((PKG)) LIVING HAPPILY WITH PLANTS
((TRT: 7:10))
((Topic Banner: Living Happily with Plants))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera/Editor: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Chesapeake, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 female; 0 male))
((Sub characters: 0 female; 0 male))
((Blurb: Tracey Hairston, is an interior design, plant and lifestyle content creator. As a military spouse for 28 years, she had lived in eight locations. When the couple finally retired in Chesapeake, Virginia, Hairston finally got the chance to do what she has always loved, raising plants. On her virtual space, MochaGirl Place and Instagram, she blogs about her various projects and love for her more than 80 different house plants.))
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((Tracey Hairston
Interior Design, Plant, Lifestyle Content Creator))
When we moved here, I knew that this was a place where I could really invest in my plant life and in my home design. And I really just kind of just let myself be free and be able to express myself.
My name is Tracey Hairston. I am an Interior Design, Plant, Lifestyle Content Creator, and I live here in Chesapeake, Virginia.
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In the morning when I get up, I open up all the blinds, I open up the curtains, and I walk through and take an inventory of my plants. Not counting like how many plants I have, but I take stock in what they're doing every day, what needs to be cared for better. I do that every day. I just do because I feel like if I'm taking care of myself every morning, these plants also need somebody to help them.

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I would consider myself like a modern bohemian with an eclectic vibe. So, I'm very open to like adding pattern and texture

and colors together that you may not think might go, but once you see them all together, they really complement each other. I am a lover of bringing the outside in, meaning that I love a lot of wood,

a lot of plants, a lot of earth tones. And you see that like throughout my house. My house is just a true reflection of that.

Right now, I am getting ready to write a blog about my favorite online plant shops.

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I absolutely love coming through any type of nursery, any type of…if it's a home improvement store or a smaller nursery, where I can literally just walk and lay hands on these plants.
It's video time. Look at these beauties. I call them, you know, they say, ‘wandering’. I say, ‘wandering dudes’. I absolutely love the colors. Look at…and look at…they bloom little, beautiful purple flowers. Aren't these amazing? I love them. This is a Philodendron Brasil. It's super easy to grow. Like, I really love the colors. Look at how beautiful and vibrant the yellow, green in the center, going down the center of the leaf. That's how you know that it's a Brasil. Rhaphidophora…but ah, my gosh, look at how beautiful this plant is. There's a common name of this plant, and I'm just not quite sure…oh, Dragon Tail. It is a Dragon Tail. It is absolutely beautiful.

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So, a lot of these videos are like B rolls. So, I can take them and create content by making a reel, or just use them like as far as education. If I'm talking about a particular plant, like what this plant…like what area of your home would be best, what type of lighting? So, I do those types of videos like that.

((Courtesy: Tracey Hairston))
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This particular plant, this Calathea Orbifolia, truly sparks joy every time I see it when I walk back here.

My main focus of social media is Instagram and I have over 22,000 followers.

Content creating, it is always the motto that you film everything. Whatever you're doing, you film it. So, I have a lot of stuff on my phone.

((Courtesy: Tracey Hairston))

It's time. I don't know if I showed you guys this, but look at how beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
It’s a Painted Lady, a Philodendron, like I need another Philodendron,

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but I can't help it. They're so pretty and look at the colors. It's like the lime green and there's a little pink in there. Absolutely beautiful, but it's time to repot this plant.
So, it's still in the little nursery pot. It needs to go into a bigger pot. So, I'm going to put it in this one. I use a combination of orchard bark, pearl light, and potting soil.

((Courtesy: Tracey Hairston))

Filling it halfway, like so like that. Roots are healthy,

but there's a lot of them, like they were itching, itching to come out of there.
So, a little space in there and then I'm going to backfill

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with soil around the sides.
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It might kind of act like it wants to act funny on you because you’re messing with the roots, but don't worry. It's just getting acclimated to its new spot.
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In general, never fill up your pot all the way up to the rim with soil because when you water it, you don't want the soil overflowing on the outside.

What I hope to do more of is gathering like-minded people who really have a desire and love for not only just plants, but just like to be involved with the world around, like bringing that outdoors in, in some kind of way.
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I call these like plant talks because we're just talking. We're having these conversations. I will never say that I am an expert. And the reason why is because I'm still always learning. A lot of people will think, "Oh, that’s like too many plants." But this room was designed for these plants.

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I like to call this room my Garden of Eden. This is just my special place. It is extremely humbling that anybody would even recognize me from anything on social media.
((Tracey Hairston
Interior Design, Plant, Lifestyle Content Creator))
So, I'm always very humbled by the fact that seeing me and knowing that there's an actual person behind the screen, and that I am obtainable, and I am just relatable, because I am just Tracey. I'm just Tracey who has a love of plants.

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If you are a heavy waterer, I think a lot of people tend to water too much. One day, I do have a dream job, a dream goal of owning a plant shop here in Chesapeake because there is one missing. But it's also very heartwarming to know that my words, and just me being who I am, can make a difference in somebody else's life.
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