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Madeline and I love the little coffee shop on Prince and Bowery. It’s more than coffee, it’s a flower and plant shop that opened last fall in Nolita called Plantshed. Come to find out they are a family owned business that has been around since 1981. Their main shop is on the upper west side on West 96th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam. As soon as you turn the corner onto 96th Street, you know exactly where you are going. Beautiful flowering plants spill out onto the sidewalk and it’s the only place I know where you can find a geranium in bloom, in several colors I might add, in April. They have all the usual spring plants too, but geraniums, in early April?  The shop is 10,000 square feet of plants, cacti, succulents, pots in every size, shape and color, plant food, fresh flowers and all the supplies you would need to care for your plants. We took the elevator to the rooftop greenhouse just to look around. So many gorgeous plants, it just made me want to get to work. Maybe I should apply for a job…kidding, sort of…
The Plant Shed Coffee Shop at the corner of Prince & Bowery in the heart of Nolita
Plant Shed on the Upper Westside
Plant Shed Coffee Shop “love me” wall at 555 Columbus Avenue at 87th Street
I’ve been adding plants almost weekly since moving into our new (old) house. There are so many health benefits to having plants.
In addition to the studies that show the benefits plants provide, it’s also the caring for them that I enjoy. I love watering, pruning and caring for them, especially knowing how much they are giving back. This article explains more about the benefits of plants.
When we were moving last summer, my friend volunteered her mom to care for my plants for the time we were between homes. My friend said just drop them at my mom’s cottage and she’ll take care of them. Turns out, they loved spending the summer at Christine’s. Plants love humidity and August on a shaded patio in Connecticut is just what they needed. By the time I picked them up (she warned me before the first frost) in late October, they were bigger and healthier than ever. Last week I asked Christine her secrets to healthy plants. She was very matter of fact and insists it’s just water, light and in the summer they would rather be outdoors.  In compiling the information below, the one common thread I found…plants prefer the outdoors. But they can adapt with a few simple steps.
I’ve compiled some tips on plant care and have found them to be true for our plants.
Monstera – This plant needs a lot of space and a healthy balance of sun and shade. If it gets too much direct sunlight, the leaves will turn yellow. Water your Monstera moderately and evenly waiting until the soil is pretty dry before watering again.
Philodendron – There are almost 500 species of this easy to care for houseplant. Philodendrons can be vines or non-climbers.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree – These are still very popular plants. Do not over water and make sure it does not sit in water. They like humidity, so move it outside in the summer, but in a shaded area.
Maiden Hair Fern – The most finicky plant of all, but at least they last longer than fresh flowers. They prefer to be misted daily, and the soil must be kept moist. Never let the soil dry out.
Citrus Trees – While they would prefer to be outdoors (depending where you live), they do very well in direct sunlight. They need plenty of water and sunlight…cannot stress that enough.
Succulents – There are many kinds of succulents, but typically, the greener the leaf, the better they will do indoors. The blue/gray ones have less of a chance to survive. Don’t over water them.
Prayer Plant – These plants like indirect light and well drained soil. They have shallow roots so it’s better to use a more shallow container.
Mother in Law’s Tongue – It’s almost impossible to kill this plant. Do not over water it since it’s a succulent and they store water in their leaves.
Some of my favorite plant accessories
Posted In: House Stuff, Living, New York City 1 Comment
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Mary Ann Pickett says
April 14, 2019 at 1:28 pm
Such a helpful post!! You mention humidity for fiddle leaf trees…and perhaps the fog is what mine likes so much and the exposure from the big windows. Off to do my Sunday watering!