By: Katelyn Norris
BU students have been stuck inside their homes and dorms for months thanks to Covid-19, but a few students have found a way to bring a little greenery to their dull spaces.
Plant parenthood is becoming a wild trend, and Bellarmine students are not immune. Senior Sierra Petrey said she has 18 plants in her dorm, which is reserved compared to the 27 plants she brought it campus last semester. Petrey says she considers herself a plant parent and her “children” bring her and others joy.
“They give me purpose and you have to move them to another pot if they outgrow the other one and you have to keep up with their growth,” Petrey said. “I have my plants near the window and people will always tell me how it makes their day to see all my plants when they walk by.”
Petrey said she is glad she has her plants to give her purpose when she gets up in the morning, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Senior Tiffany Melgar said she has had the same experience during lockdown.
Melgar said her plants have made her feel “warm and cozy” in her dorm during this difficult time. She said her plants have given her a sense of satisfaction when she sees they have grown.
“During Covid we’re gonna be in there [dorms] most days. The plants just feel at home for me,” Melgar said.
She said her love of plants started a few years ago with artificial plants and now she has 10 live plants growing in her dorm, with one of her larger plants at home.
“I just know that I love plants like it all started with fake plants. I started to get real plants because my mom said it’s bad luck in some part of the Asian culture [to have artificial plants],” Melgar said. “Then I started to look into how to take care of plants and here we are.”
Senior Jordan Stacy has had the opposite experience when it comes to being a plant parent. He said he doesn’t even consider himself one. Stacy said he is a plant novice, and he doesn’t have a green thumb.
“Over the past few plants, I tried to be a plant parent. That did not end well, but it did not discourage me,” Stacy said. “I have two plants right now, so we will see how this goes. I think they are surviving.”
Stacy said he is a utilitarian plant owner and enjoys plants that have a purpose. He said he has an aloe plant and mint plant, which he uses frequently.
These students all have one recommendation for future BU plant parents: research. Petrey said despite her self-declared title of plant parent, she is still learning how to take care of her plants.
“I have eight different kinds of plants, so I need to know what kind of light they need and what kind of soil I need. Or when I need to water them or if I need to wipe off their leaves,” Petrey said. “I think it comes from a lot of self-education. When I get a new plant, if I know what it is, then I always look it up to see what they need from me.”
Stacy said learning about plants is making him a better plant owner. He said he has experience underwatering and overwatering his plants.
“I think my problem is that I thought of all plants as the same, so I had the same amount water and soil, but I was very wrong,” Stacy said. “I have since learned the difference between the different sunlights and water. It took me a while, but I got there.”
Petrey said learning and educating oneself about the plant before making a plant purchase is great way to ensure plant parent success. However, she emphasized knowing the limits when it comes to owning certain plants.
“Some plants just have so many needs that I could not meet. Some need distilled water, or they need lots of humidity,” Petrey said. “When I first started owning plants, I couldn’t meet those needs, but I can meet some of them.”
Melgar said she owns plants because she loves the way they make her room feel. During a time of online classes, Meglar said this was a blessing. She suggested other students do the same.
“The air in your room just feels cleaner so just like whenever I’m in my dorm it’s just like it’s just always like a breath of fresh air,” Melgar said. “It’s just like it’s a good feeling to have in your space.”
Petrey said her plants have been great for her mental health. She said caring for her plants makes her day and she loves the life she is able to give them. She said one of her favorite aspects of owning a plant is the joy it can bring to her and others.
“I am a giver by nature. Plants have made giving a lot easier and I have given cuttings of some plants to someone as a gift,” Petrey said. “I am like ‘here let me give my love of life to you.’”