It seems like everyone during the height of the pandemic discovered new hobbies to invest their time in. The same goes for Terry Richardson, who goes by the Black Thumb on Instagram. In a recent interview with the LA Times, Richardson explained how he and his wife got into caring for orchids.

The couple had an orchid, and it died. As with most people who don’t have experience with plants, it’s easy to give up on them and toss them when you believe them to be dead.

“We didn’t know what we were doing,” Terry told LA Times. “The orchid didn’t have enough light. We weren’t watering it enough. … We literally did everything you’re not supposed to do.”

Orchids Are Not Hard To Care For As Many Think

 

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A post shared by The Black Thumb: Orchid Care Made Simple (@theblkthumb)

Richardson, who is a physical therapist, recently moved to a new home with his wife, and they received a lot of succulents as housewarming gifts. They assumed that their thumbs were becoming green because they were able to keep them alive.

“We did the bare minimum, watering them every now and again, and once they grew, repotting them,” he said. “It was the positive feedback I needed to think, ‘Hey, I may actually be able to grow something.’”

However, when his wife brought an orchid home, their amateur green thumbs were put to the test. He admitted that he killed the orchid because of a lack of knowledge about the plants. However, Richardson received a second chance when he found an orchid in the dumpster. It was on that day that Richardson transformed into a Black thumb and was ready to care for orchids seriously.

When Richardson witnessed his once discarded orchid bloom, he felt proud.

“Seeing Penelope bloom really felt like an accomplishment,” he said. “I had stepped out of my comfort zone and was successful at something that was really hard. I felt like there were good life lessons to learn from plant care, and I thought, ‘How can I re-create that again?’ I started going to the dumpster two or three times a day looking for orchids to rescue so I could have that success again.”

The Black Thumb Shares Tips To Keep Your Plants Healthy

Now, that Richardson and his wife are more confident in caring for orchids, they take to social media to help others. They’ve grown a loyal following on Instagram and TikTok, while offering tips and advice for orchid lovers.

Richardson says bright, indirect lighting, consist watering and good drainage are the fool-proof tips to keeping orchids alive.