Welcome to Plant Whisperers, our blog section where, each month, we interview true Pilea lovers and plant enthusiasts all around the world!
This month we had a chat with Carole Beyer, an adorable French lady. She runs the Instagram account @by.carole, and she is a passionate plant lover. During the past years, she added a lot of stunning Pileas to her plant family!
She likes to spend time decorating her house, and through her Instagram feed, we can appreciate her passion for the purity of white in contrast with the vivid green of her plants. She could never imagine her life without plants: they are part of her everyday life.
Her genuine love for plants began in the very first years of her life, and she told us a heartwarming story about plants and family rituals.
Hi Carole! We enjoy following your Instagram feed. When and how did you fall in love with plants?
As far as I can remember, I have always liked plants.
When I was a child, I loved looking at my mom going through her Sunday night ritual: watering our indoor plants. She placed all the plants in the bath for their weekly dose of water. It was more than just watering: it was a meaningful moment, a shared experience.
We were cuddling the plants, and talking to them. Each one of them had a story and a specific origin. It's at that very moment my love for houseplants was born!
These memories will always be a part of me, and today I keep doing the same. Every Sunday evening, it's bath time for all my plants, a family moment I spend with my two children. And my greatest joy is to see that they like it!
I see plants as living paintings transforming over the time: they live, grow, and change together with my family and me. I could never live without plants: I enjoy creating an urban jungle in my house!
It's lovely that you are keeping this family tradition alive. Maybe your children will do the same with their families too! Do you have a favorite plant?
I wouldn't say I have a favorite plant. Each one of my plants has a different story.
I bought some of them, and I received others as a gift on a special occasion, but they all are meaningful to me.
I particularly like succulents: in the winter, I keep them indoors, they thrive in my bathroom. In the summer, I love to place them on my outdoor dining table.
I recently moved to a new apartment, with no garden but full of bright light: now my plants have become not only a decoration but a part of my family life! I spend all my free time with them.
Tell us your experience with growing Pilea. When did you discover this plant? Is there any advice you would like to share?
I discovered Pilea on Instagram, three years ago. I remember I was going through a tough time. I immediately fell in love with its shape, which fits perfectly with my taste for minimalist interiors. The rarity of this plant pushed me to start looking for it everywhere.
Once I had my Pileas, they started to be my favorites: they represented my new beginning, a breath of fresh energy coming into my life. Then I also discovered the active community on Instagram: pure magic! It was about sharing, nothing but sharing: no commercial interest, just a lot of passion for this amazing plant.
I believe it's easy to take care of Pilea, and propagation is such a quick process.
I have no particular advice to give, but I can share what I do every morning: before the rest of the house wakes up, I drink my coffee next to my Pileas, I talk to them, and I rotate them a little bit so that their shape stays symmetrical. It's a moment that I really enjoy. Then, the morning rush can begin!
This is such a sweet morning ritual, and a great way to start your day! Do you have a designated place for your Pileas?
I used to place my Pileas in the kitchen and the bathroom: they were matching perfectly the decor, and the lighting conditions were optimal.
Today, my Pileas are in the bedroom and the living room, but I must say they don't have a designated place. I like to move them around and always find new decorative ideas. I also could see the leaves were yellowing faster when the light was too direct... I always try to adapt to their needs!
It sounds you are having a lot of fun with your Pileas! Do you ever play music to your plants?
Music is part of my family daily life, and I am sure my Pileas like it a lot!
We listen to a lot of different genres: my son listen to nursery rhymes in English, my daughter loves pop rock music, and my husband adds a little bit of electro to our daily soundtrack!
Your house is full of music, it's fantastic! We are sure your Pileas are growing surrounded by some great vibes. Do you share your love for Pilea with some friends or family?
Of course! There's no fun without sharing!
I have already gifted two babies I cut from my very first Pilea to my mom and my best friend! Recently, I even had the honour of showing a Pilea plant to a friend of mine who owns a flower shop. She did not know the plant. She has added some Pileas to her flower shop, and her customers already seem to appreciate it!
We love hearing this. It's always great when new people fall in love with Pilea! Any plant on your wishlist right now?
Oxalis Triangularis has been on my wishlist for a few months. Few weekends ago, it finally became part of my plant family! I love enjoying its morning and evening shows, when it opens and then closes: it's pure happiness! It also matches perfectly with my Pileas. Lots of pretty pictures to come for sure!
My next plant will be Senecio Rowleyanu; I am looking for a cute hanging container!
Thank you, Carole!
It was such a pleasure to meet a passionate plant lady like Carole. Her love for plants and Pilea is genuine and heartwarming. Don’t forget to follow her Instagram page: the neat and minimalistic vibes of her feed are delighting!
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