Our Snells Beach Plant Connoisseur Shares Her Top Tips for Making Sure Your Leafy Babies Thrive
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PLANT LOVEFor many of us, our indoor plants have evolved beyond being just plants or leafy decor you plonk in a corner to make a room look pretty. Indoor plants, like pets, have become expressions of devotion and sources of joy. I have never met anyone who understands this sentiment better than Corrinna, our local plant connoisseur and the owner of Plant Love, a botanic studio in Snells Beach. Here, Corrinna shares her passion for plants and her top tips to help your indoor plants thrive (and survive).
Tell us about the story behind Plant Love, how did you get started?
While I had always loved indoor plants and had had them on and off since a child, it was when our own children were very young and I had been spending a lot more time at home that I really started realising just how much I appreciated the way they improved both the look and feel of our spaces. I also found they were bringing me comfort and joy during the sometimes tricky baby/toddler parenting period.
I became plant-obsessed, grew my plant family, and, in doing so, began learning more about different varieties and their care needs. I also started propagating to share with family and friends. After a time, a friend who I'd converted from someone supposedly unable to keep a plant alive to a successful plant mumma of a thriving collection suggested I do something with this newfound love. I invested in a polyhouse and a little studio, and Plant Love was born!
What other services do you offer?
I offer a range of quality plants, pots and accessories on my website, from my Botanic Studio by appointment, and I have a selection available at everybody's favourite local ice cream store - Charlie's. I try to ensure the plants are in appropriately sized growpots with substrates suitable for an average home or office environment, and all are sold with individual care instructions. This extra care and information hugely helps my customers to have success in caring for their plants and seeing them thrive.
I also provide a range of Services. Consultations for plant choices in people’s homes or businesses are my favourite. I absolutely love helping people choose for a specific space, knowing that we want it not only to look great but also for the chosen plants to thrive long term. This could range, for example, from someone wanting just a small shelf plant for a dark, cold bathroom to a fit-out for a business, including a grouping for a hard-to-fill corner in a reception area. I also provide repotting and watering services (one-off and ongoing), plus plant and pot hire/staging in homes on the market. I love the challenge of customising the selection to ensure they're suitable for the specific environments while also looking great, softening the spaces and making them feel more welcoming to potential buyers.
For individuals with busy lifestyles, what are the top three indoor plant recommendations you would make and why?
There are many very low-maintenance plants for busy people or those who want super-easy care options, but if I had to narrow it down to three species, I'd say the following. They are all super easy care, all don't mind or like being root bound (which means they don't require annual repotting, which many people find difficult to find the time for or to do correctly), and none will be bothered if you are irregular or constantly falling behind with your watering schedule, yes!!
1. Hoya Plants - I've heard stories of these hardy plants being found alive and well after sometimes years of neglect, then being handed down through generations. My neighbour has a huge, incredible-looking carnose she says is easily over 40 years old!! Many hoyas are versatile, able to trail or climb, and most do well in both moderate and bright indirect light, and many even in low light. I absolutely love these plants, and their flowers are truly incredible!!
2. Sansevieria - This genus of drought-tolerant plants is also fine in nearly any environment and lighting. Their stiff upright architectural form makes them work really well in tricky spaces and as a contrast in plant groupings.
3. Gasteria - Another drought-tolerant genus with thick leaves and a compact habit, making them a hardy, easy-care, and fabulous-looking plus practical option for any tabletop or shelf.
What are some common mistakes you see people make when taking care of their indoor plants?
The most common mistake I see or hear about is overwatering, leading to root rot. When checking your plants, my motto is 'if in doubt, leave it out!'. It's much easier for plants to come back from underwatering rather than overwatering. But it's also important to note that the causes of overwatering are not simply giving too much water at once or watering too often.
Contributing factors include a plant not being in an appropriate soil/substrate, or it being placed in a location or environment not suitable for its needs. A quality plant in a suitable pot and spot makes appropriate watering and ongoing care so much easier!
Then, of course, there's just basic neglect. We can't simply water a plant for years and expect it to thrive! For example, over time, the plant will likely have become rootbound and the soil depleted of nutrients, plus compacted, allowing less water and oxygen to the roots. The leaves will end up covered in dust and grime, inhibiting photosynthesis; old foliage may decay, and the growth habit will likely be leggy.
I absolutely get it, though! My personal plants are the last to get love and I too am guilty of neglecting my green babies. Life is busy, and we are often not giving ourselves enough love and attention, let alone catering to all the needs of our plant family, which can be low on the priority list. When we do give our plants the TLC they require, they certainly reward us for our efforts, though, and it can be a fun and even therapeutic time, which is another reason why I love assisting clients in caring for their plants.
What are your top three favourite indoor plants?
It's very hard to choose just three, but here are my long-time favourites - all classics.
1. My personal favourite for as long as I can remember has been the ficus robusta/rubber plant. I just love their thick shiny (when clean) leaves, and being fast growers, you can buy small and end up with a large showpiece before you know it. They can be pruned to encourage branching and cool shape, and these easy-care beauties are also air purifiers.
2. For a trailing plant, along with the classic Hoya Carnosa, the Heartleaf Philodendron/Philodendron Cordatum. They tick all the boxes: super easy care, able to tolerate most conditions and lighting, long-lasting, and stunning simply trailing from a shelf on their own.
3. Finally, the Kentia Palm. I think they are a really sophisticated-looking plant with their arching, dark-green fronds, a plant that shines alone or complements in a grouping.
