Looking for a little plantspiration? Well you’ve come to the right place! We’ve taken inspiration from some of the proudest plant parents on the ‘gram.
So, to inspire your next greenery splurge, we asked some of our fave plantfluencers to share which shrubs they could never live without, along with some handy tips to take care of them.
@plant.jungle
1. What prized plants could you never be without?
Alocasias, Begonias and Jewel Orchids. I absolutely adore Alocasia Dragon Scale and Alocasia Silver Dragon. With begonias, for me it would be Begonia maculata.
2. What do you love most about them?
love the reptile-ness and tactile nature of these types of Alocasias. The texture is everything for me — they look and feel incredible. With Begonias, I love their interesting shape and patterns on their leaves. Jewel Orchids, especially the Ludisia discolor and Macodes petola, have intriguing patterns on their leaves. And they are terrarium friendly plants, which makes them perfect for small homes and spaces.
3. How do you look after them?
Alocasia — keep in a warm bright spot. Avoid cold drafts and sudden temperature changes. I love to feed fortnightly with Grow Plant & Tonic.
Begonias — try not to overwater them! And where possible, avoid wetting the leaves to prevent fungal issues. But if you do, no dramas! Ensure there’s enough air flow in the room to adequately dry the leaves. Add Support Slow Release Pellets.
@sydneyplantguy
1. What prized plants could you never be without?
Philodendron Verrucosum.
2. What do you love most about them?
What is there not to like?! The velvet sheen, the heart shaped form, the red backs, fussy perioles … it’s a fast grower and climber too, so ticking all my boxes.
3. How do you look after them?
Give it a moss pole if you’re after big leaves. It enjoys cooler temperatures and high humidity. It has looong stems and can look a bit empty, so I recommend starting a few cuttings on a pole to make it nice and lush.
@thesecret_kitchen
1. What prized plants could you never be without?
Edible weeds, especially nettles. Mainly because they remind me of home and springtime is just around the corner. I love the natural world and the synergetics of weeds.
2. What do you love most about them?
It’s a plant that heralds the return of spring, a tonic of vitamins and minerals; and also a plant redolent of swans and spells. I use it in my herbal clinic in mixes — nettles enhance natural immunity, helping protect us from infections. Drinking nettle tea at the start of a fever can help alleviate your symptoms. Nettles have long been considered a blood tonic and are a wonderful treatment for anaemia, as they are high in both iron and chlorophyll. The iron in nettles is very easily absorbed and assimilated.
Boiling nettle leaves for two minutes will neutralise both the silica 'syringes' of the stinging cells and the histamine, or formic acid-like solution, that stings our skin. At our house, spring is the time for making nettle pancakes, soups, breads, pizza bases and pesto rich in the nutrients needed after a long winter.
3. How do you look after them?
Looking back home, nettles are a pure weed as we have an abundance of them on our surrounding fields. There is no need to look after them, they grow with the cycles of nature. If using in cooking, use the young spring leaves and use gloves foraging them. You can dry them for winter and use in teas (store in airtight container away from direct sunlight to keep medicinal benefits).
@glenmorehouse
1. What prized plants could you never be without?
Apple scented Pelargonium.
2. What do you love most about them?
I love its vibrant green hue. Its pretty, shapely foliage is also amazingly soft to touch, and has a really intense scent. It also produces dainty sprays of white flowers that are so enchanting.
3. How do you look after them?
Remove spent leaf and flower stems regularly to keep the plant free from debris. It grows best outside in the ground, but does well in terracotta pots too. Bring inside for brief spells, but not too long. You can cut the leaf and flower stems — it lasts well in a vase and can scent an entire room. Spray the leaves with water to intensify the aroma.
@paz_plantlife (Paz)
1. What prized plants could you never be without?
My favourite plants are climbers from the monstera, philodendron and Epipremnum families.
2. What do you love most about them?
I like making my plants climb on sphagnum moss poles. I love watching the plants grow bigger leaves the more they climb.
3. How do you look after them?
Start with small plants so they can take as advantage of the sphagnum moss pole. Keep the pole moist to encourage roots to grow and attach to the pole. 😊
@blushingvines
1. What prized plants could you never be without?
I love plants with velvety leaves (eg. Philodendron Melanochrysum), silvery leaves (eg. Philodendron Sodiroi) and pink leaves (eg. Stromanthe Triostar).
2. What do you love most about them?
I’ve always thought that most plants are green, but since becoming a plant parent I’ve learnt that plants can come in a variety of textures and colours. These are quite unusual compared to common house plants as they come in an array of vibrant colours, which is why are they are my favourites.
3. How do you look after them?
Bottom watering, e.g. sitting plants in a tub of water instead of pouring water straight into the pot. This way it allows plants to absorb as much water as they need and less chance of overwatering them.