Happy Plants, Happy You: A Plant-Care & Self-Care Guide for the Modern Houseplant Parent

by Kamili Bell Hill

In Happy Plants, Happy You , author Kamili Bell Hill of @PlantBlerd shows you that spending quality time with your plants is spending quality time with yourself.

Houseplants are so much more than a living decorative accent for your home or a relaxing hobby, and caring for houseplants should not be a mindless task. Instead, it’s an opportunity to check in with yourself as you check in with your plants . You’ll learn how houseplants can help you avoid burnout and bring a healthy focus to your own self-care. As it turns out, when you tend to your houseplants, you’re also tending to yourself. 

Houseplants have a lot of lessons to teach about relationships and the importance of a little give and take, including how to focus on the ones who love you back and how—like getting rid of a dead leaf or a mealybug—sometimes you gotta cut bait and bail on relationships that are bringing you down. Author Kamili Bell Hill  used houseplants to exit the stress highway that was overtaking her life and she knows they can do the same for you. 

Easy houseplant-care tips to help build your confidence in growing, combined with wise and witty words on everything from managing “devil-spawn fungus gnats” to making your houseplant leaves shine like the top of the Chrysler Building, Happy Plants, Happy You  is part self-exploration, part houseplant handbook . In a nutshell, it’s a plant-based roadmap to a happier you . 

You’ll get the lowdown
 
As your plants grow, you will too.  Houseplants are a guilt-free path to peace , and the result of stepping into an intentional plant-care/self-care routine will be happy plants and a happy you .

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening, Plants, Self Help

176 pages, Hardcover

Published September 5, 2023

Reviews

[Jill Kennard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to sit down and relax with. I love plants, but the book was more than how to select, care for, and incorporate plants into your home. You get to know the author, Kamili Bell Hill, through her stories. The pictures of her plants & home are divine. Lots of self care tips make this a book I’ll keep on my coffee table for a long time!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than a plant book, this is like having a heart-to-heart chat with a plant-loving friend over coffee. Kamili Hill, known as plantblerd on Instagram, writes with humor, joy, and exuberance. Her love for plants is on every page, but so is her love for people. She not only offers tips for keeping your plants healthy, but also writes heart-to-heart about plants as self-care, creating a space that gives you peace, and learning to slow down and take time for rest and meditation. Loved every page.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A BIG thank you to Netgalley, & Cool Springs Press for the ARC of this book in lieu of my personal opinion.

"When I would try
to take a little time for myself, I was often riddled
with feelings of guilt."

This book feels like therapy. It's a cross began The Sugar Jar & You Grow Gurl! 2 books I loved. This book is a quick read at under 100 pages. The pictures are exquisite! This author has a vibe that makes me feel like I could sit, have coffee, and chit chat for hours with her.

"Our lives, whether it’s the role of spouse,
mother, partner, manager—whatever it is. But
we are more than those roles and those titles.
While we are all connected, we are also sepa-
rate and unique beings with our own set of basic
needs. "

IT IS SO HARD TO FIND YOURSELF WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN ALL THESE OTHER ROLES!!!! She speaks to my soul. I have not heard of this author before but I'm glad we have been introduced to her. I think she has a therapeutic niche as a plant mama, a therapeutic friend, and a black woman. Those key pieces are reasons for this author to an auto-buy for me. She brings a quality flavor to this book and I NEED to run to a store and find more plants, PRONTO!

I love her emotional support waste bottle! We have to discuss watering ourselves!

"How often do you pause
for a moment and check in on how you are truly
feeling physically? And not just physically but
also mentally?"

"Slowing down to focus on my plants made me
slow down, pause, and recharge. I can honestly
say I’m not sure that I would have, without the
intervention from my plants"

I have been really working to pour more into myself and SO MANY of the quotes from this author hit home. I won't share everything I highlighted, but everyone who loves plants and/or needs to live themselves more, should get this beautiful book!!!

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kamili did a beautiful job with this one. The way she relates watering your plants, but also watering yourself is sweet and throughout the book, connecting the care of plants to your own self care is a theme. The imagery is so appealing but the true gem is in the text. It's like talking to a good friend who really loves plants and gives the best advice in a genuine, and realistic way. She keeps it real regarding techniques, hard to care plants, for multiple species of plants, and offers tips and diy instructions. I'd recommend this book to anyone with a green thumb, or anyone just starting out with their first plant baby.

[MMWins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre-covid, I was an admirer of indoor plants and was never confident that I could care for them. I continued to come into the office while my coworkers did not. My coworker asked me to watch her plant babies while she worked from home and I panicked, but told her I would try. I began doing research and that included books and video's as well as social media content. I started following this author on Instagram and was amazed how many plants she had and how entertaining her posts about plant care was, so it was a no brainer that I would want to read her book if and when she wrote one.
This book is both about self care as well as plant care. The author points out she found some peace in a busy world through the care of her plants. And I will admit she is right. When I am caring for my plants (both home and office) I do find peace and contentment in doing so and grateful I have learned to "STOP" to appreciate nature and the beauty of it. This information in this book is very basic so for those who are plant parents this might not be a book for you, if however you are looking for a beautiful book to read about plant and selfcare this would be one for you

[Susan Bewley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit that I almost immediately connected with the author when I started reading this book. It is extremely rare that I find a gardening book that doesn’t read like a textbook. It is touching and radiates with the author’s personality, making it the perfect mix of inspiring and educational. Connecting your lifestyle with a mixture of caring for plants is genuinely brilliant, especially connecting it to loving your plants is loving yourself. The section on hydration and would you date that plants are my favorites (even if it is hard picking a favorite – this book is truly excellent). Happy Plants, Happy You is the book I think every woman needs on her bookshelf to help her learn to love herself while finding her inner green thumb.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely the most different houseplant book I’ve ever read. It’s a really fun, informative and uplifting book that is sort of a self care book for you and your houseplants. Hill is utterly delightful and likable, and she really knows her plants. This book is like having a great friend come over with a bottle of wine to help save your plants and fix your problems. Great information, great photos, great advice and great fun.

I read a temporary digital version of this book for review.

[Sharon Valler: Live Love Read Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book which combines the care of plants with self-care.

I really enjoyed reading the author’s background, what inspired her love of plants and how plants can help us mentally and emotionally.

The information about general plant care, propogation, watering and pest control is explained clearly. The photography is STUNNING!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Kamili Bell Hill and Quarto for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Amberleigh Million • a.millionbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this beautiful plant book. It's unique in that it's not just about taking care of plants like most books I've seen. It combines both plant care and self care and I love the correlation. This book would make a beautiful coffee table book and gift for any houseplant lover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press, Cool Springs Press for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a happy surprise this book was! I have read a ton of gardening books, and a lot of the times, it's nothing new, but I did learn a few new things. She tries to make this a mindful plant book, so incorporating plants into your healing/mindfulness practice. Nice photos. Wish there were more for those who don't have tons of space. It's specific to houseplants.

[Subhasish Bhattacharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cheerful book filled with positivity. The authors bubbly outlook permeates through the pages. The book is filled with exceptionally beautiful pictures. Finally, I appreciated all the tips and learned a few things about growing house plants. An awesome read for Black History Month.

[Joy Aster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It felt like the author was inside my head and we were both giggling over the silly plant puns she kept unearthing. Lol! Actually she had amazing insight and a great vibe! Loved every minute of reading this!

[Nicole Power]

This book made me want to take better care of my plants again (...and get more plants)

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plant love

What's not to.love? An easy and practical plant care book with a focus on self care. It makes me want to go water my plants and myself.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photos in this book. Lots of plant tips and some personal therapy suggestions that I wasn’t expecting in this plant book.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of helpful, practical information and gorgeous visuals.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few months ago my boyfriend and I decided to become plant parents, and while we were experiencing some early successes, I really wish I had had this book around when the damn gnats showed up for the first time. There is some cool advice on houseplant care to be found here, although I feel lukewarm about the far-fetched self-help parts that took up half of the book. Mantras along the lines of "taking care of your plans means taking care of yourself" seem a little meaningless to me. Still, I envy this woman's green home.

***I received a digital copy from the publisher through Netgalley & Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.***