July 11, 20265 min read
A mix for pots that dry too slowly
Bark, pumice, a little coir. The recipe matters less than the air you leave between the grains.
Read Essay
Potted Olive
Olea europaea
Few leftZones 8–11
North-facing shelf, two feet back from the glass
Carried home in a paper bag from a small nursery in the valley, this specimen has kept the same corner ever since. It has outlasted two house moves and one badly timed repotting, and it still puts out new growth every spring.
Light
Direct sun, four hours minimum — a south window or nothing.
Water
Weekly in summer, monthly in winter. Water deeply, then drain fully.
Subsoil / Pot
Unglazed terracotta, 18cm — bark, grit and loam in equal parts
Acquired
Spring 2022
Care & environment
Nothing here is a schedule so much as a habit. The routine below is what four years of watching this plant has taught us.
Watering routine
Water deeply, then leave it alone. Check the top inch weekly in summer, monthly once the light shortens.
Soil blend
One part bark, one part horticultural grit, one part loam — free-draining, never rich.
Dimensions
Roughly 70cm tall, 45cm across at the widest leaf.
A personal note
It is not a showy plant. It does not reward attention the way a calathea does, and it will never fill a room. But it is the first green thing we see in the morning, and there is something steadying about a plant that simply continues — through the dark months, the forgotten weeks, the moves. It has taught us more about patience than any book on the subject.
Growth Timeline & Milestones
Spring 2022
Arrived home — four leaves, one of them already bent.
Autumn 2023
First repot into terracotta. Roots had circled the plastic twice.
Summer 2025
Settled on the north shelf, where it has stayed ever since.
Swipe through the log →
Bi-Directional Journal
Field Notes & Essays Featuring This Plant
- July 26, 20267 min read
Letting late summer growth go leggy
Not every stem needs correcting. Watch a plant reach, and take notes.
Read Essay