The Plant Room
Hello everyone! I hope July has started out great for everyone. If you read my post last week, you’ll know that I’m still processing my best friend’s death. It’s been a rough grieving process, but thanks to my friends, family, and a lot of plant therapy, I’m making it work.
Damian loved nature and plants almost as much as my father does. If you know my dad, you know his garden. Ever since I was little, and probably before that, he’s been gardening and growing his plant collection. His house looks like a jungle inside and out and I love it. So did Damian!
I’ve been wanting to honor my best friend’s life in some way, and one night it hit me: I had to turn his old bedroom into the Plant Room!!
I inherited my father’s green thumb and started collecting indoor plants when I was in my early 20s. I have over 35 plants now, and I want more and more! I know that Damian wanted to grow lots of different plants, like Venus fly traps and morning glories, so I decided that not only am I going to make his old bedroom the indoor garden it should be, but I’m going to attempt to grow the plants he loves within the currently empty room. That way, a part of him will still be in the room (and the house) with us.
There’s a lot I want to do that I’ve never attempted. I want to paint the walls back to basic white (mostly because I don’t think we’re allowed to paint them any other color…renter’s life) and refinish an old dresser drawer, among other things. Coincidentally, the dresser drawer Damian was using was my Papa’s before he died. I knew Damian would make use of it and take care of it, so I let him have it. Giving it new life by sanding it down and refinishing it seems like the best course of action.
Matt’s been very good at keeping me motivated to do all the research, and he’s offered to help me, of course. I’ve never painted a wall or refinished a wooden furniture piece, so all of this is brand new. I know exactly what I want the room to look like, I just need to make it happen!
“But Mary,” you might say. “Why are you telling us this?” The answer is simple: I am notorious for starting something and never finishing it. It’s a miracle I’ve kept this blog going for so long! Even though I’m taking a break from my novel (so my sadness doesn’t affect the narrative), I plan on finishing that as well. Other than that, my life is but a graveyard of unfinished projects. Loose bundles of synthetic hair from beauty YouTuber tutorials I never followed. Painting supplies from my painting kick. Yarn from when I used to knit, way back in 2016. There’s a lot of supplies laying around my house from projects I’ll never go back to.
I don’t want the Plant Room to go unfinished. Not only is it a good excuse to buy more plants, but I feel like it’s a way to feel closer to my friend now that he’s gone. I want the room to be a sanctuary, a place where anyone can go to relax and maybe read a book, meditate, or just sit in silence.
I also want to hold myself accountable and make sure that I don’t forget about my goal! So, from now on, every second Monday is going to be dedicated to the Plant Room on here! Whether it’s showing progress updates, going into detail about the plants I’m including, or simply just sharing ideas on what I want the room to become as I make my idea a reality. Giving updates on the Plant Room will hopefully be entertaining for you all to read! It will definitely help me keep on myself to get it done, that’s for sure.
So, if you want to see me make this happen, be sure to watch out for updates not only on here, but on Twitter as well. All blog updates are tweeted out for your convenience (unless I get really into some memes that day). If you’d like to support the self-publishing of my novel when it’s nice and perfect (or you just like what you read), consider leaving a tip on ko-fi as well.
Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time! Hopefully next Plant Room update I’ll be able to show you what I’ve been planning!
