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 met Kristina Kizilboya, a really passionate plant lady and geographer. She lives in a loft in the middle of a forest in Germany, where she created a beautiful indoor jungle! You can take a look at her 77 gorgeous plants on her Instagram account @fagusurban.
She's been growing a Pilea for years, and then, when she moved away from home, she took some babies with her to keep the fun alive!
Kristina deeply loves Mother Nature. It is really important for her to live next to some green. Her motto is: "I can’t buy a forest for myself, but I can make my own jungle in my apartment!"
Hello Kristina!
When and how did you become a houseplant lover?
When I was a child, my mother had a lot of plants. I wanted some plants too, so she gave me some Cacti: I was delighted with them.
Every woman in my family had plants, a lot of plants. Both of my grandmothers were real plant ladies. One of them was also working with tree grafting.
Once I started studying at my university, I moved out of my hometown, and I went living in a dorm. But I still wanted to keep a green atmosphere in my room.
I was studying Geography, and I decided to write my thesis about Phenology, which I am really proud of.
Then, once I finished my university studies, I got married and became a housewife crazy for plants. They are my best friends: I love that I can take care of them every day.
I think both my professors and my family made me become a woman with a small jungle in her loft.
Why do you think you love plants so much?
I believe that in today's modern world, while we are destroying the nature and all those beautiful forests, it's even more important to have some green around us.
I think it's vital to think where this world is going and how we can make it better. I can’t change human behaviors, but I can have my own green consciousness.
Currently, I live in Germany with my husband, in the heart of the Black Forest. I've never lived in such a beautiful place: there are thousands of pine trees, flowers and animals. I don’t need to go that far to see Mother Nature. And now I truly understand how important it is, and how beautiful it is.
Do you have a favorite plant?
As a plant mother, I shouldn’t answer this question: mothers should love all their children.
But I will tell you!
When I bought my Alocasia Polly, it was my favorite. But once I got my first Calathea, I thought it was an even more wonderful plant. So now I'm trying to collect all Calathea species. I like their patterns, and I love how they change from day to night.
What is your story with Pilea Peperomioides?
As I told you, when I was a young girl I had a lot of plants, and one of them was my Pilea!
I don’t remember how I got it, but I remember it was small. I've been raising it for years, and I loved it!
Then, once I moved away from my city, I gave it to my grandmother. Few weeks after, during the Easter holidays, I went visiting my family, and I noticed that my old friend was not healthy and happy anymore. So I took three stems from it and brought them with me to Germany. I put two of them in the soil, and one in the water; surprisingly, the roots came out very quickly. So now I am a happy stepmother of my old friend's babies!
I think Pilea is not difficult to care for. It's a really thankful plant: you just need to give the right amount of water and moist it once in a while. You don’t need to look after it every day, and it grows very fast. Also, it's a beautiful plant: you can place it wherever you want, it will always look gorgeous!
Where did you place your Pilea?
My indoor garden is upstairs my loft. My Pilea is there, together will all my other plants.
I love to place my plants all together: it creates a cool jungle mood, and it feels like they can create the habitat they need. They are placed near to a Northwest facing window: always bright, but not much direct sun.
Do you ever talk, sing, or play some music to your plants?
Yes! You may think I am crazy, but every time I go out and come back home, I always say hello to my plants.
I also enjoy listening to some music together with my plants, every kind of music. But I think their favorite is classical music.
What I like to do the most is to make them listen to some rainforest bird twitting: it feels like we are in the forest, and it makes my loft feel very cosy.
Also, I like to call all my plants as they are female. I don’t know why: maybe because they belong to me!
Do you like sharing your love for plants and making some new friends thanks to your passion?
I am glad to say plant lovers have created a really nice community on Instagram, where we can all share pictures of our plants, personal experiences and tips.
Of course, I also like to share my thoughts about plants with my family and friends. When the topic turns to plants, you can find me at the top of the conversation!
What plant is on your wishlist right now?
Every plant I don’t have is on my wishlist!
I must admit I prefer plants with unique colors, shape or patterns.
The next plant I will buy soon is Fiddle Leaf Fig because I really want to have a tree in my jungle and this plant looks very nice. I've been thinking about it for a long time, so I hope it can join my gang soon!
Thank you, Kristina!
We enjoyed a lot talking with Kristina. Her love for Nature and plants is so touching and heartening. Don't forget to follow her on Instagram: you will fall in love with her indoor jungle!
Let’s keep spreading the love and the fun!
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