Dr. James | Pistils & Pollen
banner
pistilsandpollen.bsky.social
Dr. James | Pistils & Pollen
@pistilsandpollen.bsky.social
57 followers 100 following 100 posts
Urban gardener & houseplant educator | Founder, Pistils & Pollen 🌱 | Helping new plant parents grow confidence—from Chicago, growing indoors, on rooftops, parkways, and community gardens. Join our growing community! https://www.pistilsandpollen.com
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
New short: Community garden tour—small space, big growth. Full video on YouTube (link in bio).
New frond on my Platycerium elephantotis after a move to brighter light + higher humidity. Proof that small tweaks add up in plant care. What’s thriving at your place this week? #Houseplants #FernCare
Playful plant chore: adding a moss pole extension for my pothos so it can keep climbing and leafing up. Simple upgrade, big payoff. What’s your go-to support for your climbers? #Pothos #IndoorGardening
Spotted a bouquet with full fall colors at David’s Delicatessen & Coffee—flowers turning before the trees. Also: big love for their seasonally fresh, veg-friendly sandwiches. What’s your first sign of autumn this week? #AutumnVibes #LocalFood
Small space, big wins: my starter trio = herbs, flowers, and leafy greens. Perfect for community plots or containers, and a great way to plan for next season. What’s your first pick? #SmallSpaceGardening #CommunityGarden
Weekend planting: Solidago flexicaulis plugs in the parkway—compact, shade-tolerant goldenrod that blooms late to keep pollinators fed after Agastache. #UrbanGardening #PollinatorPlants
New leaf on my Philodendron melinonii. Brighter spot + humidity and a chunky aroid mix = steady, happy growth. What small change made a big difference for your plants? #Philodendron #IndoorGardening
Black swallowtail caterpillars on bronze fennel = host plant magic. Fall is prime time to plant for next year’s pollinators—root now, bloom later. Pollinator series is in my app (link in bio). 🌿
Remounted my Platycerium ridleyi from cedar to a fernwood block so it can keep mounding. Fresh sphagnum, gentle ties, bright-filtered light. Small project, big payoff for epiphyte lovers. 🌿
Deck days = leaf days. My Ficus umbellata filled out outside this summer—big light, bigger leaves. Indoors soon, but not rushing it. A few are in my shop if you’re tempted. 🌿
My Monstera adansonii reached the summit—so I extended the moss pole and let it keep going. Not a tutorial, just plant-y joy with music. Bigger climb, bigger leaves. 🌿 #Monstera
Planting 6 × ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ (aromatic aster) in a tight clump for a big purple show next fall—a late-season runway for solitary bees as Agastache winds down. Fall planting = roots now, blooms later. 🌿
In case you missed it: Ep. 2 goes deep on the roots behind Pistils & Pollen. Watch the full chapter on YouTube or in the Pistils & Pollen mobile app. 🌿 #PersonalGrowth #HealingThroughPlants
Hand-sized Nepenthes pitcher! The secret was… more light. Loving the reminder that plants teach when we listen. What care tweak changed a plant for you? 🌿
Gave my terrarium a little spa day—new fern in, moss refreshed, a few crispies clipped, water, back on the credenza. Small maintenance, big calm. 🌿 #Terrarium
Planted 9 Rudbeckia maxima in three drifts—between Agastache, Echinacea, and Liatris. Fall planting = root work now, pollinators + height next summer. Urban habitat, one clump at a time. 🌿
Reposted by Dr. James | Pistils & Pollen
Happy Tuesday from the beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (male).

#Photography99 📷🌱 #Butterflies 🦋
Reposted by Dr. James | Pistils & Pollen
Reposted by Dr. James | Pistils & Pollen
Cabbage whites are a nuisance if you’re trying to grow fall brassicas, but seeing them flit about the asters still makes my heart happy nonetheless.
🦋🌼🌱💚
#butterflies #fallflowers
Ep. 2 is live: on identity, family, healing, and the roots that shape my plant practice. Full episode on YouTube or in the Watch tab of my Pistils & Pollen mobile app 🌿 #HealingThroughPlants #PersonalGrowth