Jeffrey Eng treats his plants like his children.
“I love my plants. I worry about them; they are my responsibility for life. I feel calmer when I come home from work and take care of them, ” said the 32-year-old regional retail manager who lives with a hundred plants in his 480sq ft (44 sqm) studio apartment in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
“I love having them around me because there’s a sense of satisfaction in watching them grow. It’s so rewarding knowing that plants can thrive given the right care, ” says Eng, who has been interested in gardening since he was a child.
From a few pots, he now cultivates a huge variety of indoor plants that include philodendron, monstera, anthurium and rhaphidophora.
Beautifully displayed in different corners, his apartment is literally a nursery for his babies. Eng is ever the proud plant parent, posting photos and stories of his plants on his Intagram account @one_man_house.
Eng is among a growing number of millennials and Gen Z who are leading the surge of popularity in houseplants in recent years.
This new generation of plant lovers are generally urbanites who work long hours and live in small high-rise units.
Occupied with their careers and less likely to commit to long term plans such as marriage or starting a family, doting on hardy low-maintenance plants allows them to exercise their need to nurture.
“We are delaying our milestones such as buying houses, settling down and having children. So plants have come into our lives, and we are fully embracing ‘self-care’.
“And through indoor plants, I have made new friends on many gardening groups on Facebook. That is truly priceless, ” says Eng.
A quick #houseplant search on Instagram will point to over 3.9mil posts, where a large community of plant lovers is happy to share photos of their lush greens.
Popular favourites include spider plants, string of hearts to variegated leaves.
Do you know there are even articles on what houseplants say about one’s personality?
Succulent owners are said to be independent, while people who keep spider plants are believed to be friendly.
A plant’s popularity (and price) tends to surge whenever a celebrity or influencer is seen with it.
Last year, American actor Mark Ruffalo (aka The Hulk) garnered over 314,000 likes on Instagram after he posted a photo with a bunch of iris.
Also read: Want to be on-trend when it comes to houseplants? Be responsible too
These days, Eng admits he has gotten past the fad of buying plants that are trending on social media. He prefers to purchase greens that he fancies based on his budget.
“I have a long wish list for indoor plants, but I won’t spend too much money on each plant. My preferences include the uniqueness of the leaves, texture and colour.
“Plus, it shouldn’t burn a big hole in my pocket, ” says Eng, who purchases most of his plants from online nursery portals.
“Some newbie plant collectors are willing to pay thousands of ringgit for the rare variegated monstera just because of its status. Many of them are merely interested in obtaining extra ‘likes’ on social media. Sadly, their plant eventually dies as these budding Instaplanters lack knowledge on how to maintain the plant, ” says Eng.
For those who don’t have much time, try those that are easy to maintain, he adds.
“Switch to slow-release fertiliser and opt for low maintenance plants. Aroids make great houseplants as they don’t require a lot of attention and love to dry out between watering.
“There’s a sense of growing something beautiful yet requiring minimal effort, ” says Eng, who has improved his knowledge on plants through YouTube video tutorials and reading horticulture and botany books.
He also learned to build terrariums through YouTube.
“There’s so much that one can learn through YouTube tutorials. I have been having my terrariums for over six months. Some plants have died, but some greens are thriving. It is fun to see a tiny ecosystem inside a jar, ” says Eng, who posts updates of his plants each day on his Instagram.
Green endeavour
Part of homemaker Jessy Christopher’s daily morning routine is to check on her 30 indoor plants, just like how a mother cares for her children.
“I spend about 15 minutes inspecting my indoor plants, which include monstera, sansevieria and philodendron. I monitor if my greens are thirsty and if plant pests threaten them.
“I love foliage and how it can beautify my home. They are complementary ‘soft furnishings’, ” enthuses the mother of two.
The 39-year-old’s eyes beam with excitement as she talks about her latest acquisition – the monstera albo variegata. She whips up her phone to show photos of it that she posted on her Instagram handle, @jcchris.
“This plant is a rare species and very manja (delicate). It originates from the Netherlands, and I’m so excited to own it finally, ” says the proud plant parent, who spent over RM1,000 on the plant.
Jessy’s green love affair began after she shifted to her apartment in late 2016. It all started when she saw her friend’s Instagram postings of his thriving succulents.
She had minimal knowledge of plants when she first put her green fingers to work.
“All I knew was my living room and balcony get the morning sun, and succulents need at least three hours of direct sun to grow well.
“I was thrilled when my succulents started to grow so well. Now, I have over 80 species of succulents. With that, my desire to grow my collection of plants intensified, ” says Jessy, who buys most of her plants from nurseries and private plant collectors.
Today, she is the proud owner of over 200 species of outdoor and indoor plants. They include peperomia, scindapsus and pothos, and classics like anthurium and alocasia, which are popular on Instagram.
One of the most eye-catching species in Jessy’s home is a 10ft (3m) trailing plant that cascades down from her living room upstairs.
She also has a few rare plant species like the philodendron strawberry shake, philodendron domesticum variegatum and alocasia chantrieri.
Jessy admits it requires a fair bit of hard work and commitment to care for her plants.
“Wipe the bigger leaves when they are dusty. A layer of dust on the leaves will block sunlight and reduce the plant’s ability to photosynthesise.
Older leaves also need trimming regularly.”
As indoor plants can be expensive, she advises budding plant enthusiasts to do some research before venturing into this hobby.
“Don’t be too caught up with trends or peer pressure to post perfect pictures on social media. It is essential to understand that plants are living things, and they need tender loving care, ” says Jessy, who turns to social media and books to hone her knowledge on plants.
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