Are you a rookie when it comes to plants? Do you doubt you have a green thumb, but do you like plants in your home? Do yours keep dying? Do they get brown leaves? Or do you doubt you're watering too much or too little? In the beautiful City of Cahen, in the middle of the historic city center of Amersfoort, you can follow crazy plant workshops. For everyone who has green ambitions. With and without green fingers.
Plants for your health
Plants are healthy for people. They purify the air and seeing greenery is relaxing. Therefore, according to a recent study, placing more houseplants in your home is a good way to improve the air. For example, the houseplants peace lily, dragon tree and zamioculcas, remove many toxins from the air. How plants do this, researchers do not yet know. In any case, it is a good reason to green your living room. You can learn how to do that at the Pucks Plants workshops given by Yvette Smit. I attended her indoor plant care workshop.
A green oasis
Upon entering the City of Cahen, I can already tell from the stairwell that I am in the right place. The entrance to the workshop space is a lush green oasis. Plants and cuttings hang and stand everywhere. There is a lot of love for plants here. Yvette, plant doctor and dedicated plant mother of over 100 plants, welcomes me warmly.
My petulant dramathea
Although I dare to call myself a good plant mom, sometimes plants die on me too. Or those unsightly brown edges appear on the leaves. Fortunately, Yvette knows an awful lot of plants by name. Give her a brief description and she immediately pulls a few practical facts out of her sleeve. That's how I find out about the pathetic plant - which I renamed "that crybaby. Or as Yvette calls her: a dramathea! What a relief, so that diva behavior is not just down to me. The calathea is not an easy plant, Yvette knows. You really have to know what to look out for. In no time I am provided with tips and tricks to make my Drama Queen happy again.
This is how you get happy plants
During the workshop you can ask all your plant questions. With and without pictures for clarification. After some explanation about plant species, watering, nutrition and the importance of choosing the right spot in the house, we get to work. As we repot a plant of our choice, Yvette explains all about soil types, nutritious additives and which plant likes what. I learn that things could be better at my house. Because I put every plant - so hop - in the same potting soil. So Yvette's plants must be the happiest on earth, with all the love, attention and knowledge they benefit from. I resolve to pamper mine more often, too.
Cuttings and drowning
Although this workshop is not about cuttings, which is another one, Yvette does show a few ways of taking cuttings. It varies per plant what works. Handy to know, because I find taking cuttings a great way to expand my plant family. Or to give as a gift. For example, I have had a pancake plant for years, of which almost everyone in my family has a cutting. A handy tip I got from Yvette - and give you away ahead of time - is a water meter. Most people water too much. Since I've drowned a plant before, I purchase a water meter on the spot. And indeed. When I measure the humidity of the soil when I get home, a few plants turn out to have pretty wet feet. Oops! So you can also unintentionally want to give plants too much love.
With a practical workbook and mountains of tips, this well-meaning plant mom will surely fare better in the future. I solemnly promise to take care of my plant children with even more love, attention and knowledge.
Do you also want to learn all about plants?
Also feel like going on a green adventure in Amersfoort? Here you can find the different dates of the workshops given by Yvette. Rather with a group? You can also book a workshop as a teambuilding outing or fun (bachelor) evening with friends. This can even include catering.
Tip: City of Cahen is part of FASadE's cool Architecture Route along Structuralism. Curious? Find the different routes here.