MOST of the projects in real estate I am involved in take pride in their (outdoor) landscaping but a recent trend in indoor or interior landscaping has taken Metro Manila by storm for full-blown projects to table escapes that are intended to take the stress out of urban life.
As people get lost in the hustle and bustle of the concrete urban jungle with their day-to-day activities, little realize the negative impacts on their psyche. We try to find escape in the world of constant notification, fast food, social media and addictive TV series. We find ourselves burned out with the taxing daily routine. It has been said that “routine is the enemy of time, and we urban dwellers would want to have a feeling of routine and get trapped in the high-strung lifestyle and lose time.” The only time to get back to nature is on paid vacations—brief escapes spent at overdeveloped tourism destinations. Ar. Chris Cuenca, Ar. Gem Lim, Business Dev. Cecille and Ar. EnP. Elritz Gallo can personally attest to this circumstance as they have first-hand experience in the Metro—a good example of a bad working environment due to the excessive daytime population, influx of vehicular traffic and air pollution.
Hiking has been a usual activity that they, as urban planners and architects, do as they go on-site visits for their projects all over the Philippines. It has also become an annual recreational event for most of them in the office. From all these immersive activities in nature, they found their inner calling—a more meaningful purpose—aside from the profession they are currently practicing.
One day, Ar. Chris, who specializes in Architectural Interiors, randomly purchased a Tillandsia Ionantha Fuego, a colorful and little type of air plant, and brought it to the office. Since he was still a novice at taking care of indoor plants, the plant died in less than three months. Instead of giving up, he became more curious and eager to tend plants. He started buying more plants, and ferociously studied the intricate art and science of indoor gardening. Eventually, he was able to successfully keep them alive; and began selling them to aspiring “plant-parents.”
Sample of air plants ‘Tillandsia’ display tray His display of plants on his work desk made everyone in the office ecstatic about his hobby and inspired some of them to start their own. As the requests for plants increased, Christopher needed assistance in his weekly plant shopping, and so he invited Ar. EnP. Elritz to join. Ar. Gem and BD. Cecille eventually joined in the hobby and eventually took part in the “plant-hunting.”
Officemates and friends tagged them as “plant-hunters” as they would buy the plants that were requested, most of them rare or hard to find just like treasures. Their passion for filling up their workspace with greenery spread like wild fire in the office, until more and more workmates desired to have a plant on their own desks, too. At first, it started with simple air plants that sat on thin wires. Now, almost everyone has potted succulents or cacti on the corners of their desks.
Sometime in 2019, these four plant addicts found themselves together, jovially humming to pop songs while getting their hands dirty during one of their “potting sessions” (transferring their newly bought plants to new pots) and they realized that this activity brought them together as friends and they have bonded as a group just because of this shared interest in plants. The following weekend they were making their way to a local flea market at 3 in the morning. It was at this point that the plant hunting became a serious business. More officemates desired to be plant-parents; while some wanted plants to give away as gifts. The demand for potted plants grew as more of their officemates desired to be plant-parents, and for some, they just wanted to present as gifts. What started out as a stress-relieving getaway turned into an exciting business idea for this group of “potheads.”
Dahon Lang is an online plant shop and design consultancy with a purpose of promoting a healthy urban lifestyle by enhancing indoor air quality. Living or working in an energy-efficient modern building can have unintended side effects such as less air flow. This leads to indoor air pollution to build up and cause health issues like asthma and having sick building syndrome (a condition affecting office workers, typically marked by headaches and respiratory problems).
The plants that come in new pots and fresh soil are purchased from local businesses from different provinces in the country like Laguna, Benguet and Davao provinces. Through the plant hunts, the group was able to personally meet fellow plant lovers and sellers alike who were kind enough to share their knowledge in taking care of these potted treasures. Despite the advent of the Internet, and the amount of information that can be sourced being limitless; truly, the love, commitment and experience nurturing these plants are still the best teachers. With this knowledge-base on hand, they have mastered the selection and the characteristics of the plant species and its respective optimal environment which they can thrive in.
Some people are hesitant to buy plants because they think they don’t have a green thumb and that they don’t know how to take care of them. Actually, it is easy and simply. There are just rules of thumb to follow.
Here are tips they shared in finding the perfect plant for your home or office:
- Ask yourself on how committed you are to become a “Dahonnanay.” If you are too busy, you should go for low maintenance plants.
- Check your environment. Is it hot, moist or cold?
- Research on the plants that are perfect for your environment. There are some low maintenance plants such as Peace Lilies, Snake Plants, Fiddle Fig Trees, Rubber Plants, Monstera Alogmena, Chinese Evergreens, and Spider Plants. These plants usually thrive at almost all weather conditions, plus they are air purifiers.
- More than watering, location is the key to a plant’s development so make sure to check the orientation of the window.
- Enjoy on the benefits and happiness that the plant will bring to your home or office.
Eventually, Ar. Chris, Ar. Gem, BD. Cecille and Ar. EnP. Elritz were able to close the loop between indoor gardening and architectural space planning. They found a common ground where their hobby and present professions intersect—and that is interior plant styling. Greenery is an integral component of Tropical Architecture Planning and Design. This style involves the incorporation of planning and design solutions into the development to keep the interior temperature cool despite the hot and humid climate. As people tend to spend a lot of time indoors, the interiors play an important role in health and wellness. A natural way to enhance the quality of air and to keep the interior spaces cool is to go for indoor plants. In a way, plants bring the outside in by creating visual depth.
The nature surrounding your building becomes part of the room, making it seem larger. It is also a known fact that when we see the color of nature, we have this sense of relaxation that is incomparable and a direct contrast to our urban spaces. It is scientifically proven that it is because of the color green that lets our eyes relax.
Aside from the aesthetic and functional values, plants also offer the following benefits: increased humidity, reduced energy costs, improved health, better concentration and decreased stressed, among others. Thus, interior plant styling can be used for showcasing healthier living or working spaces. Having attractive plants as interior design elements can help set a good first impression. Plants can also give a sense of scale to a room, such as the height of a ceiling, and serve as a focal point by filling up empty spaces like tabletops or corners of the room.
The joy of what Dahon Lang brings to them pushes them to share the healthy lifestyle with the rest of the working community. As environmental advocates, Dahon Lang’s ultimate goal is to enhance urban living by incorporating nature into the interior spaces. In a modest way, Dahon Lang also helps local plant businesses to thrive, while promoting awareness of our indigenous plants that are native to our country.
1 comment
Lovely post… I enjoy reading your posts.