Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and Arts Nursery is excited to bring in some cool plants and pieces in order to help you celebrate.
2020 is the year of the rat, which is the first animal of the zodiac signs. The rat is said to be quick-witted, charming, intelligent and resourceful. These characteristics come from the story of when the Jade Emperor was holding a competition to see which animals would be a part of the zodiac. The Emperor chose the animals based upon who showed up to his party first. The rat asked the ox to take him across the river but jumped off before the ox crossed the finish line, so the rat won the race and became the first of the zodiac animals.
However, zodiac animals are not the only symbolic figures in the Chinese New Year. Lucky Bamboo, which we will be carrying this year, is a very symbolic plant.
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky Bamboo comes in stalks and this plant is a very sacred gift in Chinese culture. The number of stalks you give to someone symbolizes what you are hoping to gift them.
- Two stalks symbolize love.
- Three stalks symbolize Fu (happiness), Lu (wealth), and Soh (long life).
- Five stalks symbolize positive energy in the five core areas of life: emotional, intuitive, mental, physical, and spiritual
- Six stalks symbolize good luck and wealth.
- Seven stalks symbolize good health.
- Eight stalks represent growth and fertility Nine stalks symbolize great luck.
- Ten stalks symbolize perfection, happiness and a wholehearted life
- Twenty-one stalks represent a powerful blessing
No matter how many stalks you’re getting, lucky bamboo is said to carry peaceful energy and, they are pretty easy to care for!
It is a lowlight plant If you’re growing your plant in soil, keep the soil slightly damp but not too wet or else it may create root rot. If you’re growing it in water make sure the roots are covered in water and change the water every 10 days.
In addition to lucky bamboo, we are carrying some other cool plants that are often found during the Chinese New Year.
Calamondin Orange
The Calamondin Orange symbolizes prosperity and abundance as the oranges on the tree resemble coins. They are given as gifts or as good luck tokens for Chinese New Year. In Chinese languages, the word 'orange' sounds like the word for wealth. Calamondins are a type of citrus, and produce small fruit similar to an orange, but they never really sweeten up. As a result, they are used more for ornamental purposes instead of fresh eating. Citrus also have very fragrant flowers that can be enjoyed just as much as the colourful fruit.
ZZ Plant
I like to call this “unkillable” indoor plant, but it is also known to bring good fortune and luck to those around it. You’ll often find these plants in offices and workspaces as they represent growth and consistency. These guys can survive in low to bright indirect lighting. You only need to water them when they dry out, but they can go for a very long time without water if you forget… not that I’ve done that before. These are great plants for beginners and for bringing positive energy to your space wherever it may be!
Arts Nursery is excited for the New Year and we can’t wait to help you bring positive energy to your own home and to the homes of your friends and family!