Monstera calathea alocasia part of the houseplant collection

Chez Boris: thirty plants and one application in three years

Article for :All parent plants

Boris is the founder of Monstera. He started his collection with a Monstera cutting he stole from his old job. Today, his living room is home to some thirty specimens, and plants have become a real vocation.

When did you first become interested in plants?

I became interested in houseplants four or five years ago, by chance. At my old job, in my office, there was a gigantic Monstera. It almost reached the ceiling! I thought it was really impressive. I was able to take a cutting from it and start my collection. I still have it today, and it's grown a lot.

This Monstera inspired the application and gave it its name. When I started looking after it and adopting other varieties, I realized that I needed a tool to know what to do and not forget a plant in a corner. That's how I came up with the idea of creating an app to help me look after my plants.

How many plants do you have?

I have around thirty houseplants, mainly green plants: Monstera, Alocasia, Calathea.... I also have a few flowering plants, including strelitzia reginae. I can't wait for a flower to come out. That would be the Holy Grail, and an opportunity to make the most of it.

My collection takes up a lot of space in my living room, but I'm always on the lookout for a bit of free space so I can bring in the latest addition. I tend to crack easily when I pass a plant I like on a shelf.

If you've run out of room for your plants, try hanging baskets

I also have a garden where I let the plants fend for themselves. I water them at first, and then they take care of themselves. So far, so good.

What are your favorite plants?

I have a beautiful Monstera variegata. I've had it for three years and it's doubled in size. It's a difficult variety to care for because of its white color. It's fragile and can quickly become damaged. Keeping it healthy is magical.

Monstera variegata, a demanding but rewarding plant

For the launch of the Monstera application, I was given a Monstera minima Mini Monstera). I love it because of its symbolism: a small plant that will grow into a large one. It's already doubled in size and barely fits in its pot.

Are there any plants you don't like so much that you're thinking of parting with?

No, not really. But some of my Crassula plants have been neglected. They don't look like much anymore. I'm trying to get them back into shape as best I can.

Which plants would you like to add to your collection?

Alocasia 'Polly, the elephant-eared plant. I have several Alocasia, but this one is missing from my collection.

What's your greatest achievement?

I'm rather proud of having saved my Calathea Triostar. There was a slight problem while I was on vacation. One of the sprinkler heads didn't detect the lack of water. So it didn't water for two weeks..

From about twenty leaves before I left, there was only one left when I returned. I had renamed poor Calathea Titeuf! I've resumed regular watering and maintenance, and it's paying off. Today, I recovered five leaves. I hope it continues.

Titeuf, the Calathea has already recovered some leaves

What's your biggest failure?

My worst mistake was not checking the pots for holes... After a while, the water was rising above the soil. In fact, it wasn't potting soil anymore, it was just water! It happened to me with another Calathea. Now, I'm very careful when I choose my pots.

How does Monstera help you maintain your collection of houseplants?

With the app, I never forget anyone. I used to forget a plant or two when watering. The same goes for repotting: either I repotted everyone at the same time every year, or I repotted each plant in turn and ended up missing one..

It's hard to remember to water everyone when you have dozens of plants

I also use Monstera to centralize information. There's a lot of advice on the net, some of it contradictory. It's a bit complicated to get information. With the app, I have a correct and personalized watering frequency.

What's your advice to those who want to start growing plants?

Don't hesitate and don't be afraid of failure. And if worse comes to worst, the Monstera app is there to help you.

You can discover Boris's Monstera, Alocasia and Calathea on the Monstera app's Instagram account (monstera_app). Unless otherwise stated, the plants photographed are his own.

If you too would like to share your collection with the Monstera community, get in touch!

By Servane Nemetz
on 06-06-2022 at 11h05