Pandemic life can feel lonely when there is no one to spend it with. Sufia Quazi thought that with little to no human interactions, maybe she could form a bond with plants and animals.
"I was super scared of Covid so I wouldn't go anywhere. I got super depressed but I was like I need to find an outlet before I hit rock bottom," said Quazi.
She started out by rehabilitating her mom's old plants. She posted updates of her cutting the leaves and replanting them on Facebook, which attracted a customer base for plants and plant clippings.
She sells or trades plants and cuttings that she stores in vials until a client comes forward. According to Quazi, there are groups online with thousands of members looking for plant clippings.
"Last week I sold about a hundred dollars worth of plant clippings, which is insane, I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that plants brought me out of this dark place," said Quazi.
Decorating with plants is another talent of Quazi's. Her bedroom mimics a greenhouse with tall glass cabinets full of plants. Eccentric plant pots, warm lighting and a Staghorn fern wall hanging she made herself completes the look.
"I've killed almost every single type of plant which actually got me really sad," said Quazi. "Until I realized that you need specific parameters and environments for plants to survive and thrive."
Now she's a bit of a plant expert by keeping on a watering schedule for each plant and housing them in temperature and humid controlled cases.
Having an abundance of plants is labourous work, especially if you can't remember the plant species. Quazi labels all her plants, even common ones like her Venus fly trap.
While her case keeps her plants from wilting due to temperature fluctuations, it also protects them from her second hobby, her six birds.
Quazi became a parent to six birds over the pandemic. First was a budgerigar named Blue and right after, Quazi adopted Blue's partner Chippy.
Some of Quazi's plants are harmful for the birds to eat, but selling plant clippings with bird bites in them are not good for business either. After ensuring the protection of her plants, she now lets them roam free.
Quazi loves the birds as her own and can easily tell them apart. She often feeds them leaves that are safe for them to digest. Peep (the green and yellow bird) and Lemon (the all-yellow bird) enjoy feeding time a lot.
Blue and Chippy are still inseparable despite there being four other members of Quazi's bird family. Chippy is bright green and yellow and feels the need to protect Blue (the white and blue bird) despite her being sizably bigger than him, said Quazi.
Quazi has a special bond with Blue because she was the first addition to the flock. Even when Quazi goes out, she misses and worries about Blue.
"I got my first bird, my budgie a year ago and she was like my best friend," said Quazi.
Quazi is happy to have her plants and birds in her life as a consistent joy and a reminder to take care of her mental health. For now, she has no plans of any little baby birds joining the family, but plants are always welcome.