🪴 Watering the Indoor Houseplants 🌿 A Calm, Cozy Routine Story for Slow Living #relaxingpodcast

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00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,600
Welcome to The Slow Life.
I'm Jennifer Vino and I create,

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00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:12,050
narrate and design the
soundscape of this village of

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00:00:12,060 --> 00:00:15,820
cosy stories to relax and
unwind.

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00:00:16,860 --> 00:00:20,210
Each week I share an original
story.

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Read 2 times so you can relax
even more during the second

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reading.
I also create micro experiences

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inspired by the stories you
hear.

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00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:40,890
These are short, gentle reading
moments designed to help you

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slow down and rest in the
village for as long as you like.

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00:00:46,990 --> 00:00:52,220
They're available now to enjoy
on screen or on paper,

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00:00:52,370 --> 00:00:59,520
individually or in small bundles
through the slow life.ca under

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00:00:59,530 --> 00:01:05,540
the Shop tab.
Let's settle in with some easy

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00:01:05,550 --> 00:01:11,940
breathing at your own pace.
With each inhale, let fresh air

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fill the space around your
heart.

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With each exhale, feel the calm
air spread through your body and

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flow out through your arms and
legs, gently in through your

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heart.
Gently out through your body, in

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through your heart, out through
your body.

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And now let's begin.
This story is called Watering

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00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:59,680
the Indoor House Plants and it's
about a caring habit, staying

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00:01:59,690 --> 00:02:08,590
present and reign.
As a reminder, I found something

22
00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:14,010
close to a rhythm now.
Watering day, landing on Sunday

23
00:02:14,020 --> 00:02:19,620
mornings just after breakfast
when the hosts is still quiet.

24
00:02:21,630 --> 00:02:26,720
It isn't a strict rule, but it
happens often enough that I

25
00:02:26,730 --> 00:02:29,150
don't need to think about it
anymore.

26
00:02:30,570 --> 00:02:35,820
The reminder comes naturally,
usually when I wander through my

27
00:02:35,830 --> 00:02:41,730
rooms with tea.
Today, the reminder arrives with

28
00:02:41,740 --> 00:02:46,060
the sound of rain tapping
steadily against the glass.

29
00:02:47,690 --> 00:02:51,430
The kettle has already been
emptied into my mug.

30
00:02:52,190 --> 00:02:57,370
Bobby asked if the tea still hot
as I come back into the kitchen.

31
00:02:58,830 --> 00:03:03,310
I set it down on the counter,
then reached under the sink for

32
00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,710
the watering can I keep tucked
to one side.

33
00:03:08,610 --> 00:03:14,180
I fill it slowly, adjusting the
tap so the water runs gently

34
00:03:14,230 --> 00:03:16,860
instead of splashing around the
edge.

35
00:03:18,430 --> 00:03:23,180
The sound is steady as it rises,
covering the rain for the

36
00:03:23,190 --> 00:03:27,730
moment.
When it's nearly full, I turn it

37
00:03:27,740 --> 00:03:32,590
off and hold it by the handle
and the long spout to keep it

38
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,650
steady, enjoying the weight of
it.

39
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,940
I always start in the same
place.

40
00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,910
Three plants near the front
window of the living room.

41
00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:51,150
Sid on a low bookshelf, arranged
with two to one side and the

42
00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,700
larger one on its own to the
right.

43
00:03:55,500 --> 00:03:59,910
I lift the first pot just enough
to feel its weight.

44
00:04:01,330 --> 00:04:04,700
It's not completely dry, but dry
enough.

45
00:04:06,340 --> 00:04:11,530
I tilt the watering can, letting
the stream fall slowly onto the

46
00:04:11,540 --> 00:04:15,310
soil instead of directly against
the stems.

47
00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:22,570
The surface darkens and stages
the water soaking in rather than

48
00:04:22,580 --> 00:04:27,330
pooling.
I wait between pores, giving it

49
00:04:27,340 --> 00:04:33,110
time to drink.
This one was a gift brought over

50
00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:38,510
in a paper bag, the rim of the
pot wrapped in tissue that had

51
00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,400
come loose by the time it
reached my hands.

52
00:04:43,260 --> 00:04:47,570
I remember moving the two
smaller plants together to make

53
00:04:47,580 --> 00:04:53,550
room for it, Unsure if it would
stay in this spot or be moved if

54
00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:58,850
it didn't thrive here.
The leaves were thinner than

55
00:04:58,980 --> 00:05:03,890
slightly uneven.
Now they're fuller, spreading

56
00:05:03,900 --> 00:05:08,300
outward, letting me know it
likes the place I chose for it.

57
00:05:09,990 --> 00:05:14,940
I rotate the pod a few inches to
even note its lean toward the

58
00:05:14,950 --> 00:05:18,900
sun.
The next one had nearly been

59
00:05:18,910 --> 00:05:22,760
lost once before.
I had gotten into the habit of

60
00:05:22,770 --> 00:05:28,410
watering on a regular day.
The soil had pulled away from

61
00:05:28,420 --> 00:05:32,510
the edge of the pot, but I had
missed it in my sporadic

62
00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:38,080
watering schedule.
I then over corrected by giving

63
00:05:38,090 --> 00:05:42,660
it too much for a few days, but
since then I've learned how to

64
00:05:42,670 --> 00:05:47,690
care for it.
I tip the watering can again,

65
00:05:47,780 --> 00:05:52,120
slower this time, letting the
water reach deeper.

66
00:05:53,610 --> 00:05:58,240
A small amount collects in the
saucer beneath, and I leave it

67
00:05:58,250 --> 00:06:01,650
there for now, knowing it will
be absorbed.

68
00:06:03,210 --> 00:06:07,020
I brush one of the leaves
between my fingers before

69
00:06:07,030 --> 00:06:11,780
turning it a bit.
The rain has picked up.

70
00:06:11,850 --> 00:06:17,040
Tapping more firmly now, filling
the space without overwhelming

71
00:06:17,050 --> 00:06:21,280
it.
I moved to the taller plant near

72
00:06:21,290 --> 00:06:26,510
the corner.
This one I chose myself on a day

73
00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,160
that hadn't seemed important at
the time.

74
00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:36,030
I had gone out for something
else, something practical, and

75
00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:41,370
came back with it balanced
awkwardly in the back seat, one

76
00:06:41,380 --> 00:06:46,170
hand reaching behind me at every
stop to keep it from tipping.

77
00:06:47,710 --> 00:06:51,960
It may have felt like an
unnecessary purchase then, but

78
00:06:51,970 --> 00:06:57,850
now it anchors the room.
I check it with my fingers

79
00:06:57,860 --> 00:07:02,070
before watering, pressing just
below the surface.

80
00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:08,610
It's still slightly damp, so I
add only a small amount circling

81
00:07:08,620 --> 00:07:14,520
the odor edge of the soil.
It took time for me to learn

82
00:07:14,530 --> 00:07:17,560
that not everything needs the
same attention.

83
00:07:19,310 --> 00:07:24,610
I stand, shifting the watering
can to my other hand, and take a

84
00:07:24,620 --> 00:07:28,850
few steps back to look at the
arrangement as a whole.

85
00:07:30,540 --> 00:07:35,210
It isn't perfectly even.
Some leaves lean further than

86
00:07:35,220 --> 00:07:38,400
others, so I rotate this one
too.

87
00:07:39,670 --> 00:07:45,410
It works and I move on.
In the bedroom, the air is

88
00:07:45,420 --> 00:07:49,590
cooler.
The window is open just enough

89
00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:55,350
to let in the sound of the rain,
but not the wetness of it, a

90
00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:59,140
faint current of fresh air
moving through the space.

91
00:08:00,860 --> 00:08:06,940
There are fewer plants in here.
One of them is newer, its leaves

92
00:08:06,950 --> 00:08:09,990
still adjusting to the place
where it sits.

93
00:08:11,570 --> 00:08:15,590
I give it less than I think it
might need, knowing that

94
00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:20,430
overwatering can be worse than
letting it dry out for a while.

95
00:08:22,290 --> 00:08:26,300
I move out to my reading nook at
the end of the hallway.

96
00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:33,080
A handful of tiny pots sit on
bookshelves and window sills.

97
00:08:34,650 --> 00:08:38,140
I lift them carefully, knowing
their weights.

98
00:08:38,150 --> 00:08:45,240
Now, at each level of dryness, I
add small amounts of water,

99
00:08:45,370 --> 00:08:49,740
smiling with pride at the
consistency of care I've learned

100
00:08:49,750 --> 00:08:54,730
to give them.
Their story started last fall

101
00:08:54,940 --> 00:08:59,250
when I decorated this reading
space, and they were the final

102
00:08:59,260 --> 00:09:05,080
touch I had been missing.
The stream of water thins as I

103
00:09:05,090 --> 00:09:08,060
finish with the plants in the
reading nook.

104
00:09:08,610 --> 00:09:15,310
I tilt the can once more, but
it's already empty back in the

105
00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,870
kitchen.
I don't need to fill it all the

106
00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,310
way for the last few plants
waiting here.

107
00:09:23,070 --> 00:09:27,100
I start with the one that hangs
beside the window above the

108
00:09:27,110 --> 00:09:30,520
sink.
It leaves, catching a bit of

109
00:09:30,530 --> 00:09:37,840
light even through the Gray sky.
The water disappears quickly

110
00:09:37,850 --> 00:09:42,290
into the soil and I slow my hand
to match it.

111
00:09:44,060 --> 00:09:48,990
Now for the plants on the
island, one is propped up on a

112
00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,420
small stand so they sit at
different heights.

113
00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:58,810
Each one gets just enough, a
small pause between pores.

114
00:10:00,590 --> 00:10:05,460
The one on the fridge is last, a
hurdy breed that doesn't need

115
00:10:05,470 --> 00:10:09,460
much sun.
When I'm done, I put the

116
00:10:09,470 --> 00:10:12,030
watering can back under the
sink.

117
00:10:13,730 --> 00:10:18,680
Outside, the rain continues to
water everything in the yard and

118
00:10:18,690 --> 00:10:23,510
across the village.
I pick up my mug from the

119
00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:29,770
counter again, still warm, and
sit on a stool for a moment

120
00:10:29,820 --> 00:10:35,920
without doing anything else.
Some weeks the soil dries

121
00:10:35,930 --> 00:10:43,000
faster, some weeks it doesn't.
Some plants need more, others

122
00:10:43,010 --> 00:10:47,360
need less.
The rhythm shifts a bit each

123
00:10:47,370 --> 00:10:52,450
time, just enough that I have to
stay present to what each one

124
00:10:52,460 --> 00:10:57,780
needs.
I don't need to be perfect, just

125
00:10:57,790 --> 00:11:06,580
consistent with the habit.
Watering the indoor house

126
00:11:06,590 --> 00:11:13,180
plants.
I've found something close to a

127
00:11:13,190 --> 00:11:17,660
rhythm now.
Watering day, landing on Sunday

128
00:11:17,670 --> 00:11:23,290
mornings just after breakfast
when the hosts is still quiet.

129
00:11:25,300 --> 00:11:30,390
It isn't a strict rule, but it
happens often enough that I

130
00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,820
don't need to think about it
anymore.

131
00:11:34,230 --> 00:11:39,490
The reminder comes naturally,
usually when I wander through my

132
00:11:39,500 --> 00:11:45,410
rooms with tea.
Today, the reminder arrives with

133
00:11:45,420 --> 00:11:49,730
the sound of rain tapping
steadily against the glass.

134
00:11:51,350 --> 00:11:55,100
The kettle has already been
emptied into my mug.

135
00:11:55,860 --> 00:12:01,030
Bob asked if the tea still hot
as I come back into the kitchen.

136
00:12:02,500 --> 00:12:06,790
I set it down on the counter,
then reach under the sink.

137
00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,380
For the watering can I keep
tucked to one side.

138
00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:17,850
I fill it slowly, adjusting the
tap so the water runs gently

139
00:12:17,900 --> 00:12:20,530
instead of splashing around the
edge.

140
00:12:22,100 --> 00:12:26,850
The sound is steady as it rises,
covering the rain for the

141
00:12:26,860 --> 00:12:31,390
moment.
When it's nearly full, I turn it

142
00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:36,250
off and hold it by the handle
and the long spout to keep it

143
00:12:36,260 --> 00:12:39,320
steady, enjoying the weight of
it.

144
00:12:41,030 --> 00:12:43,610
I always starred in the same
place.

145
00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:49,520
Three plants near the front
window of the living room sit on

146
00:12:49,530 --> 00:12:55,350
a low bookshelf, arranged with
two to one side and the larger

147
00:12:55,360 --> 00:13:02,300
one on its own to the right.
I lift the first pot just enough

148
00:13:02,310 --> 00:13:07,770
to feel its weight.
It's not completely dry, but dry

149
00:13:07,780 --> 00:13:12,770
enough.
I tilt the watering can, letting

150
00:13:12,780 --> 00:13:18,190
the stream fall slowly onto the
soil instead of directly against

151
00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:23,390
the stems.
The surface darkens and stages

152
00:13:23,660 --> 00:13:26,940
the water soaking in rather than
pooling.

153
00:13:28,020 --> 00:13:32,160
I wait between pores, giving it
time to drink.

154
00:13:33,780 --> 00:13:39,450
This one was a gift brought over
in a paper bag, the rim of the

155
00:13:39,460 --> 00:13:43,770
pot wrapped in tissue that had
come loose by the time it

156
00:13:43,780 --> 00:13:48,860
reached my hands.
I remember moving the two

157
00:13:48,870 --> 00:13:54,340
smaller plants together to make
room for it, Unsure if it would

158
00:13:54,350 --> 00:13:58,670
stay in this spot or be moved if
it didn't thrive here.

159
00:14:00,410 --> 00:14:04,360
The leaves were thinner than
slightly uneven.

160
00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,770
Now they're fuller, spreading
outward, letting me know it

161
00:14:09,780 --> 00:14:16,490
likes the place I chose for it.
I rotate the pod a few inches to

162
00:14:16,500 --> 00:14:19,100
even note its lean toward the
sun.

163
00:14:20,590 --> 00:14:24,660
The next one had nearly been
lost once before.

164
00:14:24,670 --> 00:14:28,490
I had gotten into the habit of
watering on a regular day.

165
00:14:30,030 --> 00:14:34,340
The soil had pulled away from
the edge of the pot, but I had

166
00:14:34,350 --> 00:14:37,600
missed it in my sporadic
watering schedule.

167
00:14:39,220 --> 00:14:44,550
I then over corrected by giving
it too much for a few days, but

168
00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,280
since then I've learned how to
care for it.

169
00:14:48,830 --> 00:14:54,190
I tip the watering can again,
slower this time, letting the

170
00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:59,470
water reach deeper.
A small amount collects in the

171
00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:04,230
saucer beneath, and I leave it
there for now, knowing it will

172
00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:08,750
be absorbed.
I brush one of the leaves

173
00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,940
between my fingers before
turning it a bit.

174
00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:18,440
The rain has picked up.
Tapping more firmly now, filling

175
00:15:18,450 --> 00:15:24,650
the space without overwhelming
it, I move to the taller plant

176
00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:30,180
near the corner.
This one I chose myself on a day

177
00:15:30,190 --> 00:15:32,840
that hadn't seemed important at
the time.

178
00:15:34,630 --> 00:15:39,700
I had gone out for something
else, something practical, and

179
00:15:39,710 --> 00:15:45,030
came back with it balanced
awkwardly in the back seat, one

180
00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:49,840
hand reaching behind me at every
stop to keep it from tipping.

181
00:15:51,380 --> 00:15:55,630
It may have felt like an
unnecessary purchase then, but

182
00:15:55,640 --> 00:16:01,520
now it anchors the room.
I check it with my fingers

183
00:16:01,530 --> 00:16:05,760
before watering, pressing just
below the surface.

184
00:16:06,510 --> 00:16:12,280
It's still slightly damp, so I
add only a small amount circling

185
00:16:12,290 --> 00:16:18,190
the odor edge of the soil.
It took time for me to learn

186
00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,230
that not everything needs the
same attention.

187
00:16:22,980 --> 00:16:28,290
I stand, shifting the watering
can to my other hand, and take a

188
00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:32,510
few steps back to look at the
arrangement as a whole.

189
00:16:34,210 --> 00:16:38,880
It isn't perfectly even.
Some leaves lean further than

190
00:16:38,890 --> 00:16:42,060
others, so I rotate this one
too.

191
00:16:43,340 --> 00:16:49,070
It works and I move on.
In the bedroom, the air is

192
00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:53,250
cooler.
The window is open just enough

193
00:16:53,310 --> 00:16:59,020
to let in the sound of the rain,
but not the wetness of it, a

194
00:16:59,030 --> 00:17:02,810
faint current of fresh air
moving through the space.

195
00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:10,589
There are fewer plants in here.
One of them is newer, its leaves

196
00:17:10,599 --> 00:17:13,660
still adjusting to the place
where it sits.

197
00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:19,710
I give it less than I think it
might need, knowing that over

198
00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:24,089
watering can be worse than
letting it dry out for a while.

199
00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:29,970
I move vote to my reading note
at the end of the hallway.

200
00:17:31,420 --> 00:17:36,750
A handful of tiny pots sit on
bookshelves and window sills.

201
00:17:38,310 --> 00:17:41,800
I lift them carefully, knowing
their weights.

202
00:17:41,810 --> 00:17:48,900
Now, at each level of dryness, I
add small amounts of water,

203
00:17:49,030 --> 00:17:53,400
smiling with pride at the
consistency of care I've learned

204
00:17:53,410 --> 00:17:58,380
to give them.
Their story started last fall

205
00:17:58,610 --> 00:18:02,920
when I decorated this reading
space, and they were the final

206
00:18:02,930 --> 00:18:08,750
touch I had been missing.
The stream of water thins as I

207
00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,730
finish with the plants in the
reading nook.

208
00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:18,980
I tilt the can once more, but
it's already empty back in the

209
00:18:18,990 --> 00:18:21,530
kitchen.
I don't need to fill it all the

210
00:18:21,540 --> 00:18:24,980
way for the last few plants
waiting here.

211
00:18:26,730 --> 00:18:30,780
I start with the one that hangs
beside the window above the

212
00:18:30,790 --> 00:18:34,170
sink.
It leaves, catching a bit of

213
00:18:34,180 --> 00:18:41,510
light even through the Gray sky.
The water disappears quickly

214
00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:45,950
into the soil and I slow my hand
to match it.

215
00:18:47,730 --> 00:18:52,660
Now for the plants on the
island, one is propped up on a

216
00:18:52,670 --> 00:18:56,100
small stand so they sit at
different heights.

217
00:18:57,390 --> 00:19:02,470
Each one gets just enough, a
small pause between pores.

218
00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:09,130
The one on the fridge is last, a
hurdy breathe that doesn't need

219
00:19:09,140 --> 00:19:13,130
much sun.
When I'm done, I put the

220
00:19:13,140 --> 00:19:15,690
watering can back under the
sink.

221
00:19:17,410 --> 00:19:22,360
Outside, the rain continues to
water everything in the yard and

222
00:19:22,370 --> 00:19:27,190
across the village.
I pick up my mug from the

223
00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:33,450
counter again, still warm, and
sit on a stool for a moment

224
00:19:33,500 --> 00:19:39,580
without doing anything else.
Some weeks the soil dries

225
00:19:39,590 --> 00:19:46,680
faster, some weeks it doesn't.
Some plants need more, others

226
00:19:46,690 --> 00:19:51,030
need less.
The rhythm shifts a bit each

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time, just enough that I have to
stay present to what each one

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needs.
I don't need to be perfect.

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Just consistent with the habit.
I wish you sweet dreams.