URBAN JUNGLES
PLANTS MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY AND THESE PEOPLE HAVE PACKED THEIR HOMES WITH THEM TO GET THEIR DAILY BOTANICAL PICK- ME- UP
ANDREA GROSU, Kent
“I’ve always felt a really strong connection with plants and I have to thank my parents for that. Growing up in the Romanian countryside you learn a lot about medicinal plants, foraging for mushrooms in the forest, growing your own vegetables and how to care for your flower garden, so my parents made sure I knew my way around any kind of plant. Plants are now one of the first topics me and my mother talk about when I call her. She really loves the updates, especially if any of my plants are flowering.
“I started collecting properly two years ago when I moved into an apartment with big west-facing windows. I have about 100 plants now and they do take up a lot of space, so I’m always taking cuttings to keep them under control.
“While I have a lot of cacti, I love aroids like philodendrons, anthuriums and monstera, too. My philodendron melanochrysum hybrid in particular is a real beauty. Creating my collection
“SEEING SOMETHING GROW REALLY GIVES YOU A PURPOSE ”
has definitely changed my life. Caring for something and seeing it grow really gives you a purpose. I also sleep a lot better since I got them and they have made me calmer (although maybe a bit too calm sometimes) and I love them for that. You can also feel that the air is cleaner, I know that sounds strange, but it’s true. Many plants are air purifiers and release oxygen at night. My snake plants are even NASA approved!”
JUDITH DE GRAAFF, France
“My family home in the 1980s was a true urban jungle and as a teenager I worked in a garden centre, but it became a true passion once I visited the Jardin Exotique in Monaco. I wanted to have that jungle feeling at home, too, so I brought back some plant cuttings and the rest is history.
“I’ve been collecting plants for over 15 years now. I don’t know how many I have at the moment because I stopped counting at 150. Our three cats like to play with the leaves of my kentia palm all the time, but I’m trying to teach them not to. They love to dig in soil and tip over some pots, but the casualties are usually quite limited.
“Having plants at home helps me to slow down. Taking care of them and observing them is a very mindful experience. I don’t think of anything else when I’m looking after them. As I work from home I love taking breaks to prune, repot or water them. Plants also improve the humidity levels, which is much needed at home, especially in the winter.
“I love how plants make our home look more fresh and alive. Once, I gathered all our plants in one place to take a photo and when I walked through the rest of the house, it looked so dull and empty. My favourites are my opuntia cacti. They grow like weeds and have nice round paddles and blue-ish green colours. They’re easy to propagate, too. Personally, I don’t really care if a plant is rare, tropical or special for botanical reasons. What makes them special is where they came from, if they were a gift from a loved one, how they grew over time and how much effort it took to bring them home.”
“TAKING CARE OF PLANTS IS A VERY MINDFUL EXPERIENCE”
KATE CHILVER, Essex
“I’ve learned everything I know about plants from talking to people, searching the internet and responding to each and every one of my plants’ needs. Without sounding too crazy, plants tell you what they need, whether that’s less water, more sun or a new pot.
“I have been collecting plants for what feels like forever, but it was when my husband Craig and I got our own house that the serious addiction began. I love to propagate and give plants to people. My most precious one is a jade plant I inherited from my grandmother. It must be well over 20 years old and I’ve given cuttings as gifts to everyone in my family as jade plants emit positive energy and promote success in life. I love that it means everyone will also have a little something to remember her by.
“Having houseplants around my family is one of the best things we’ve ever done. The kids all have plants in their rooms and look after them themselves, although my son Bodhi pretty much gives them a bath when he waters them, but he’s learning. I have to admit I don’t know all of the fancy names so the kids and I make them up, for example, we have a tall hairy white cactus called Santa.
“It’s almost impossible to choose a favourite, but I do adore my hoya linearis. It’s the most perfect minty green, hangs beautifully, blooms a cluster of lovely flowers and is just so classy. The fussiest plant I’ve ever owned has to be my string of nickels – I have no idea what it wants! I think we have an understanding and then it will drop all of its leaves, or I think it’s dying and then it will bloom. It’s currently hanging in a window and receives about four hours of sun a day and seems very happy.”
“PLANTS TELL YOU WHAT THEY NEED: LESS WATER, MORE SUN, A NEW POT”