetheless, I am determined to try again and until I succeed.Girls just want to have pearls! Strings of pearls, that is :). I cannot wait for this baby to continue to grow and drape! It’s been growing quickly and producing new pearls since I received it on June 6th. For reference, I have it placed on a south facing window during the day.
Quick backstory – Amanda’s, one of the owners of Planterina. Her Youtube videos were one of the first videos I came across for house plant care tips. She inspired me to have the courage to grow my plant family.
My first purchase from them was my beautiful and growing Monstera Deliciosa! This plant was also a wish list plant and I have no regrets – but who does when getting a new plant?!
She sits on my desk, because why not?! I’ve had her for over 2 weeks and she is already putting out new growth! Another beauty…
Love this shop for its care of the plants and the added cacti soil was definitely a nice touch!
I ordered two small succulents and this String of Hearts (all three came with their own terracotta pot) because it was another wish list plant and it was hard to come by. When I saw it on their site, I had to get my hands on it (sadly, it’s sold out when I checked today).
I cannot wait for this one to drape like a curtain. Grow, baby, grow!
Love the shape, the colors, the variegation, and the fact that it vines!
Two of my favorite bigger plants are from this ‘big box’ store and along with my snake plant. I’ve had really good experiences ordering from its online store.
White Bird of Paradise from Costa Farms via HD is my absolute favorite. This plant always takes me back to warm tropical weather and sandy turquoise blue waters.The Majesty Palm (from United Nursery via HD) always reminds me of the Caribbean. To the very left of the image are the leaves of my Ficus Burgundy and next to it, is my Watermelon Peperomia taking in the light from a grow lamp.
That wraps up my fave online and brick and mortar plant stores! If you have recommendations on where to find some nice and healthy plants at affordable prices, spill the plan(tea) in the comment section.
It’s like a switch went off one day approximately 6 weeks ago where I went full throttle into this thing called Plant Parenthood!
Whoa, who am I?!
Well, my name is Sheyla and I am a plant enthusiast. I love house plants, I am curious to know everything about them, I enjoy them in my home and I love decorating with them. I am excited to continue to learn more from the plant community – thanks Google and YouTube!
It all began sometime in April 2020 – actually, it began in the summer of 2019 to be exact.
I neglected my very first grand palm tree and glorious Dracaena Marginata that my husband and I found at Lowe’s. Both plants, though beautiful and seemingly healthy – little did I know about plant health then, but hey, I am still learning and praying to the plant gods to spare me (mealy bugs, YUCK!). Ok, I digress, well, my plants got infected with Fungus Gnats (double, YUCK!!) and I couldn’t fathom why and where they came from. Foolishly then, I gave up on them and decided that the dracaena and palm looked better on my bedroom balcony and backyard patio, respectively. These plants truly did. They both made my outdoor space feel like an oasis (yup, still daydreaming of a real oasis off of ZZYZX Road in California – if you haven’t been, check it out!).
Actual image of the oasis off of ZZYZX Rd – so dreamy!
Overall, they made me happy, and sadly, I NEVER looked after them, not even an ounce of TLC up until their demise (yes, I personify my plants – gives them character, I guess) when the temps here in the Northeast dropped below what they were meant to handle (and honestly, what I can handle).
My very first (neglected) palm tree from summer 2019.
Prior to this year, I had two ‘low maintenance’ plants and as of June 2020, I have 18 plants and 5 on the way. I love my plants, they don’t cease to inspire and amaze me.
Anyway, let’s fast forward to a year later, here I am, more determined than ever to take plants under my care and hope they thrive, prosper, and grow in their new home.
Now, have a seat on my patio comfy wicker chair, kick your feet up, relax, be in the moment as you drink some lemon and mint infused water (or wine!), and join me as we talk plants, inspire one another, and continue this amazing journey into plant parenthood!
