A man has revealed how he transformed his inner-city flat into a vibrant indoor jungle with more than 460 plants after a terrifying break in left him feeling ‘hideously violated’.
Interior designer Markus Hamence was in Bali, his favourite holiday destination, in 2018 when thieves broke in to his apartment, staying and treating it as their own for five days.
Markus told Femail he wanted to bring the serenity of Bali to his Adelaide home after the incident which led him to buying a few plants.
Interior designer Markus Hamence was in Bali, his favourite holiday destination, in 2018 when thieves broke in to his apartment, staying and treating it as their own for five days
Markus has embraced his plant obsession over the last three years, creating a Bali-style feeling of serenity at home
He has more than 460 plants in his collection and spend three hours each week caring for them
And then a few more.
‘I have more than I need but not as many as I want,’ he said before revealing he will probably never have enough.
The plants can be ‘high maintenance’ Markus said, but admitted he is too so he doesn’t mind.
‘In summer I tend to spend more time watering but hold back a lot more in winter, so I have more of a social life in the colder months,’ he said.
‘Pests would be the thing that do my head in, and I’m not talking about ex-lovers, but if you stay on top of them and don’t let them get out of hand, they’re always manageable.’
Markus spends about two or three hours each week ‘looking after the plant kids’. This includes watering, checking for pests and fertilising.
The biggest challenge he has found so far is being able to go away.
Markus has spent thousands of dollars on his collection but isn’t ready to stop yet and is always happy to add anything with pattern or drama to his jungle
Markus said every home should reflect the people who live there – which could mean having one plant or 1000
‘Anything with pattern and drama’ attracts Markus’ eye when it comes to plants
‘Going away for more than a week can be a bit of a bugger I’ve discovered, fortunately I have a few like-minded friends who pop around and tend to the more thirsty of the gang,’ he said.
The avid home gardener says from an interior design perspective he doesn’t suggest others follow suit.
But instead they should think about who they are and decorate their home to reflect that.
‘I really feel you should create a home that reflects who you are and what makes your soul feel good,’ he said.
Pests are the most annoying part of having so many plants, he said, getting on top of them quickly is key
The plants are a stark contrast to Adelaide’s inner-city skyline outside
Markus tries not to play favourites with his plants, but says of the almost 500 specimens he has two stand out for him
‘We live in a crazy world right now and we all need to find serenity in our own homes if nowhere else.’
Markus tries not to play favourites with his plants, but says of the almost 500 specimens he has two stand out for him.
‘My favourite would be the calathea rattlesnake,’ he said, joking that he shouldn’t say that out loud because his other plants would get jealous.
‘Actually I’m a bit fond of a giant ctenanthe which is over one meter tall.’
‘I didn’t intend on having my plant obsession get quite to this level, but as the plant trend started to really take off and with so many new and old varieties being so readily available I realised I wanted all of them.’
He also likes anything with variegation, and is currently looking out for one of his dream plants, a variegated giant bird of paradise.
Markus has spent thousands of dollars on his collection but isn’t ready to stop yet and is always happy to add anything with pattern or drama to his jungle.
‘I didn’t intend on having my plant obsession get quite to this level, but as the plant trend started to really take off and with so many new and old varieties being so readily available I realised I wanted all of them.’
Markus can be found on Facebook under ‘The Botanic Designer’ providing plant lovers with advice for their own indoor gardens.