The Over Grown Journal
Plant care guides, shop happenings, and notes from Westerville & Dublin.
Low-Maintenance Houseplants for People Who Forget to Water
Five houseplants that thrive when you forget them, how long each can go between waterings, and the one mistake that still kills them.
How to Stake a Monstera: Moss Pole or Stake, and When to Use Each
How to stake a Monstera: moss pole or wood stake, where to place it without hitting roots, how to tie it and how to train aerial roots.
Overrated Houseplants (and What We'd Bring Home Instead)
Fiddle leaf figs, string of pearls, calatheas and alocasias get more hype than they earn. Here's what we'd skip and what we'd bring home instead.
Plant Bar in Westerville and Dublin: Repotting You Can Book
The Plant Bar is a hands-on counter inside our Westerville and Dublin shops. Repot a plant, build a succulent or cactus garden, and skip the dirt at home. Here is what to bring, how to book, and when a visit beats DIY.
Can This Houseplant Be Saved? How to Tell and What to Do
Can your houseplant be saved? A three-point triage check, overwatering versus underwatering, root rot cuts, when to propagate, and when to let go.
All 3 OG Soil Mixes: How to Pick the Right Blend for Your Plants
Why one bag of soil does not suit every plant, and how to match our three hand-blended mixes, Chunky, Dry and Fine, to the plants in your collection.
Brought Your Plants Inside and Now There Are Gnats
Brought plants inside and found gnats? Why fall is bug season indoors, how to treat fungus gnats, spider mites and mealybugs, plus a doorstep check.
Moody Houseplants for the Fall Season
Moody dark-leaf houseplants for fall: why leaf color does not mean shade tolerance, our dark foliage favorites, where to place them and how to style them.
From Water to Soil: Potting Up Propagations Without Killing Them
How to pot up a water-rooted cutting: water roots versus soil roots, when to move it, a two-week soil bridge, common mistakes, and recovery.
The Fall Transition Guide for Columbus Plant Parents
A fall plan for Columbus plant parents: the light shift, a watering reset, dry furnace air, quarantining outdoor plants, and when to stop fertilizing.
How to Clean Houseplant Leaves (and Why It Matters More Than You Think)
Why dusty leaves matter: what dust does to photosynthesis, the cleaning method by leaf type, what we use and never use, and why fall is the ideal time.
Bottom Watering: When It Helps and When It Actually Hurts
Bottom watering explained: how capillary action works, the plants it helps, when it does not, the salt and mineral buildup problem, and a timed how-to.
Why Your New Plant Looks Different at Home Than It Did in the Shop
Why a new plant looks different at home than in the shop: normal acclimation signs, real alarm signs, an adjustment timeline, and when to worry.
Where Our Plants Actually Come From
Where our plants come from: how we quarantine, inspect and acclimate every delivery, plus repotting and what it means for you as a buyer.
The First 48 Hours: What to Do When You Bring a New Plant Home
Your first 48 hours with a new plant: a pest inspection, quarantine, the right spot, holding off on repotting, and checking soil before you water.
Plant Terms Every Beginner Should Know
Seven plant terms every beginner should know: node, fenestration, variegation, aerial roots, petiole, root-bound and bottom water.
Underhyped: 5 Plants We Wish Got More Love
Five underhyped plants we wish got more love: Fatsia japonica, Aglaonema, Cebu Blue Pothos, Satin Pothos and Syngonium. Come meet them in person.
The Plant Care Toolkit: What's Actually Worth Buying
The five plant care tools truly worth buying, what not to waste money on, and how to build a starter kit without a mountain of gear.
What Makes Our Second Shop Different
What makes our Dublin shop different from Westerville: its open, interactive layout and vibe, and the standards that stay the same at both.
Repotting 101: What Our In-Store Repotting Service Actually Includes
Signs it is time to repot, what we check before we touch the dirt, and a walk-through of our in-store repotting service at Over Grown.
Same Plant, Different Look: How to Style One Species Five Ways
Style one Pothos five ways: how training vines and picking pots change its look, plus featured pots and in-person styling help at the shop.
Why Cutting Back Your Plant Is the Kindest Thing You Can Do
Why pruning is an act of care: when to chop versus wait, how to propagate what you cut, and how cutting back makes plants bushier and healthier.
Root Rot 101: How to Catch It Before It's Too Late
Root rot 101: it is caused by low oxygen in the roots, not just too much water. Four warning signs and a step-by-step rescue protocol.
Caring for Your Aralias
Aralia care: bright, steady light, a moisture rhythm that is slightly moist but never soggy, and warm, consistent conditions for these indoor trees.
Caring for Your String of Frogs
String of Frogs care: it is a creeping fig, not a succulent, so it wants bright, filtered light and roots that never dry out completely.
Caring for Your String of Hearts
String of Hearts care: bright light for plump, colorful leaves, why bottom watering works best, plus pests and fixes for common problems.
Two Shops, One Community
Over Grown in Uptown Westerville and Historic Dublin: what stays the same in both shops, what makes each its own, and how to plan your visit.
How to Name a Houseplant (and Why It Helps It Thrive)
Why a named plant gets better care, how to find your plant's naming style, and ways to make the name stick with stamping and tagging.
Water Propagation: The Summer Roots Edition
Why warmth speeds up rooting, the best plants for summer water propagation, how to manage water, light and patience, and when to pot up.
Reviving a Struggling Plant
How to save a struggling plant: check the roots first, ask three questions about light, water and pests, then reset and follow a 30-day recovery plan.
Why Houseplants Love (and Fear) Summer Light
Why July light burns leaves that were fine in May: how each window direction differs, signs of too much sun, and easy fixes like sheers and rotating.
Take a Cutting, Leave a Cutting: How Our Propagation Library Works
Our Propagation Library is a free cutting exchange at the Dublin and Westerville shops. Bring a cutting from your plants, take one home, and snip cleanly.
The Lazy Plant Parent's Guide to Summer Watering
A low-effort summer watering guide: why plants get thirstier, why the finger test beats a schedule, and five plants that forgive a missed week.
Over Grown Comes to Dublin: A First Look Inside the Second Shop
Over Grown is now open in historic Dublin, Ohio. Take a first look inside our second shop and see what we carry for every plant parent.
Why Columbus Plant People Keep Coming Back to Plant Swaps
What happens at an Over Grown plant swap, why Columbus plant people keep coming back, what to bring, and how to prep for your first one.
Your Summer Plant Survival Guide for Central Ohio Homes
What changes for houseplants in a Columbus summer, from scorching windows and faster-drying soil to AC and tap water, and how to adjust.
Moss Poles & When You Need One
What a moss pole actually does for climbing houseplants, how aerial roots use it, and how to tell when your plant needs one.
What Makes a Plant Rare, & Does It Actually Matter
What really makes a houseplant rare, how social media hype drives prices up, and the questions to ask before you pay extra for a rare plant.
Caring for Your String of Pearls & Dolphins
String of Pearls and String of Dolphins need intense light and careful watering. How to care for these trailing succulents without overwatering.
The Monstera Albo: Is It Actually Worth the Price?
Is the Monstera Albo worth the price? What drives the cost of this variegated plant, from rare genetics to hand-propagated cuttings.
How to Style a Patio With Tropical Succulents This Summer
How to style a patio with tropical succulents: four setups, what to plant in each, and how to care for them through a Columbus summer.
Caring for Your Agaves & Aloes
Agaves and Aloes want high-intensity sun. How to light and water these low-maintenance succulents, plus fixes for brown tips, leaning and orange leaves.
Caring for Your Coffee Trees
Coffee trees want bright light without harsh heat and soil that never fully dries out. How to care for one indoors and fix brown or dropping leaves.
Caring for Your Pileas
Pileas love brightness but not hot sun. Care for Pilea peperomioides and baby tears, plus fixes for curling leaves and leggy growth.
Caring for Your Pothos & Epipremnum
Pothos are forgiving, but a few adjustments take them from surviving to thriving. Light, watering, and fixes for yellow leaves and brown tips.
Caring for Your Scheffleras
Schefflera (Umbrella Tree) care: its growth habit reflects how much light it gets, plus watering, soil and humidity basics for a full, healthy plant.
Caring for Your Scindapsus
Keep a Scindapsus's silver variegation shimmering with the right light, let it tell you when to water, and fix curling leaves that will not uncurl.
Caring for Your Spider Plants
Spider Plant care: its light sweet spot, a consistent watering routine, and fixes for brown tips, pale leaves and a plant with no babies or flowers.
Caring for Your Stromanthes
Stromanthe care: the dappled light that keeps its color vivid, plus watering, humidity, and fixes for crispy edges and curled leaves.
Caring for Your Tradescantia
How to keep Tradescantia vines vibrant: give them generous light, water often enough to stay slightly moist, and never let the pot sit waterlogged.
Earth-Friendly Plant Parent
Seven ways to cut waste in your indoor garden, from reusing jars and tins as pots to choosing soil mixes with sustainable ingredients.
How to Audit Your Plant Collection
Audit your plant collection with four questions: light, know-how, whether it is thriving, and if you would buy it again today.
What Columbus Plant Parents Should Do the Last Week of April
What to change in the last week of April in Columbus (Zone 6): stronger sun in south windows, active growth, and the adjustments plants need now.
Caring for Your Palms
Palms can be particular. Learn the bright, filtered light and steady watering rhythm that keep fronds green, and how to fix brown tips and yellowing.
Is Your Collection Ready for a Rare Plant?
Thinking about a rare plant? A short self-assessment shows whether your home and routine are ready before you spend a lot on one.
Rare Houseplants Worth the Hype
Five rare plants that grow reliably and look great in a living room, starting with the Monstera Thai Constellation and its stable variegation.
Water vs. Soil Propagation Method
Water or soil for propagation? How each method works, what it suits best, and how to pick the one that fits your plant and your habits.
What to Do With an Overgrown Pothos
Pothos getting out of hand? How to tell when it is overgrown, and whether to trim it, tame it or give it more room to grow.
How to Propagate Monstera Deliciosa
How to propagate a Monstera deliciosa: where to cut below the node, what to gather first, and answers on rooting time and black stems.
Pinning Trailing Plants
Pinning keeps a trailing vine attached while it roots, so a leggy plant fills in at the top. How to pin step by step, the best plants and what to use.
Best Houseplant Gifts for Mother's Day
Houseplant gift ideas for Mother's Day, from forgiving low-maintenance picks to soothing plants for the mom who treasures her sanctuary.
Caring for Your Syngoniums
Syngonium (Arrowhead Vine) care: the light that keeps its pinks and whites vivid, how to water it, and what to do about small leaves and leggy stems.
Caring for Your Anthuriums
Anthurium care: bright light that stops short of direct glare, watering and humidity basics, and fixes for green flowers and brown leaf tips.
ZZ Plant Care Guide
ZZ plant care: how it handles low light, why its rhizomes make it drought tolerant, and how it does through dry Ohio winters.
Plant Systems vs. Plant Hauls
Why a care system beats a plant haul: swap rigid watering schedules for a rhythm, learn your light, soil and plant, and know when to add another.
Caring for Your Peace Lilies
Peace Lily care: why it thrives in lower light, what its dramatic droop means, and fixes for brown leaf tips and yellowing leaves.
Spring Plant Maintenance Checklist
A month-by-month spring checklist for Columbus plant parents: what to do in April, May and June, plus three weekly tasks that keep plants on track.
The Sunday Plant Ritual That Keeps Your Indoor Garden Thriving
Why a weekly ritual beats a watering schedule: a five-minute lap, the finger test, and quick Sunday tasks like rotating plants and checking drainage.
Caring for Your Money Trees
Money Tree care: bright, dappled light, how to water without losing leaves, and fixes for dropped green leaves, yellowing and pale new growth.
Caring for Your Fittonias
Fittonias come from the shaded forest floor and wilt dramatically when thirsty. Nerve plant care, plus fixes for crispy leaves and yellowing.
How to Give Your Plants a Spring Detox
A spring detox for houseplants: how to inspect, clean and refresh your plants after a dry winter so they photosynthesize well and resist pests.
Propagation Station Ideas: Stylish Ways to Display Your Cuttings
11 stylish ways to display plant cuttings, from test tube racks and vintage bottles to wall mounts, plus tips for a cohesive propagation station.
The Plant Parent's Guide to Styling a Small Space
Styling plants in a small space: design principles for placement that fit more greenery in, from using walls and ceilings to keeping a room breathable.
Common Propagation Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Cuttings rotting or never rooting? The most common propagation mistakes, from missing nodes to water levels, and how to fix each one.
Plant Propagation for Beginners
Propagation for beginners: what a node is, four ways to propagate, water propagation step by step, easy plants to try, and fixes for failed cuttings.
Complete Guide to Repotting Houseplants
Repotting guide: why plants need fresh soil, four signs it is time, how to choose a pot and soil, and a step-by-step repot.
Spring Jungle Expansion: Your 4-Week Blueprint for Columbus Plant Parents
A four-week spring plan for Columbus plant parents: audit what you have, take cuttings, and grow your collection as the growing season starts.
Preparing for Spring Growth
February is the bridge from winter dormancy to spring growth: what longer days do to your plants and how to shift from survival to growth mode.
Plant Care Rituals for Devotion
Turn your weekly plant rounds into mindful rituals: slow down, observe, and care for your plants as a practice of patience and gratitude.
How to Create a Plant Care Altar
Build a plant care altar: a calm spot with a centerpiece plant and your best tools, plus rituals like a morning check-in and a pruning meditation.
How to Choose the Perfect Valentine's Plant for Every Type of Love
Match a Valentine's plant to your relationship, from a new spark to a long-term partner, for a Columbus alternative to flowers.
Caring for Your Marantas
Maranta (Prayer Plant) care: dappled light like its forest floor home, watering, humidity, and what it means when the plant stops praying.
5 Love Languages for Plant Parents
The five love languages, applied to plants: five ways to show your greenery devotion, whether you grow solo or share a collection with a partner.
How to Create a Plant Care Vision Board
How to make a plant care vision board in four steps: define your plant personality, pick goal plants, add care mantras and map your light.
The Complete Guide to Valentine's Day Plants
Valentine's Day plant ideas, from String of Hearts to Hoya Kerrii, and why a living plant makes a more meaningful gift than cut flowers.
Caring for Your Norfolk Island Pines
Norfolk Island Pine care: a tropical conifer that wants bright light and steady soil moisture, plus pest treatment and common problems solved.
5 Easy Houseplants That Tolerate Low Humidity
Five hardy houseplants that tolerate dry air, plus what low humidity really means when winter heat drops moisture to 20 or 30 percent.
Caring for Your Fatsias
Fatsia japonica care for a bold indoor focal point: the light it tolerates, steady but not soggy watering, and fixes for drooping leaves and brown edges.
Debunking 3 Plant Care Myths
Three plant care myths debunked: misting does not raise humidity for long, no plant needs zero light, and a bigger pot does not speed growth.
Caring for Your Carnivorous Plants
Care for Venus flytraps, pitcher plants and sundews, starting with the full sun they need to keep their traps healthy and working.
Complete Winter Plant Care Guide for Columbus
Winter plant care for Columbus homes: fight dry air, close the light gap, adjust watering, and answers on repotting, yellow leaves and fertilizing.
Caring for Your Olive Trees
How to keep an indoor olive tree thriving: the bright light and good drainage it needs to stay full and hold on to its leaves.
The Perfect Plant for Every Zodiac Sign
A plant pick for all 12 zodiac signs, from low-maintenance cacti for Aries to a Fiddle-Leaf Fig for Taurus and a Calathea for Gemini.
Humidity 101
Humidity 101: why dry air browns leaf tips, how to measure it with a hygrometer, ways to raise it, and whether misting works.
Caring for Your Monsteras
Monstera care: bright, filtered light for fenestration, steady moisture without soggy soil, and fixes for yellow leaves and brown tips.
Ultimate Houseplant Lighting Guide
Match plants to your light: direct sun, bright indirect, medium and low light explained, with tips for finding the right spot in your home.
Caring for Your Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) care from Over Grown: the light and routine that keep its bold variegated leaves vibrant and its stems strong.
Caring for Your Aglaonemas
Chinese Evergreens tolerate low light, but their color shows best in medium light. Aglaonema care, plus fixes for yellow leaves and mushy stems.
Gifting Greenery: Finding the Perfect Plant for Every Personality
Plant gift ideas matched to personality, like a Calathea orbifolia for the friend with an eye for design and a flair for the dramatic.
Why and How to Prune Your Houseplants
Why pruning keeps houseplants healthy, when to do it, and how to cut with clean, sharp tools so plants recover fast and grow fuller.
Fight the Winter Blues with Houseplants
Fight the winter blues with houseplants: how they lift your mood, keep you tied to nature when it is too cold to go out, and brighten your space.
Caring for Your Dracaenas
Dracaena care: how light drives growth speed and color, watering, soil and humidity, and fixes for crispy tips, yellow lower leaves and a soft cane.
Caring for Your Ficus
Ficus care for Fiddle Leaf Figs and Rubber Trees: bright light, steady watering and temperature, and fixes for sudden leaf drop and brown edges.
How to Properly Water Your Houseplants
How to water houseplants: the rules that always apply, two ways to check the soil, seasonal changes, and common mistakes that drown or dry out plants.
Caring for Your Peperomias
Peperomia care: bright, filtered light, careful watering to avoid overwatering and root rot, and fixes for yellowing, leaf drop and curling leaves.
Prepping Your Houseplants for the Cold
How to prep houseplants for cold weather: when to bring outdoor plants in, the pest check to run first, and how care shifts for winter.
Introducing Our Plant Subscription Boxes
Our in-store pickup plant subscription boxes: a new plant every month, tiers for beginners through seasoned collectors, and subscriber discounts.
Identifying and Treating Houseplant Pests
How to spot and treat spider mites, mealybugs, aphids, fungus gnats and thrips, plus the prevention steps that work against all of them.
Guide to Propagating Snake Plants
How to propagate a snake plant two ways: in water for easy rooting, or by division for an instant, mature plant, plus tips and troubleshooting.
Caring for Your Snake Plants
Snake Plant care: how it handles light, why overwatering is the most common mistake, and fixes for floppy leaves and crispy tips.
Caring for Your Philodendrons
Philodendron care: lighting, watering without root rot, humidity, support for growth, and fixes for yellowing leaves and brown tips.
Propagation 101
Propagation 101: the basic supplies, then how to root cuttings in water or soil and divide a plant, the cheapest way to grow your collection.
Caring for Your Cacti
Cactus care starts with light: how much sun they crave, how often to water, and fixes for a leaning plant, a soft base or white fuzzy spots.
Caring for Your Alocasias
Alocasia care for dramatic arrow-shaped leaves: bright light, soil that stays moist but not soggy, and fixes for dropping leaves and brown edges.
5 Low Light Houseplant Picks
Five houseplants that cope with dim rooms: ZZ plant, snake plant, dracaena, pothos and dieffenbachia, plus what low light really means.
Caring for Your Hoyas
Hoya care: the bright light they enjoy, why they like to dry out between waterings, and fixes for browning edges and a hoya that will not bloom.
Is It Time to Repot Your Plant?
Is it time to repot? The two clearest signs are a root-bound plant and growth that has stopped. Here is what to look for and how to repot.
5 Things Every Beginner Plant Parent Should Know
Five basics for new plant parents: light, watering, soil and drainage, early pest checks, and feeding in the growing season.
Caring for Your Succulents and Jades
Succulent and Jade care: why they want all the sun you can give, how to water, and fixes for leggy growth and soft, mushy leaves.
Choosing the Right Pot for Your Plants
How to choose a pot: size, material and drainage, plus how the wrong pot causes root rot, soil that will not dry out and stunted growth.
Caring for Your Calatheas
Calathea care: dappled light, consistent moisture, high humidity, and fixes for browning edges and curling leaves, on a pet-friendly plant.
Caring for Your Bird of Paradise
Bird of Paradise care: true sun-seekers that reward plenty of light and space, plus fixes for split leaves, a stuck new leaf and crispy edges.