Plant Whisperers: Jesse And His Plant Filled Apartment

Updated: Sep 3, 2019

Welcome to Plant Whisperers, our blog section where, each month, we interview true Pilea lovers and plant enthusiasts all around the world!

Plant Whisperers: Jesse And His Plant Filled Apartment

This month we met Jesse from @plantfilledapartment.

He is a Canadian guy who created a beautiful indoor jungle in his 600 square feet apartment and gathered more than fourteen thousand people around his Instagram profile.

Let's discover more about this guy!

Hello Jesse! It's nice meeting you. When did your love for plants begin?

I grew up around both indoors and outdoors plants, but I used to love the outdoor plants and veggies more. Back then, my parents had a fair-sized garden, while my grandmother had a massive garden and a greenhouse I helped with.

It was when I finally moved to Calgary that I realized my place needed some indoor plants: they bring so much life to a home! I got a Fiddle Leaf Fig, and that was it: game over. It's funny: the other day I found a picture from when I was a kid, and in the background, there is a 7-foot-tall Fiddle Leaf Fig and a huge Boston Fern. I have absolutely no memory of it. My mom definitely had the green thumb!

There is something about plants; they seem to make people slow down and take a closer look at something else for a minute. That's why I love them so much.

How many plants do you have at the moment?

I never really have an exact number for this question. Actually, I have downsized a bit lately, and I have been giving more plants and cuttings away to my parents and friends.

I would guess I have 80 or 85 plants right now, and a lot of them are quite big. It does feel like a jungle in here!

What is your favorite plant?My all-time favorite plant is the Philodendron Gloriosum; I love how simple the leaves are, along with being so striking at the same time. Plus, Philodendron are tough plants!

Tell us your experience with Pilea Peperomioides.

I got my first Pilea in August 2017.

Someone told me I could find it on Kijiji, so I bought it for about 15 dollars. It was a small plant at the time. I have discovered it to be a super sturdy little plant that grows like there is no tomorrow! I placed it by a South facing window next to my kitchen table. It’s been there since the beginning, and it’s doing really good!

I would say it's better to give it more sunlight than less, but always indirect. I water my Pilea every five days in the summer, and I cut back on the amount in the winter.

I learned that Pilea loves to chase the light: rotating is necessary to keep the plant looking and growing full on all sides. My Pilea is growing wherever it wants, and I stopped rotating it long ago: unfortunately, there is no turning back now. I decided to put a stick with some rubber wire tied to the stem to support the weight of the plant.

Ideally, you can try to decide what your future Pilea looks like to you: if you desire a nice straight plant, maybe get yourself a stick that you can attach to the main stem as it grows.

Do you ever talk, sing, or play some music for your plants?

I talk to my plants every single day! I wish them a great day when I leave in the morning, and I tell them they’re doing great if they have a new leaf.

I’m a big believer that plants grow according to their environment, so I encourage them a lot.

I often choose to play some Jazz music when I am at home, also because I think plants like it. Plus, I get to hear a lot of good music: win-win!

Do you share your love for plants with somebody?

Plenty of my friends and family members are really into plants. I think more and more people are realizing that bringing plants inside can be so beneficial and completely change the environment of a room.

I have made many friends all over the world through my Instagram profile. It is so refreshing to find people who share the same hobby and passion! I have met some of these people in Portland and Vancouver. Portland is now planned to be an annual trip, and soon I want to make it to Toronto and Montreal to meet some more people. What plant is on your wish list right now?I have been wanting a Philodendron Elegans 'Skeleton Key' for a long time now; it's tough to find, especially in Canada. I am hoping, next time I go to Portland, to track one down or have one sent to a friend’s house while I am there. Although, my wish list is very, very long!