 You may have realized that plants are living things. Yup, just like people and animals and bugs, plants start out as babies and grow into adults. They reproduce. They can get diseases. They grow old and die. This is true of plants you see as you walk down the street, plants you buy at the garden store, and plants you grow from seeds.
I told you this would be easy.
Why is this important? Well, if you can imagine yourself as your plant, you will begin to improve your chances for keeping it alive.
Let's say you went to the store and bought a plant that you think will look nice in your house. It's a cute green thing with a flower of some sort. What should you do? From the time you decide to purchase it, start thinking of it as another living thing. To make it easy, think of it as a new friend, or a pet.
One thing you could try would be to say hello to it and welcome it into your home. Plants appreciate attention just like any other living thing.
The second thing you could do is to try to think like a plant. Imagine for a moment that you are the little green thing with a flower of some sort. What would you like?
We'll get into the advanced scientific terms dirt, water, and sun later on. For now, we are concerned with even more basic things, like companionship. The little plant might be a bit lonely, or scared, after the rather traumatic ride home. If you have other plants, try placing the new guy near the older ones for some company.You are allowed to touch it and pet its leaves if you want.
If this is your first plant, don't despair. Talk to it and reassure it that things will be fine and that he'll enjoy the new home once he settles in. Maybe he'd like a drink? It has been a long day. A bit of water might relax him.
Most store bought plants have little tags that tell you what the plant is, and usually give a few tips for growing them. Take a moment and read the tag on your plant. Does it like bright sun all day long? Move it into the sunniest spot you can find. Does it like shade? Find a shady spot for it.
This is pretty basic stuff, but many people are under the mistaken impression that plants will grow anywhere. Not true. Think about the people you know. Some prefer a cool walk in the woods, others love going to a hot beach. Plants have their preferences, too, and it is up to you to find out about your new friend and make things right.
A final note: recent science has shown that the DNA of humans isn't terriblly different from that of the mustard plant. Deep inside us, at our evolutionary core, we share some basic building blocks with plants. Take a good look at yourself, imagine you are the plant, and ask yourself what you need. The answers become obvious.
On to Lesson 2: Water!
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