Master Class

For the uninitiated—what exactly does a plant designer do?
As a plant designer, I work to introduce plants that will flourish and thrive based on the light, temperature, and humidity within the space while also taking into account the person’s schedule for plant care. That, I think, is the most important aspect of the job. With that in mind, I then identify specific areas that would be enhanced by plants and consider the existing design of the space when choosing planters. Once a design is approved, we source all of the plants, planters, and potting materials, pot everything, deliver and install the plants, and provide plant-care instructions—or alternatively, our team can care for the plants for you.

Where does your green thumb come from?
From lots and lots of reading, studying, researching, questioning, and trial and error. There was certainly a lot more error in the beginning, but once you’re able to gain an understanding of what plants need to thrive, it’s so rewarding and exciting. Both set of grandparents were avid gardeners and I would help in the garden when I was a kid, but I never really understood the "why" of what I was doing until I was a young adult who struggled to keep plants alive. From those experiences and learning, my love affair with plants became a thing that I sought to immerse myself in by working with gardeners and plant shops, ultimately leading me to start Leaf and June.

Top 3 tips?
1. Select plants that will thrive in your home and keep in mind that, while you cannot mimic the plant’s natural habitat exactly, it’s something to aim for. Always try to gain a basic understanding of what a particular plant needs to survive before buying.
2. Group plants that have similar care requirements together. This will help maintain your watering and humidity levels.
3. When possible, add a variety of plant colors, heights, growth habits, and textures for added interest, allowing for each plant to stand out on its own amongst the group.

What's… plant music?
Plant music can be simply music you play for your plants or it can be music made by plants. If you’re not familiar with plants making music—I highly encourage you check it out. It gives you a whole new perspective on the activity and pulse of plants and how that is used to create music.
In terms of good plant music vs. bad plant music, I like to think that any music that makes you happy, likely makes your plants happy. But that said, I do love Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, Mort Garson’s Plantasia, Baroque Bouquet’s Plant Music, and Minnie Riperton’s Come to My Garden, to name just a few.