Have You Ever Killed a Plant? I Have.

Have you ever killed a plant? I have.

More than once. I have forgotten to water. I have watered too much. I have moved a plant one too many times trying to find the “perfect” spot. I have watched leaves yellow, curl, and fall, and I have stood there wondering what I did wrong.

If that sounds familiar, I want you to know something first.

It is okay.

So many people come into plant care believing they have to get everything right. The right light. The right soil. The right schedule. But plants are living things, not instructions to be followed perfectly. They respond to their environment. They adjust. They struggle. They recover. And sometimes, they do not. That does not mean you failed.

Growing plants is not about perfection. It is about paying attention.

It is about noticing when something changes and learning from it. It is about understanding that growth does not always look the way we expect it to. Some plants grow quickly. Some grow slowly. Some pause for long stretches before they show any change at all. None of that is wrong.

We are often much harder on ourselves than we need to be. A lost plant can feel discouraging, especially if you cared about it or had high hopes for it. But every grower you admire has lost plants. Every experienced plant parent started somewhere. Mistakes are not a sign that you should stop. They are part of learning how to grow something living.

The Wanderleaf Co. exists because I wanted a calmer way to approach plant care. A space where curiosity is welcome. Where learning is expected. Where it is understood that plants and people grow together over time. This is not about chasing perfection or pretending plants never struggle. It is about honesty and intention.

When you bring a plant home, it may need time. It may look different before it settles in. It may drop a leaf. It may pause. That does not mean you did something wrong. It means a living thing is adjusting to a new environment. Growth is rarely instant, and it is rarely linear.

You do not need to know everything to grow plants. You do not need to have perfect conditions. You do not need to get it right every time. You only need patience, attention, and the willingness to keep going.

If you have ever felt discouraged by plant care, intimidated by what you see online, or unsure whether you are doing things “right,” this space is for you. It is okay to learn slowly. It is okay to try again. It is okay to grow at your own pace.

You do not have to be perfect to grow plants. It is enough to start, to notice, and to keep learning.