Some of us remember growing up with houseplants at home, some of us don't - for those of us who do we might reminisce about our grandma's (or grandpa's) windowsill, brimming with a handful of plants that had been nurtured for decades in some cases, these often specimen sized plants are a testament to the care they received. Another great place to view specimen size plants - those plants that have matured and grown to their fullest potential in a domesticated setting is at a local conservatory.
But what does that mean for you? Maybe you just received a 4 inch potted plant that doesn't seem anywhere near as brag worthy as some of those massive plants you see on plant influencers tiktoks, or in the blog posts you spent hours combing over before you picked "the one" (or "the horde", cuz let's be honest, a lot of us plant enthusiast's prefer the more is better approach to the hobby, there's still space under that grow light!).
What it means is these are all great sources of inspiration and potential information - don't forget to call grandma and ask her just how she got that spider plant to look like a jungle all by it's lonesome! Got a care question or concerns about your little green friends? Don't hesitate to google, youtube, or planttok your heart out, but please remember - some of the best advice you can receive may come from experienced growers in your family, community, and greater area - they grow in houses that often experience the same conditions and shifts in environment between the seasons as you do, what works in California or florida, might not work in Alaska, Texas, or New York.
Heck, I wish I could put my Orchids outside year round, but with -20° weather sporadically between October to April and upwards of 6" of snow on the ground it's just not possible - But what is possible is asking how members of my community deal with balancing the needs of their plants with the environment we have.
Many tropical plants aren't entirely suited to home growing without considering their needs in terms of differences in environments - a warm humid rainforest is a far cry from the dry heat our furnaces crank out during colder winter months, so a lot of our plants that may have been happy in the late spring through fall indoors or out might have an issue when faced with an environment that makes us comfortable inside to combat the environment outside.
That's where the community becomes important, I know from asking other enthusiasts in my neighborhood that humidity trays and humidifiers are necessary in our area to keep our plants happy throughout winter, I know that our natural lighting changes dramatically because of how far north we are between summer and winter, so I know my plants may need supplemental lighting.
So, I guess what I am saying is don't be afraid to look outside of these mainstream sources of plant culture to help you along with your plant journey, reach out to a local plant or orchid society, ask your neighbors who garden for tips, and if all else fails, call a grandparent (doesn't have to be your own), They've got a few decades of experience tucked away.
