Plants in a 330 Square Foot Apartment
It’s been about two years since I moved into my apartment in Toronto. I remember when I signed my lease, I was apprehensive about the space. It was an October evening, and it was cold, crisp, and dark outside. I pulled up to the house, and I saw about ten people standing on the front porch of this converted house. I had no idea what I was getting into but quickly figured out all these people were here to see the apartment. The viewings went something like this. Three at a time and less than 5 minutes to see the space. Five minutes is plenty for a 330 square foot place but for me not enough time to fully decided is this could this be my next home? I put my hand in regardless, even though the apartment needed lots of work, the price was right and it had outdoor space! With my prepared applicant folder, you know, all the bits, letter, reference, credit score, and even personalized letter showing some of the other spaces I’ve lived, I leaped and let the universe do its thing! Fast forward two years, here I am in this lush indoor garden, grateful to have found my space; now realizing how competitive it is to get an apartment here in Toronto.
My plant journey started about a year before I moved to this new apartment. A good friend introduced me to the plant basics, and in typical fashion, it went from one plant to 50+. My plants bask in floor-to-ceiling East facing windows with glorious unobstructed morning sun. My plants flourished and have taken off ever since.
Here is the skinny, I am not a plant expert. Despite many persons coming to me for help, I am just a regular person who has an interest in plants? I have learned to listen to what they need and always go back to basics: sun, water, earth. I ask my self these questions:
Do they have enough sun?
How much water do they need?
What’s the quality of the earth?
Perhaps I am oversimplifying it, but like many things, including my practice as an acupuncturist, I like to bring it back to basics, always.
My collection has grown from tiny plants to now large and lush plants. I never thought I’d have such large plants in my space, but it’s working. So even if you live in a tiny space, it is just about proportions. Having a mixture of large and small will always help make the space feel full but not cramped!
The collection is always growing. I have learned so much about myself through the process of caring for plants. I have also made so many parallels between human health and plants. I cannot wait to start sharing more of this with y’all. This is the first of many posts.
The plant progression from 2018 to 2020 (left to right).