Calathea Makoyana (AKA Peacock Plant).
Dropped in to see Alex at More Plants today and picked up another plant to live outside of my cabinet. This time I picked up a Peacock Plant (another Calathea) because A) It’s got a wonderful painterly pattern on it’s foliage and B) it’s going straight into the spare room which I’m setting up as an art studio and C) It’s pet safe, a good thing as Mia’s still chewing leaves!
My new everyday shoes.
In 2014 on a trip to Japan I bought my first decent pair of Nikes, a pair of all black Midnight Fog Nike Flyknit Roshe Runs. They’re pretty damn dead now, but damn they were comfy AF for long walks (I had previously always worn flat soled shoes for driving which hurt my feet for walking as I have high arches). The Flyknit material is so breathable it’s almost as good as wearing sandals.
I thought I’d buy a new pair of sneakers. Of-course I couldn’t get the same exact pair (I tried), but I found something similar in the Nike Air Max Flyknit Racer. It’s got the same breathable Flyknit material, it’s all black, no massive Nike logo, but it does look a lot busier than the Roshe Runs (I’ll live with that). I had to order them via Nike.com as no-one in Australia sells size 8.5. They came in quick though, and feel… pretty strange initially due to the high heel, but I’m getting used to them and happy with the purchase!
Monstera Borsigiana Albo.
I’m plant obsessed, but I’m different. I’m learning how to breathe. To sleep on it. To sit on it. Do do as much research as I feel like, but to not pull the trigger, to not hit the buy now button.
Owning a Monstera is like a right of passage for plant lovers, but since getting into plants I’ve stumbled upon the variegated varieties and haven’t been able to avoid the desire to want to own one ever since. Specifically the Monstera Albo which looks absolutely stunning when the leaves are 50/50 white and green (half moon).
Variegated plants have been much sought after since Covid and lockdowns hit, often fetching thousands of dollars. They’ve become Instagram plants, and also quite lucrative for those who choose to grow them and sell cuttings.
The prices are coming down though, and I’ve seen cuttings for sale on Facebook Marketplace for as low as $150. I showed Mum a photo of an Albo, she’d never seen one before and it was love at first sight for her so I’ve since been on a mission to buy Mum an Albo.
I was either going to find a large one to buy for her (would cost thousands for a large one), or I could start with cuttings, but his morning I was watching a Monstera Albo YouTube video when I got a message from an old high school friend on Instagram. Turns out she’s a plant collector! We’ve been chatting, and she’s offered to give me a cutting of her Monstera Albo!
What a way to start the week!
My 2nd podcast with MERE MORTALS!
In Conversation #84, Justin and I discuss: how he is finding an artistic outlet in plants, how technology changes the art scene, the various behaviours found in digital communities, why it’s valuable to have the ability to cold approach, finding a girl who isn’t just a cookie cutter template and the issues he was having with Patreon and DeviantArt.
Replaced every instance of these ugly handles in the apartment.
Replaced them with these simple black handles from Bunnings. Still might rip off the sliding mirror built-in wardrobe doors from the 2 spare rooms.
Ripped off 6 doors in total from the master walk-in wardrobe but have decided to leave the last 2 doors at the end, for now.
DO DRUGS (the whole pencil actually says “TOO COOL TO DO DRUGS”).
ALL BLACK ERRYTHANG!
Yes. I caved. The ultimate goal is to have a Queen Anthurium with huge perfect leaves as the only plant in the cabinet. I bought a baby queen a little while back, and it’s pushed out a new leaf, but it’ll be years before it gets to the size of this one.
Anthurium Clarinervium pushed out this cute new little leaf (how is this not heart shaped?!). It gets bigger every day. Fingers crossed it’ll be way bigger than the biggest leaf!
Alocasia Cuprea pushed out this amazing new leaf!
Late night internet shopping is nasty. I had seen this Queen Anthurium for sale over a month ago on Rootd Plants. It was the last of the batch that no-one wanted as the leaves on it looked pretty banged up, but late the other night I saw it was still there and I pulled the trigger on it. It came quick and was packed well. She’s definitely pretty beat up. They have very sensitive leaves which many who keep them say not to touch. A small mark on a small leaf will become a HUGE mark once the leaf gets big.
I have every single plant in the apartment growing in leca now except this queen. I’m nervous about moving her over, but at the same time I’m a little less nervous as she’s not the perfect specimen.
