In the corner of my apartment bedroom sits a guest that rises 5 feet from the ground, with strong, dark brown arms. He maintains a well-kept look with his forest green leaves that run all the way down to the white, blocky pot keeping him standing. Fortunately for his placement near a window, the tips of his limbs are able to soak up the sun rays shining on him without failure. Because of his placement in my room, we are able to synchronize our breathes in a way where he breathes in whenever I breathe out. He doesn’t ask for much; just a couple glasses of water every few weeks and to keep his perfect corner position in the apartment. When I offer him too much water or forget to offer water entirely, he turns a bit yellow. His limbs drop down as if he has gone through an entire day of hard work or an entire day without any attention. When this happens, refreshments are needed in the form of room temperature water with a side of Miracle-Gro.
Photo credit: Unattributed (CC0 1.0).
The guest in the corner of my bedroom feeds to the aesthetics of my entire apartment. His large green leaves serve as an accent decoration amidst my plain, white furniture. When other guests arrive, he is the first thing they notice. He greets them by glistening in the sunlight and reflecting the rays off of his leaves. The source of the positive ambience radiating throughout my apartment sits in the corner of my bedroom. His lively presence increases the flow of energy in the small space of my room and amplifies a complete sense of well-being. His leaves embody the feelings of comfort and bliss.
My apartment’s first guest was a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, Ficus lyrata. This specific plant purchase was prompted by my sudden feeling of summer loneliness, my aspiration to develop a green thumb, and my newfound knowledge of plant therapy. As friends flew home once spring classes ended, my fig tree flew in instead. The strength of the Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree aligned perfectly with my history of plant deaths, requiring only minimal care and attention. Besides it being one of the hardier indoor plants to care for, the corner spot of my apartment is ideal for any plant requiring a steady amount of sunlight. The plant was also able to offer its beauty as well as its many health benefits. After hearing about its popularity in the interior design realm, this bulky indoor plant serves as a statement piece in my room.
Loving plants is a predisposed trait for all humans and the presence of the fig tree helped reduce my levels of stress and anxiety with the added bonus of purifying the air in the room. The addition of my guest in the corner of my apartment bedroom increased the productivity I longed for in my classes as well as it kept me company over the summer. Not only does the presence of my apartment’s first plant freshen up the space and create an overall calming atmosphere, but it was also able to help me call my apartment my home.
Author: Taylor Nguyen is currently a second-year studying Nutritional Sciences at UC Berkeley. In her free time, she likes to do online clothing shopping as well as online plant shopping. She uses Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr as an inspiration for decorating her bedroom/apartment with plants.
For other (edible) fig stories at Herbaria 3.0, visit here and here.
As I sit and watch my indoor plants enjoying the early morning sun I can truly relate to Taylor’s wonderful witty story. As the weather warms some of my plants will be moving outside. Loved the tale