Three decades ago, Bryan Taylor picked up a houseplant from Ikea and popped it in his blue Frakta bag without much thought. Today, it's still thriving among the impressive collection of 119 others in his Brighton home.
'The oldest plant in my collection is my Euphorbia Trigona, or African Milk Tree, which was purchased from Ikea about 30 years ago. It lives in a south-facing window, is now over 7ft tall, and is still going strong,' says Bryan, House Beautiful's visual content editor. 'They have very shallow roots, so I'm worried should we ever move home!'
While many factors contribute to Bryan's long-living houseplant (light, water, pot size, positioning), he swears by a simple trick: getting the soil right.
'Soil is really important for the plant's success,' Bryan says. 'Generic houseplant soil is fine, but if you want the best results, it's always a good idea to buy what the plants naturally want to live in. For example, some plants like Aloe Vera need gritty, well-draining potting mix, while Peace Lilies benefit from a coconut coir base. Generally, you should repot every two years. I use Joe Bagley's site for all my soil needs.'
Another key thing to look out for is plant unhappiness. 'Your plants will tell you when they are sad,' Bryan continues. 'You just have to work out what they're trying to say. Look for signs such as being too wet, too dry, not having enough light, and things like the central heating being too close.'
With an impressive 120 plants in his care, you may be wondering how they all fit under one modest roof.
'We've definitely had to put up extra shelves in the past as we are running out of flat surfaces,' Bryan admits. 'I love that natural, cascading look of a hanging plant on a shelf. It's surprising what space you'll find when you walk to that garden centre or plant shop and fall in love instantly.'
Euphorbia Trigona House Plant
And what about a watering routine? Rather than dashing around the house with a water can, Bryan breaks it down room by room.
'Where possible, I take each plant to the kitchen sink (every other week in the winter/spring and every week in summer/autumn) and let the water drain away out of the bottom of the pot. Most plants hate sitting in water, so this way alleviates that issue, plus it's a good opportunity to inspect the plant for any issues or bugs and treat on the spot.'
So what’s Bryan’s favourite — if not his very first Ikea plant?
'I love variegated plants. One of my most recent purchases was a Spathiphyllum Diamond or Variegated Peace Lily, which is currently loving life being a metre or so from a south-facing window. There's something utterly beautiful about bringing the outside in.'
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