Everyone Gets A Bigger Shell

January 11, 2026 emrys horton

On a rainy, Saturday morning my husband and I head to Gardenworks to buy:

a plant for a friend’s birthday
a pot for my Osler plant (a plant provided by my work which is in a branded container without drainage)
a plant to go into the tiny, Osler branded pot.

The plant store is such a fantastic place. They have so many neat plants I’ve never seen before, some prickly, some succulent, some huge, some tiny, and one that appeals to us both and looks like a bonsai, Banyan tree. I find a beautiful peperomia plant for my friend and a pleasant, fake succulent to go in the tiny Osler pot.

When we get home, and get to work repotting, we end up moving a few of our plants around – both between rooms and between pots. The plants moving from a smaller pot to a larger one, and passing on their smaller pots to smaller plants, reminds me of hermit crabs exchanging shells. Do you know about hermit crabs? They need to find snail shells or other hollow objects to protect their soft abdomens as they grow, leading to a complex, organized “vacancy chain” exchanges where they line up by size to trade up to a better fitting home, a process crucial to their survival.

The way it works is a large, vacant shell is found. Other hermit crabs gather around, assessing the new shell and their own size. They then form an orderly queue, from largest to smallest, waiting for their upgrade. Finally, when a crab large enough for the new shell arrives, it moves in, leaving its old shell vacant and starting a chain reaction for the next crab in line, with everyone getting a slightly better fit.

While some of my plants could arguably get by a little longer in their smallish, slightly root bound pots, they too will be much happier in larger homes with fresh soil and room to grow. So, they happily line up for their swap.

You know what else this reminds me of? People moving up the real estate ladder. At the beginning of the month, all the people line up in their own orderly queue to move themselves into their newer, bigger shell. What about the tiny shell left at the end you ask? Well, that’s for the downsizing seniors of course. Such is the circle of life.

Once we get our hands in soil we are energized and decide to stack the benches we have in the corner to create a two-level plant stand for our giant monsteras, Bert and Ernie, on top with smaller plants below. In the process of moving all the plants we discover that many need some bulk, and unhealthy leaves, reduced. After a dramatic pruning, a shuffling of plants between pots and rooms and a watering, our space is feeling just wonderful. Who knew gardening in January would be so satisfying?

By Melissa | Source: Original Post

Weekly Issue – Week of January 5, 2026