A Gardener’s Guide to Neopia’s Weirdest Plants

     Spring marks the season with warmer temperatures, increased rainfall, abundant sunlight, and greater pollinator activity, which means your garden is ready to flourish, so take this opportunity to do it up and give it a new life! But with the ample variety of beautiful Neopian gardening plants to choose from, it’s easy to fall into the cliché of creating a typical Spring garden. So why not stand out a bit and treat your garden like your personal canvas? Choose the more bizarre botanical varieties to spruce it up to make it a truly original garden that is yours, and truly showcase your character and eccentricity.

     Below are six gardening items that will certainly make any passerby Neopet do a double take and marvel at your wondrously strange creation!

     Wocky Glove

     Wocky Gloves are beautiful plants that can grow to the height of a Grarrl with proper care! Their name comes from the particular shape of their purple blooms, said to perfectly fit a Wocky's paw. You should take care not to let your pets play with them, however, as this unassuming little plant can be quite toxic. In ancient Neopia, they were used as medicine, but have since gained a sinister reputation. Some even believe they played a role in the King Coltzan tragedy. These unfounded rumours have earned their bell-like flowers the nickname "Death Knells" after the infamous Smuggler's Cove weapon.

     Whether or not you believe the folklore, let your pets admire them from afar and tend to them with plenty of water and fertiliser to support their large size, especially if your Neohome is in a warmer region like Altador. You have nothing to fear from a well-tended, well-guarded Wocky Glove.

     Meepie Tree

     Hailing from Mystery Island, these little trees are truly a mystery. No one knows exactly why their pink leaves grow perfectly into the shape of Meepits with wide, staring black eyes. How did an island plant grow to mimic a Petpet from the Haunted Woods? The answer has eluded Neopian scientists for years. Though they're difficult to maintain, these strange trees will bring a pop of colour and tropical fragrance to any garden, year-round for the dedicated gardener.

     Meepie Trees thrive in sunny, hot environments and require plenty of fertiliser while they’re growing. They should be potted and taken indoors during colder months, or kept inside at all times if your Neohome is in the Haunted Woods. Oddly, Meepits are attracted to this plant and will quickly eat it down to the roots! If you can manage to keep one happy, they'll eventually produce Red Juppies, perfect for making jam or Meepit juice.

     All Seeing Tree

     You’re a gothic girlie, and Halloween is your spirit animal so why not make that obvious in your garden with the All Seeing Tree? Its buds bloom into its signature gouging red eyes that cover the entire tree, which will surely spookify your entire space. No random visitors will bother you, as the glare of a thousand eyes in full bloom will ward off even the bravest of souls, so you get to enjoy your haunting peace as an added bonus. The All Seeing Tree is really easy to grow, as it doesn’t photosynthesise like other leafy plants. All it needs is some decomposing plant material at its base, from which it obtains all its nutrients, and perhaps a larger space between each tree in case a stray branch from another tree pokes out some eyes.

     Cheery Plant

     The Cheery Plant is a must have if you’re looking for an uplifting type of garden. The grooves and marks on its leaves resemble those of a smiley, and with its leaves swaying in the gentle Spring wind, it’ll appear as if it’s smiling directly at you as you walk past. You can place them in pots along the garden borders, so whenever you walk along the pathway to enter and exit your home, you get a cheery boost to your dopamine levels. It’s important to note, though, that it requires natural fertilisers from the Bikiwan, so let’s get your hands dirty and start planting and potting to cheer up your garden!

     Petpetpet Eating Plant

     You should never judge a plant by how cute it looks and the Petpetpet Eating Plant is a great example of this. It looks quite charming with a little flower on top of a small potted plant with shiny green leaves. It doesn’t move around a lot, and it doesn’t make a sound. It just sits there quietly, not bothering anyone. That is the exact problem because the plant is patient. It doesn’t have to chase anything. It doesn’t have to move quickly. If something small gets too close, that’s usually the end of that. It will go back to sitting there like nothing happened, even after it has done what its name says it will do. It’s just another quiet little plant, and that’s the scary part.

     Negg Muncher

     At first glance, the Negg Muncher might look silly, but that’s part of how it gets away with everything. It has a leafy body and a bright yellow-orange bloom that makes it look like quite the exotic plant in your garden. It will always look at you and is quite interested in what you’re holding, especially if it’s a Negg. This plant doesn’t just like Neggs, it loves them. Everything will be fine as long as you keep feeding it. It will sit there and mind its own business, looking like the most innocent plant in your whole garden. At least until you forget to feed it, and then everything changes. All of a sudden, anything and everything that is round or colourful becomes interesting. Things like decorations, items, and things that aren’t food at all become potential victims. When something goes missing, you’ll already know why. The key is to be consistent. If you feed it and keep it happy, the Negg Muncher will behave but as soon as you make a mistake, you’ll be reminded of what it was made to do.

     Things You’ll Learn the Hard Way from Your Garden

     Oddity gardening is not about having a perfect schedule or a strict routine. It has to do with paying attention and listening. You won’t need to give it much thought as you gradually discover what your garden needs. If something seems off, it probably is. It’s best to accept things as they are and move on. You most definitely forgot to feed your Negg Muncher if it's staring at you. Give your plants some room, as it will take time for them to settle.

     You will eventually realise something important. This is no longer just your garden. It might feel messy at times. One morning, you may just wake up to find that something has moved, objects are missing, or things have changed in ways you didn’t expect. Oddly enough, that’s just something you will look forward to. Anyone can make a normal garden with neat rows of simple flowers, with results that are easy to guess. However, an oddity garden is very different. If you can keep it going even with its flaws, you’ve made something special. Just remember to keep an eye on that Petpetpet Eating Plant. It’s never stopped watching you.