I struggle with depression on a day to day basis, and I always have my entire life. Because of my depression and anxiety there is a tremendous pressure to keep it hidden and to make sure that it doesn't affect my children negatively. I spent a lot of time looking up and researching coping mechanisms, compiling the ones I liked and the ones that worked into my own, custom-made plan. The biggest thing I've put time, money and energy into that helps me feel better on bad days is my plant collection.
I started with a few succulents, you know the ones. You go to the grocery store and they have these cute little planters with tiny succulents in them and they're only a few bucks so you grab one or two, why not? Most of the time those poor plants die, or you lose interest once they outgrow the container and give them away, but not me. I quickly repotted everyone, coming home practically daily with new plants until I started expanding into cacti and even air plants. It's been a steep learning curve to learn how to care for my little prickly friends the right way, and I'm excited to share some of my tips and tricks with you.
Let's get started with planters. It's very easy to get sucked into the world of planters and décor, and I'll admit I've spent hours casually trolling the internet looking for the most unique, adorable containers known to man—but it is vitally important to keep in mind the type of plant you're looking to put in that vessel. Some succulents have deep roots, some have shallow roots. Some can be planted together in little arrangements and some are better off alone. Make sure you know what to look for before you start container shopping.
After you've got your container you need to look at soil. Succulents and cactus need very good drainage. They have evolved over time to utilize water in unique ways, which is why they look so spongy and squishy. The best soil I've found is anything labeled cactus or succulent mix, but you can also use sand, small gravel pieces, etc. Make sure to place something in the bottom of the container to keep your medium in, as everything has a tendency to run out the bottom when you water. This can be something like a piece of mesh or cloth, but make sure that it isn't thick enough to keep water in.
Repotting is next. If your succulent came in regular planting soil I've never had a real issue with keeping that intact. Just make sure you break it up a little but underneath when you tuck them into their new home and they'll be just fine. It is also important to tailor your approach to whatever type of plant you are repotting. For example, if you are moving a cactus to a new home a pair of gloves is highly recommended. They sell gloves made specifically for cacti online, or in stores like Lowes, Home Depot etc. If you are moving Lithops to a new home a pencil or straw is super helpful for making the holes. Do some research and keep track of the types of succulents and cacti you have, it helps a ton when it comes to keeping them healthy. If you need help ID'ing a particular plant there are plenty of helpful people on Reddit in the r/Whatsthisplant subreddit.
I'd like to touch briefly on air plants as well before I go. If you've tried keeping plants before and find that you keep killing them, I'd strongly suggest giving air plants a try. Air plants come in many shapes and sizes, many of which put out huge bloom spikes which can be very rewarding to see. They also propagate fairly easily, which means your collection will grow over time without having to buy more. Air plant care is extremely easy. I hang mine in the windows of my house and mist them liberally halfway through the week. On the weekends they all go into a 5 gallon bucket filled with water for 1-2 hours to soak. You can put a small amount of fertilizer in the water to help them thrive, but they do fine without it. After they soak it is extremely important to let them dry before putting them back in their homes. I purchased a 3 tier hanging fruit basket for this and they hang outside from a tree branch for several hours to make sure they aren't holding onto any water deep in their crevices and folds. It is very important to make sure they don't have water sitting around inside them as it will rot them from the inside out. I've lost about five plants so far from rot, and 1 because my cats are little demons. Air plants are pretty amazing, and they don't require pots, soil or anything other than sitting in some water from time to time. Pretty simple right?
I'm glad to have this opportunity to share a little bit of my plant craziness with you all. Hopefully my knowledge helps some people get out there and get some greenery into their lives.
Djinn
Serving the Scales
Prequel
Niki McAlister
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Niki McAlister
Date of Publication: August 1, 2020
ASIN: B08BTTKJK1
Number of pages: 132
Word Count: 45,690
Cover Artist: Niki McAlister
Tagline: From Silver Spoon to Silver Tongue
Book Description:
Born into a wealthy family on the west side of the Naga Kingdom, Djinn De’monte has always lived a life of undeserved luxury. He parties every night courtesy of his father’s money and, with a flick of his hand, can bed any woman he chooses.
Why would he ever give any of that up to settle down and work a regular job? Everything he needs is right at his fingertips, but when an unexpected tragedy strikes the rug is suddenly yanked out from under him. Djinn is forced to sink or swim.
Join him on his forced pilgrimage as he reluctantly discovers that there is more to life than having everything served to you on a silver platter. Will he learn just what he stands for, or will he be swept up with the rest of the garbage?
In this short prequel we travel back to Djinn’s youth to find out exactly what transpired before he met a very unusual servant girl. This story can be read before Serving the Scales, after, or by itself. Though Djinn’s story isn’t part of the Serving the Scales Trilogy, it is an important part of the history that took place in Iruli.
Excerpt:
“You can’t go in there right now, he’s in a meeting!” The butler elf cried, trying to insert himself between me and the double doors of my father’s office. I slapped him aside with a brush of my tail, sending him clattering into the wall. As he sputtered in surprise I threw open the doors, my faded green locks whipping in the artificial breeze as I met my father’s deadpan stare.
“Djinn, now isn’t a good time.” He said, dismissing me with his hand but I would have none of it.
“Are you directly responsible for the suffering of countless pregnant women and children?” I seethed, glaring directly into my father’s eyes.
“Djinn..” Dad’s face was blank as I heard someone clear their throat to my left.
Councilman Wartez was seated on a cushion there, looking up at me in disapproval—but I didn’t care. “Well? Are you?” I repeated.
“Djinn if you could come back later I’d be happy to—”
“No, we’re going to talk about this now dad.” I huffed, raising my tail to tower over him.
Dad sighed. “Where are you hearing this from? Is this about Jess? I assure you she received the best care.”
“Why aren’t all of the pregnant nagas in the East city receiving that type of care? Are you aware that they’re being treated on the damp ground?”
“Surely those people must be used to doing things on the damp ground.” Councilman Wartez snickered beside me.
“Are you fucking with me right now?” I spun around to the councilman. “People are dying and you’re over here making jokes? Why isn’t the council doing anything to help?”
Dad glared up at me through his tiny glasses. “Not that you’ve ever cared before, but we’ve been conducting tests on the female naga’s issue for decades. We’ve informed everyone that, should they find themselves pregnant they should seek proper medical care.”
I slammed my hands down on his desk, remembering all the times he’d had the maid whip me for touching his desk. His eye twitched as he looked down at my hands. “You do realize that most of the citizens in the East city can’t afford to see a doctor, right?”
“That’s being quite presumptuous. I’ll have you know that we installed Deklyn over there to care for the elves ten years ago. They’re being cared for better than they ever did in that backwoods place they hail from.”
“You know damn well I’m not talking about the elves.” I seethed.
He shrugged, making my blood boil. “You and your council buddies could easily extend a hand to these women but you’re not!”
“That’s enough Djinn.” Dad rose, grabbing my hand and pulling it off his desk.
“It’s not nearly enough dad.”
“I must ask you to go home and we’ll discuss this at another time.”
“Fuck you.” I spat. “You’ll just send Natasha over with more money or a fucking fruit basket to shut me up, you bastard.”
“That’s enough!” Dad boomed, coming around the side of his desk. “One more word out of you and I’ll cut you off.”
“I dare you.” I grinned, spitting on the ground in front of him. I raised my gaze back to his face to relish in the shock I’d caused but to my surprise I felt my father’s fist collide with my cheek as he snarled at me. I flew backward, hitting my head on the back wall of the office and pulling down a bunch of books as I slumped to the ground.
“I’m sorry for this outburst Councilman Wartez.” Reginald was saying, shaking the councilman's hand. The last thing I remembered was both of the councilmen looking over at me in amusement as I passed out.
About the Author:
Niki McAlister is an avid reader of romance and fantasy. She’s always lived in a little world inside her own mind, often getting herself in trouble while daydreaming. She currently resides in Tennessee with her husband, two boys, and many pets.
Mailing list: https://bit.ly/2VyfNcU
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NovelsByNiki
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Niki_McAlister
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/niki_mcalister
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