# Plants at Home: Uplift Your Spirit & Your Space - review & insight | Gareth B. Davies Source: https://garethbdavies.com/course-insights/plants-at-home-uplift-your-spirit-and-your-space/ [← All courses](https://garethbdavies.com/course-insights/) Other · Quick win · Rated 6 /10 # Plants at Home: Uplift Your Spirit & Your Space By Gareth B. Davies · Updated July 2026 Christopher Griffin · @PlantKween Beginner · 50 min A warm, low-pressure walkthrough of matching plants to your space and habits, not a technical growing guide. [Get a Free Month on Skillshare](https://skillshare.eqcm.net/c/3155494/298081/4650?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.skillshare.com%2Fclasses%2Fplants-at-home-uplift-your-spirit-and-your-space%2F1694126289) New to Skillshare? Your first month is free, enough to take this course at no cost. ## What it actually teaches The course follows a clean, logical arc: assess your space, choose a plant that fits it, bring it home, then build a routine around it. The strongest segment is the second one, where the teacher demonstrates reading a room before buying anything. Standing near a south-facing window with a light meter, the lesson explains that direction alone signals a lot: south-facing means bright ambient light with occasional direct sun, which suits cacti and succulents kept close to the glass, while tropical plants stay farther back to avoid leaf scorch. A hygrometer reading of 76 degrees and 46 percent humidity gets translated into a real number that most standard houseplants tolerate. This is the one place where the course gives you a repeatable method rather than a vibe. The plant selection lesson narrows the entire beginner category down to three options: snake plant, ZZ plant, and pothos, each justified by a specific trait (rhizomes that store water, slow growth versus fast growth, tolerance for inconsistent light). It is a sensible shortlist for someone who has never kept a plant alive, though anyone who has already researched houseplants even casually will find nothing new here. ## Diagnosis and troubleshooting The most useful practical skill in the course is the two-inch finger test for soil moisture, paired with a root inspection: pull the plant from its pot, check whether roots are black and mushy (root rot) or tightly wrapped around themselves (root bound), and choose between new soil, a bigger pot, or propagation accordingly. The propagation segment follows through on this, showing actual cuttings rooting in water in a repurposed spice rack, which turns a plant emergency into a recoverable situation rather than a dead end. Yellow leaves get tied to overwatering or insufficient light, brown leaf tips to low humidity or underwatering, both explained with the same soil-check logic rather than as separate rules to memorize. ## Where it falls short The course is explicitly beginner-only, and it stays there. There is no discussion of fertilizer ratios or schedules beyond a passing mention that several products exist, no pest identification beyond "inspect the leaves," and no guidance for anyone managing more than a handful of plants who needs efficiency rather than encouragement. The pacing also leans heavily on personal narrative and repeated affirmations about patience and self-care, which suits its stated goal of removing anxiety from plant care but stretches an already short runtime thinner on hard information. Someone wanting a reference they can return to for troubleshooting a specific plant later will likely need to supplement with other sources once they're past the very first pot. The course delivers exactly what its title promises: a calm, encouraging on-ramp to keeping a plant alive, built around real diagnostic habits like the finger test and root check rather than generic tips. It succeeds as a confidence-builder for someone who has never owned a plant and is intimidated by the idea. It is not built for anyone past that first stage. The standout The finger-test-plus-root-inspection method for diagnosing whether a struggling plant is underwatered, overwatered, or root bound, walked through on an actual specimen. ## What you will learn - · How to assess a room's light, temperature, and humidity before choosing a plant, including reading window direction and using a light meter - · How to research an unidentified plant using leaf shape and quick searches to find its care needs - · Which three beginner plants (snake plant, ZZ plant, pothos) tolerate inconsistent watering and low attention - · How to choose a pot size and material, including when a drainage hole matters and how to compensate without one - · How to diagnose yellowing, browning, or root rot by checking soil moisture and inspecting roots - · How to propagate a struggling plant by rooting healthy cuttings in water as a backup against root rot Best for: Total beginners who feel intimidated by plant care and want a gentle, confidence-first starting point rather than a technical manual. Skip it if: Anyone who already owns a few houseplants and wants specific fertilizer ratios, pest treatment protocols, or species-by-species watering charts. Engaging Teacher Clarity of Instruction Helpful Examples Audio & Video Quality [Get a Free Month on Skillshare](https://skillshare.eqcm.net/c/3155494/298081/4650?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.skillshare.com%2Fclasses%2Fplants-at-home-uplift-your-spirit-and-your-space%2F1694126289)