Plants With A Punch

By Jenna Isaacson Pfueller

I try to be a plant mom, I really do. I want to be a plant mom. I’m just not very great at it.

I’m fully aware that plants wince when they enter my home and see they’re replacing a neglected, shriveled stump of a plant that also replaced one previous to it. I download apps to try and keep reminders to water, or water too much, or they’re too close to a window or too far. Once a family member commented that one of my plants was “sunburned” because I’d been trying to perk it up by putting it on the porch for the last few days. It was a shady plant and apparently, I was overdoing it.

So here I am, trying to take on succulents instead. Yes, a few cacti should suffice, maybe a string of pearls or some air plants. They’re hard to kill– they say.

In effort to keep myself interested in the well-being of these tiny bits of prickly paradise, I figured I might pay attention more if they were planted in unusual little pots. Not things that you expect a plant to be in, things that I can find around the house already.

So here were my top few strange succulent pot picks.

MUGS! Who DOESN’T have too many mugs. They’re easily one of the household items I could stand to cull each winter, but they sometimes hold sentimental value. Or are slightly too inappropriate for a Zoom call coffee sip in front of the boss. Why not make them a cozy new home for a cactus?

Credit: @shessothorny

Next up–shoes. Who *doesn’t* have too many? And if you’re like me, and your dog seems to make quick work on your favorite pair, perhaps it’s one way to save at least a little bit of the love I had for them.

This seems to be a really big thing, especially in the UK.

Credit: @Claretandwhite

And lastly, good old macramé! Got some string? Got some rope? Got a wooden dowel rod– or even a stick? You can macramé!

I made this fun little air plant holder with a friend and it hangs over my kitchen sink. Which is also a great place to be, since I have to look at it multiple times a day and it stands a better chance of getting watered that way.

The best part of all of these is that they’re all earth-friendly, easy to do, and easy to find at Goodwill! Every purchase you make at Goodwill keeps the earth a little greener, and helps your neighbors find stability through jobs programs.

They say gardening is good for the soul, and so is shopping at Goodwill!