“I love house plants!”

A bold opening statement from Lauren Boyd, one of our trainee gardeners at Fullers Mill Garden. Lauren goes on to say:

“House plants are great stress reducers and boost productivity, mood and concentration while also purifying the air. They can improve your home décor and add that little something that you’re missing.

“For a lot of plant lovers, they become a healthy addiction. It’s a perfect hobby for giving you purpose, improving mental health or simply expanding your knowledge at your own pace while giving you a sense of satisfaction and pride when your plant babies grow and flourish.

“House plants are so diverse in the sense that no matter if you’re a beginner or a true plant addict there is a plant for you. There are plants that suit every home no matter how light or dark, hot or cold, humid or dry. There is everything from cacti and succulents, Monstera and Philodendron, to the more humidity-loving calathea and Alocasia and many more.

“No matter what you’re into there are fun and unusual plants, green giants, fantastic flowerers and some funky plants with colourful patterned leaves.

“For me personally, house plants opened a whole new world I had no idea about. The more I learned about them, the more I respected them and appreciated how amazing plants can be.

“I wanted more people to understand the beauty and fun in house plants, so a year ago at Fullers Mill Garden we started to integrate them into our shop. It started small but after a year of propagating the collection has grown bigger.

“There is a range to try and give a little something for everyone, whether you’re just starting your journey or already completely hooked.

“What started as a simple interest has grown into something I truly love, and I hope that others can experience the same joy, curiosity and connection that house plants have brought to my life.”

Lauren is truly a house plant enthusiast, and this is where her horticultural journey began – with no formal training she also decided to dabble in outdoor gardening.

When she finished her A Levels, she decided to explore the opportunity of a traineeship and started working at Fullers Mill Garden.

Lauren says: “I've absolutely loved learning about propagation. I find the whole process amazing, from taking cuttings to nurturing them into new plants. I enjoy all the different methods for each plant, and I think it’s so fascinating that plants can grow a whole new plant from a small cutting and for some plants all you need is a leaf.”