New year, new things to talk about. I’ve been wanting to share a little of my life with plants. So today I’d like to take you on a mini tour of one of my favourite places in the home, the jungle altar. I love to build altars in unconventional places. Closets in particular are among my favourite because of their inbuilt structures (shelves, rods, light, etc.). And when I need privacy from visitors, I simply close the doors. The idea behind this one was to bring nature indoors and create a sacred area to commune with spirit. I also wanted enough space to sit and perform some small practices. Let me briefly tell you how I built this altar two years ago (it’s evolved a lot since).
For this project, I began by painting several layers of white and green inside the closet and on the doors. I opted for the matte finish with primer & anti-fungal properties. Once everything dried, I installed the grow lights. Initially I tried to replace the recessed pot light with a grow lightbulb, but this completely failed because the current was incompatible (DC vs. AC). In the end, I used double-sided tape to glue four T5 LED strips onto the ceiling of the closet. (The pot light still works.) They are daisy-chained together and plugged into a smart power bar.
The main electrical outlet is located outside the closet, near the rattan planter (from here, all the cables run underneath the closet door all the way to the ceiling). I also added two fans that run 24/7 and a series of fairy lights that I can turn on magically at night. If you squint a little, you will see a Himalayan salt lamp and a few battery-operated tealight candles. There’s also a thermometer & hygrometer. This is essentially the skeleton of the build.
Because the main growing area is higher up, a lot of the plants are vines that trail downward (that way I can actually see something!). You will recognize many varieties of Epipremnums, a few orchids (most are NOID Phals), some hoyas, and a juvenile Epiphyllum that I’m trying to nurture into blooming. The grow lights run for 12 hours during the summer and 9 during the winter. I don’t change the light gradually and don’t use a humidifier either (mold alert). Generally, the humidity follows the room’s humidity, but the temperature may be 1-2 degrees higher because of the enclosed space and elevation.
On the bottom shelf, I only have three small plants: a Schefflera, a Ficus burgundy, and a few Pothos cuttings that I grow in water. (The plant sitting on rattan is a Philodendron ‘Millions,’ if you’re curious.) Now you might be wondering: What about watering? WELL! Unfortunately, because of the location (enclosed closet), it wasn’t possible to install an automated watering system. As a result, I water all these plants manually using a ladder. Luckily most of them can withstand a bit of drought so watering takes place every 1 1/2 – 2 weeks. I bring the plants to the sink to make sure no excess water remains (again, mold alert). Some people enjoy walking their dog; I enjoy walking my plants.
Most of the time, this is where I come to meditate or chant with my instruments (great resonance!), but occasionally when I feel fancy I also pull cards or scry. Of course, because of fire & ventilation concerns, I do not burn any candles or incense (the herb bundle that you see is only for decoration). I’m not able to show you the magic show with fairy lights because of my poor photo-taking skills, but trust me when I say it’s quite magical! My altars are constantly changing and I often build multiple ones at the same time. In fact, I’d like to build one in my backyard but still haven’t made any real plans (it’s been two summers). To be honest, I’m a little overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Maybe 2024 will be the year I finally get over myself and try something. To be continued…
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