WANDER INTO SOMETHING NEW
⬅ Swipe ➡
To Grow Or
Not To Grow
To Grow
Or Not To Grow
We spoke to Shaan Lalwani, a horticulturist who runs Vriksha Nursery in Mumbai, to guide us through house plants, from the easy-going types to the drama queens.
ABOUT
SHAAN LALWANI & VRIKSHA NURSERY
Vriksha Nursery is a 47 year old nursery in Irla and Juhu, Mumbai and Shaan Lalwani is the owner and director. He has been actively working in the field for 15 years, with an MA in landscape management and a BSc in horticulture.
WHAT’S IN
WHAT’S IN THIS NOOK?
Low effort plants
Plants for sunny window sills
Buying plants on a budget
THIS NOOK?
Life gets busy. If someone has only 10 minutes a week, what’s the one thing they should do for their plants?
Plants are pretty fuss free. If you’ve got 10 mins of free time give them a nice drench with any good liquid fertiliser for 5 mins, wipe off the extra water from the drain trays for plants susceptible to overwatering, and for the last 2 mins sit back and just admire them.
Looking after plants is easier than it is often made out to be.
SHARE THIS
If you had ₹1000 to start a plant collection, what would you buy?
Quality or quantity is something I always say, get yourself a foliage Anthurium, maybe a Clarinervium, or a nice Nepenthes pitcher plant.
An attractive plant that is very low effort
Image: Dixit Dhinakaran
Sansevieria or Snake Plant.
This plant could literally survive a nuclear
Holocaust and still look great. The fact
that they purify the air is a fun bonus.
Transform the vibe of a home
Image: Dixit Dhinakaran
Strelezia, better known as the Bird of Paradise are absolutely stunning tropical plants that thrive indoors. The large shiny leaves tend to brighten up every indoor space.
Plant equivalent of a puppy
Image: Andy Feliciotti
With its eye catching colours and lines, the Fittonia is irresistible but high maintenance. Most plants will thrive if you give them the right environment and care but many tend to find this plant difficult. The plant comes in a myriad of colours and forms but hates it when it's left in a hot space or if its soil is too dry.
Plants for your window sills
Image: Andy Feliciotti
The world is your oyster if you have a sunny windowsill, but depending on the wind we'd advise you to grow Frangipani, Ixoras, Hibiscus or lemons.
At home in tiny city balconies
Image: Andy Feliciotti
Hoyas are a family of plants that bloom with the most stunning waxy flowers, they grow in small pots and thrive with minimal care.
If your own home could only have three plants, which ones make the cut?
My Anthurium Hazel x Tejas (bred by Amey Bhide). My Varigated Cycad and a Mint Monstera.
What’s the most fun way you’ve seen someone style plants in a small home?
A client made a vertical wall garden using vintage photo frames and that looked super fun.
Let your plants let down their roots in style
