How a big leaf tree made my apartment feel like a home
The tall, green ficus is the new ‘it plant’ of the design world
Anyone who is anyone on Pinterest owns a fiddle-leaf fig. The tall, leafy, prehistoric-looking plants pop up in the bungalows of svelte Californians and the cosy lofts of New Yorkers. Designer Jonathan Adler is reportedly a fan, as is designer-blogger Emily Henderson, who gushed about how the sculptural plants impact a room, because “their leaves are large-scale and dark green and it commands attention.” The New York Times, just this April, wrote how these fig trees have become the “it plant” of the design world.
A few years back, I was obsessed with finding one, or something similar; my apartment was merely the hollow shell of a home without an overbearing plant parked in a corner.
Here’s the thing, though, about desperately wanting a massive ficus while living in a little downtown apartment: You have to somehow find one, somehow transport it home, and somehow keep it happy, because these things are more finicky than small children, or so I’ve heard.
I scoured the city for a fiddle-leaf fig, but no one seemed to have one in stock. So I searched for a knock-off — something equally big, green, leafy. Even that proved a challenge. I ventured to local nurseries, but winced at the prices. (I could buy a new dress for the price of a plant. It seemed insane.) I also tried Sweden’s finest, but wondered how I’d carry a tree all the way downtown from the North York Ikea without a car.
And then, I found it, right in my own neighbourhood: A four-foot-tall beauty, some sort of tree with wide, deep green leaves, sitting on the sidewalk in front of a fruit market along Roncesvalles Ave.
The price was still off-putting — around $80, I recall, for a plant I could easily kill — so I kept walking.
Every day after that, I would pass that lonely tree, unsold at the side of the road.
The “what ifs” floated through my head. What if I couldn’t carry it on the subway? What if I brought it home, only to watch it die a slow and painful death?
What if it lived, and sparked within me an unhealthy plant obsession, making me the botanical equivalent of a cat lady?
I decided the risks were worth it, and paid the shop owner four $20 bills. Then I made the long trek home with my plant in tow.
First a streetcar ride, then a subway stint, then a tiresome walk to my apartment.
I brought in the big green tree — one that has since survived three moves and four apartments — and suddenly, the room felt warm, homey, and lived-in. There was life in my tiny space. The air even seemed a little bit cleaner.
With much less consideration than my purchase of the tree itself, I later dropped roughly $120 on an Anthropologie pot for my new possession. It only seemed fair.
How to get — and get home — your own big, leafy accessory You don’t need to grow from seed or push a juvenile plant through the city on a wheelbarrow. Instead, follow these steps to solving the big plant dilemma.
Step 1: Find one Ikea Address: 15 Provost Dr. (North York) and 1475 The Queensway (Etobicoke) Website: ikea.com/ca/en Islington Nurseries Garden Centre
Address: 1000 Islington Ave, Unit #5 (Etobicoke)
Website: islingtonnurseries.com/ garden-centre Sheridan Nurseries Address: 2827 Yonge St. (midtown Toronto) and 1774 Ellesmere Rd. (Scarborough) Website: sheridannurseries.com Plant World Address: 4000 Eglinton Ave. West (Etobicoke)
Website: plantworld.net
Step 2: Get it home By car If you own a car, your problem is already solved, so feel free to stop reading. If not, this might be a good time for a quickie car rental through services like AutoShare, Car2Go or Zipcar. By cab If you’re hoping to transport your new ficus by cab, a little politeness might go a long way with your taxi or Uber driver. By TTC Travel in off-peak hours to ensure it’s not too crowded, and bring a friend if you’re not able to hoist a massive plant into a streetcar on your own.
Step 3: Make it look nice Larger plants and trees can be dramatic as focal points against walls, says Jane Lockhart, founder at Jane Lockhart Interior Design.
“Select large plants or trees with purpose to make them part of a grouping of accessories, to frame an area or to create a focal point,” she says.
You also need to consider lighting. “You can have corners that are quite dark, or where a lot of sunlight comes in,” says interior decorator Laura Stein, CEO of Laura Stein Interiors. It’s worth discussing the conditions in your space, she adds.