Guest Post by Jennifer
The String of Pearls plant was the first indoor beauty I became transfixed with after quarantine began.
In March, when Home Depot was one of the only essential businesses open, I wandered into the nursery section and quickly acquired a pothos, a jade plant, and an African violet. I was soon scouring the internet for plant-care tips, and this fatefully led me to the Reddit thead that began to feed my addiction: r/houseplants.
Perusing this thread, I was amazed at the rare, delicate, strange, and sometimes actually glowing plants posted by enthusiasts…they were so different from the well-known plants that stock most big box stores. I chuckled at the pileas, I marveled at the jewel orchids, and I shivered when viewing the Medusa’s head succulent. But the plant that stole my heart was the String of Pearls. I loved the perfect green orbs that extended off its vines, which gave off a slightly sci-fi feel, mixed with the beauty of a pearl necklace, soft and draping in its swags.
I kept my eye out for this holy grail plant, until one day I stumbled upon a fledgling String of Pearls at my local farmer’s market. I swooped her up, and very gingerly put her into the grocery cart for the walk home, admonishing my partner to slow down over bumps and cracks the pavement.
String of Pearls like direct morning sunlight, so I put her in my kitchen window. I watered her about every 4 days, or when the soil had entirely dried out. And I began to gaze, propping my elbow on the sink and getting lost in her beautiful bubbles in so many shades of green. None of her “strings” were stringing yet. There were a few pearl strands that were perched on the rim of the pot, ready to begin their elegant downward journey…but not yet. I watered, watched, and waited.
A month later, my String of Pearls sent out vines that trailed over the edge of the pot! I was so excited, and every morning when I woke up, I eagerly checked her progress. Most mornings, I could tell with the naked eye that her vines had grown half a centimeter overnight. This was so satisfying, and it told me that she liked her sunny kitchen perch.
Two months later, her “strings of pearls” were touching the kitchen ledge that her pot sat on. It was time to lift her aloft!
Not wanting to spend any more money at the nursery (it’s an addiction!), I was determined to make my own plant hanger from household items. I asked my partner to dig out the roll of twine from our camping supplies, and I searched for an online tutorial that would teach me how to weave my own fixture. I felt like I was channeling my mom, who I imagined must have woven some of her own groovy fiber plant hangers in the 70’s.
This tutorial (from Make It & Love It) was simple as can be. Instead of tape, I used staples to anchor the fibers in place. I cut off the top of a wire hanger to fashion a hook for hanging. And I put an unused tension rod up behind the kitchen window’s sash to provide a place to hang her from. And voila! My String of Pearls now has another foot or two of room to grow….and her own kitschy look.
If I could do it over again, I’d use twine without so much rough edge, as its rustic appearance clashes with the plant’s elegant style. But I’m happy with the way this project came out, and I will definitely get a do-over: I fully expect to need to repot my String of Pearls within the next 6 months at the rate she is growing!
Tutorial https://makeit-loveit.com/diy-rope-plant-hanger