BACK PAGE BACKYARD Chasing Away the Winter Blues with Houseplants

As someone who suffers from anxiety, Tonya Butler found that gardening and caring for plants helps ease her symptoms and brightens her days. Butler lives in Keene with her husband, Curtis, and their two dogs on 3.1 acres of land, where she spends her spare time gardening and caring for the landscape in the summer months, and the winter months are spent tending to and watching her indoor plants flourish. What sparked your interest in plants and gardening? When I was younger, my mom and I used to garden a lot, and that is how we connected. I am adopted, and sharing that interest with my mom really helped us bond. As I grew older and she passed away, it rekindled my passion for plants. Working with plants provides therapeutic benefits — I have a lot of anxiety, and it helps with that. They also provide endless opportunities to learn and allow me to connect with nature and chase away the long winter blues. What kinds of plants do you have? I have a mixture of tropical plants and succulents. I am more drawn to plants that look a little funky or weird. I like their personality. Do you have a favorite plant? I do. I have a plumeria. It's usually found in the tropics, so it's very hard to grow here. It is definitely an indoor plant. They are grown and used to make leis and flower crowns. They smell heavenly. How much time would you say you spend taking care of plants? Honestly, I do something with them every day. I have such a large collection of plants, and each one needs specific care. I have a pretty good schedule, but it's quite a task. Have you come across any significant challenges? Yes, I have. How much light the plants get plays a major role in their growth, and finding the right spot for a plant can be extremely challenging. Some you have to keep moving (them) around, and some just totally don't work, and sometimes they die. I try to utilize natural light, but I also have grow lights, which I use on darker days. Are there any plants you've spent a ton of money on? Honestly, no. I usually purchase fairly affordable plants — some are too expensive for my taste. I would say the most I spent was $40 on a calathea. I like to buy smaller plants, and l like to watch them grow. Do you have any tips or tricks for someone interested in growing houseplants? I would recommend they research on TikTok or the internet and find out some of the easiest plants to take care of. Like a snake plant or a pothos — they require the least amount of care. Once you get into those, you will start learning more about what plants require. Many plants need fertilizer and plant food for them to maintain their growth. Picking potting soil is a must if you want them to survive. Then, you can move up from there and buy plants that interest you more.