My Modular Garden

Season One

My modular garden started about five years ago, with mostly indoor plants in a west-facing apartment in Seattle. In the beginning, many of my plants died, mostly from lack of water, sunlight, and care. I was so focused on school that my plants got neglected and it was heartbreaking to throw them away.

In time, I learned to pay attention to the wellness of the plants and take responsibility for their quality of life. Looking at the leaves can tell a lot about their needs and conditions. Leaves that turn yellow or brown can signify an imbalance in water, sunlight, drainage, or fertilizer.

Many videos share tips and techniques for a healthy garden such as singing, positive words, and human touch. There’s a great book called The Secret Life of Plants that’s about the energetic connection humans can have with plants, even miles away. I’ve even had dreams of watering my plants and when I awoke, sure enough, they needed water.

I’ve also experimented with different ways that my plants can thrive by altering their soil, light, and water to understand how each factor impacts their growth. I’ve tried setting them under different colored grow lights and found that a full spectrum light source such as the sun, gives them a more robust foliage.

Once, I took an airplant for a walk in the rain and later realized that they don’t need that much water. I could tell that they got too much because later they turned a lighter shade of green. A thorough soak and laying them down to dry is all they really need.

I did some experimenting with different types of pots too. From a designer's perspective, I wanted to see what would happen if I showed the beauty of the entire living plant by potting them in glass jars. I soon found out that there is a reason for roots to be in permeable pots like clay or terracotta because the moisture of the soil needs to be rich enough to drink and porous enough to breathe. Roots need specific conditions to grow, if the soil or roots are exposed to light, they can dry out and the nutrients can evaporate.

Once I had a small succulent in the cup holder of my car and it lived there pretty well but I forgot it during a snowstorm and in those temperatures, the plant did not survive.

Snails as pets also have their own modular garden. Their ecosystem is like a cube of earth, requiring low light, medium moisture, and high nutrients. I’ve had pet snails since 2018 and have figured out the specific layers to keep their habitat flourishing.

In a glass tank with a screen top, the first step is a layer of rocks to help with evaporation, then a layer of activated carbon for detoxification, a layer of chemical-free organic soil, and then short plants that can live in dark environments that are also non-toxic for snails. Under the right conditions, a mushroom grows in their habitat and they eat it soon after it sprouts.

I’ve always admired those who can tend to a garden and let living things become their most beautiful and lovely selves. A psychic once told me that I have a green thumb and I took that as a compliment because it took years of trial and error and experimenting. If a psychic could tell that I have a green thumb, then taking care of plants must be an energetic quality.

Season Two

When I moved to Los Angeles, I learned that outdoor plants in southern California can be very resilient. These plants are comfortable in high heat and have a system of retaining water for long periods of time. They have a larger margin of error and a high tolerance for neglect. There have been times when I was unable to attend to my garden and they grew brilliantly on their own.

At this south-facing house I was staying at, the garden was a hodgepodge of leftover plants from different family friends. I took it upon myself to inherit this garden and make it my own, fit enough to meditate in.

Here are some before and afters:

One of my favorite transformations is this fern that grew over one year. I took out the dead parts that were clogging the pot, checked the soil daily, and noted that this plant needs water more often.

Season Three

I moved to a south-facing nook in Los Angeles and reformated my modular garden to a petite oasis. My plants can be a reminder to help motivate me to declutter, clean, and reevaluate the use of space.

My goal for this season is to grow plants that repel mosquitos. I read that they don’t like the smell of more hearty herbs like lavender, rosemary, and mint so I’ll try my best to cultivate a garden that smells good and is safe to enjoy year-round.

If you’re new to gardening, a good place to start is simply holding a leaf in your hand. Spending time paying attention to how it’s doing, what it might need, and meditating with its energy, peace, and vitality can help form a strong bond between you and your plants and help both parties grow, thrive, and blossom.

March 1st, 2024