Succulent success with plants
THE modern-day generation may not be so lucky as to have ample space in their homes for a garden. But where there is a will, there is surely a way – and Jason Tor is the man to seek out.
The 32-year-old plant enthusiast is the owner of Plant & Pot Studio (facebook.com/ plant and pot studio ), a gardening store in Puchong, Selangor, that sells plants fit for an indoor garden.
His wares include airplants, cacti, succulents and small exotic greens. He also sells gardening accessories, as well as conducts terrarium or kokedama (Japanese-style bonsai) classes.
“It started off as a pastime. I have an interest in plants. I grew them mostly by trial and error at first, but through research and the exchange of knowledge with other hobbyists, I learnt,” Tor notes.
His advice for those interested in greening their homes is to try and try again. He thinks that most people just throw up their hands and give up, after killing a plant or two.
“Stop thinking about it. You just have to get your first plant. Of course, there are challenges to growing plants indoors. But when you get the hang of it, you’ll be succesful.”
Tor, who has a Bachelor’s degree in IT, founded Plant & Pot Studio after leaving his day job with a pharmaceutical company last year. He thanks his lucky stars that business has been good.
“I’ll be honest. It was initially difficult. Just imagine losing a stable income! That’s just scary. But I’m a risk taker, and I perservered,” he relates.
“Plant & Pot Studio is not just a plant store. I like to see it as more of a plant boutique where people can come and learn about plant care. I’m always ready to answer your questions.”
Today, Tor travels regularly to source for plants from other countries. He has been to Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan to talk to nursery owners and purchase rarer varieties of common plants.
According to him, “Instagramfriendly” plants like Monstera are currently all the rage. Astrophytum, a type of cactus without thorns, is also becoming popular among budding gardeners.
“Indoor gardening is getting very trendy because most people now live in apartments. With no garden, they then need to make do with growing plants inside their homes,” Tor concludes.