14 Questions with Melissa Lowrie, Author of ‘Terrain: The House Plant Book’
When Melissa Lowrie was young, she would accompany her mom on trips to the local nursery. The book, written with the Terrain plant team, contains in-depth profiles of treasured varieties, organized by how they grow and how you’d use them at home, along with detailed care advice.
Melissa Lowrie of Terrain.
Photograph by Kate Jordan.
“Houseplants have always been closest thing to my heart,” she says.
Photograph by Kate Jordan.
You can train the vines of the slow-growing Stephania perrieri on a wire hoop or frame. I have probably about 120 houseplants of various sizes in my house now, and am focusing more on smaller plants, like varieties of caudex and Hoya, that will stay contained so I can have more.
Favorite houseplant?
I typically use terra-cotta or other natural, unsealed porous clays, which are ideal for maintaining predictable moisture levels. Like terra-cotta, these pots allow the plant to breathe and regulate moisture.
Favorite pots?
Photograph by Kate Jordan.
Above:The Giant Fan Palm (Licuala sumawongii) makes a statement in any room. Excerpted from Terrain: The Houseplant Book by Melissa Lowrie and the plant team at Terrain (Artisan Books).
Splurge-worthy plant?
Look at the signs it’s giving you and take time to understand what those signs mean. Once you start to recognize when a plant is failing and figuring out why, you’ll be able to help it.
Best advice for new parents?
Photograph courtesy of Logee’s Plants for Home & Garden.
Go-to houseplant source?
Founded in 1892, Logee’s specializes in fruiting, rare, and tropical plants, as well as an extensive selection of Begonia.
E-commerce makes these places accessible to lots of folks, but there’s nothing more fun in plant hunting than digging through a wild, overgrown greenhouse to find weirdo treasures hidden in the chaos.
I think the plant industry is diversifying, which is exciting. I don’t know that we’ll see a single plant rise quite the way that these trend drivers [fiddle leaf fig and monstera] have because of the way that plant availability and genetics are shifting in the industry.
Next fiddle leaf fig?
Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily) is not a favorite, and things like Ficus benjamina (Ficus tree).
Plant you just don’t like?
Photograph by Kate Jordan.
Best houseplant for beginners?
Silvery-blue Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Cebu Blue’ (aka Philodendron ‘Cebu Blue’) prefers indirect light and a well-drained potting blend. But I will do it for a plant I’ve invested in, for sure.
Eden Brothers have an amazing array of flower seed mixes. I especially love their dahlia tubers and poppy selections.
Favorite seed sources?
ARS All-Purpose pruners; $42 at Terrain. For most of my houseplant work I am religious about keeping snips on every floor in the house to allow for easy and continual maintenance.
Favorite pruners?
Most dog-eared gardening book?
For veggie gardening, Mark Highland’s book Practical Organic Gardening is a super helpful resource. For pleasure reading and inspiration, I pick up The Earth in Her Hands.
Photograph courtesy of Longwood Gardens.
Favorite garden refuge?
One of the great public gardens in the US, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, features formal gardens, meadows, conservatories, fountains, and more than 10,000 species and varieties of plants.
Terrain: The House Plant Book by Melissa Lowrie is in bookstores starting today.