As the days get shorter and temperatures get colder, leaves start to fall from the trees that surround the Tietgenkollegiet.
It goes without saying that Fall has arrived. Nevertheless, you’ll find little green pockets inside the dorm, adding vibrancy to Tietgen’s sober colour palette.
Last Spring, the Facebook group “Tietgen’s plant friends” saw the light as a place for residents that share a passion for growing plants. Nowadays, the grassroots movement in the literal sense, has over 100 members (and counting) and has grown into a flourishing community for everyone who offers or desires cuttings, potting soil or flowerpots.
The Tietgen Times gives a face to the plant friends that bring Tietgen into bloom, all year round. In a number of portraits, they share their love for plants, stories that might inspire you to test whether you have green fingers yourself and provide you with tips on how to prevent that you kill your plants within a week.
Nikolaj
16.3
“ It might look pretty, but your bathroom is the worst spot to keep plants.”
" A couple of months after I moved here, I drove to Plantorama with a friend and spent over 2,000 kroner on plants for my room. As you’re restricted in the changes you can make, plants are a way to bring life to your room. I’m not a big fan of the unbroken lines and almost Spartan design that comes with living in Tietgen. Plants disrupt this greyness by adding life and colour. So my fascination for plants definitely started here.
Looking back at my trip to Plantorama, it doesn’t make sense to splurge a lot of money on plants. Instead, ask around for cuttings or buy some seeds at the supermarket. Enjoy the magic feeling, that you might remember from kindergarten, when you grow fruits and vegetables that you’d otherwise have bought. I’m growing some avocado plants myself, and have handed out cuttings to basically everyone in my kitchen. My kitchen mates see me as the expert to go to when their plants are suffering. I’m definitely not a plant doctor, most of my expertise is based on Google searches, but I can often assess what the problem is and provide some advice. I believe the most common problem in Tietgen is that people water their plants too much or keep their plants in places where only very few are able to survive. It might look pretty, but your bathroom is the worst spot to keep plants.”
Martha and Erik
18.3
“ I’m the plant mama of our kitchen.”
M: “ I wasn’t even planning on buying my buddha belly plant for myself. I initially bought it as a gift for my grand uncle. But as he travels a lot for work, he couldn’t keep it. That’s how this plant came into my life, and it has been following me ever since. Since 2016, it has traveled from my former flat in Nørrebro, including a stay at my grandmother’s while I was on exchange in Madrid, to our current room in Tietgen.”
E: “This place is perfect for plant owners. It’s very light, spacious, and there are always people around to water them when you’re away for a while. Our kitchen mates really like to see how much difference a couple of plants can make and enjoy the home-grown tomatoes we share with them. But I don’t think we’ve turned them into plant lovers yet.”
M: “ Yes, it definitely requires some commitment. As I’m the plant mama of our kitchen, that’s fine by me (laughs). I work at a plant store and really care about my plants, especially the buddha belly plant has a special place in my heart. I would be devastated if it would die, and I would even consider bringing it with me if I were to move abroad. I would miss seeing its flowers bloom. It has grown along with me.”
Mads
12.3
“ Treat yourself and get a cactus”
“ The most fascinating thing about being a plant owner is to see your plants grow. My cactus for instance has grown so much over the summer. When it grew a new leaf, I was very excited. I can’t explain why, but it just feels so good! I believe I simply have a soft spot for cacti. I think they are cool, as they have a raw and neutral look. And maybe most importantly, they are fairly easy to take care of. Which is a bonus because people often feel defeated when their plants die. That’s why I’d like to share the following with people who would like to get a plant for their room: treat yourself and get a cactus.
But I also understand that not everyone shares my passion for cacti, and plants in general. Hence, I wanted to create a space where people could share tips and tricks, and spare the rest of the Tietgen residents from our silly soil posts in the regular Facebook group. At first, I was afraid that I would make a fool out of myself by creating a Facebook group that would be deemed unnecessary. Nevertheless, I launched the plant friends group this Spring. If you look at the current engagement and community, with over 100 plant friends and counting, you could say that people actually appreciate it. We aren’t a committee and don’t organize any events, but if people would like to take up such things: why not?”
Go say hi to the lovely plant lovers
Written by Job
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