Nick & Susan
Better With Plants | Nick & Susan
Featuring their collection at Evolved Body Art in Columbus, Ohio
What was your first houseplant?
I had a small apartment in Acapulco, and on the windowsill, I kept a rosemary plant that I was gifted. I greeted it and touched it every day to say hello. To my excitement, Susan has recently brought in a couple of new rosemary plants at Evolved!
Which plant is your favorite plant in your collection and why?
Many of these plants were gifts from special friends. It is difficult to pick a favorite, but I do love the giant Euphorbia lactea (?!) that my long time friend Darrell Starcher gave to me. I love how it owns its corner of our lobby and how we have many other pots in the windows from its branches.
Which planter is your favorite planter in your collection and why?
This part has been lots of fun! And with Susan here, things just keep getting better! My mom passed down her mother's apple sauce strainer and pestle to me a while back, and I kept it, hoping to use it in a fun way. One day I came in, and voila! Susan had transformed it into a succulent planter - thank you Susan!
Which of your plants is the most difficult to care for and why?
My daughter Ayala and I brought home a huge assortment of air plants a couple of years ago. Believe it or not.... not even one has survived!
Favorite plant memory?
At one of our sweat lodges, several of us laid down outside on the ground and zoned out. Afterward, we all realized that we were each individually and concurrently communicating with the tree we were lying under! It was beautiful.
Any advice for new plant owners?
Just jump right in, and run with it. If you spend too much time thinking about just about anything in life, chances are you may just never get around to doing it…
What’s your favorite story about a plant in your collection?
I love that we have friends, clients, and random neighbors surprise us with new plants.
How long have you been collecting houseplants?
In the year 2000, we opened our first studio at 1880 N. High St. in the space that was previously Viking Studios. The Viking family had converted the old clawfoot tub in the bathroom into a lush, fabulous plant garden. We ran with it and haven't stopped since.
What are your favorite types of plants, and why?
I love cacti and succulents. They are the perfect blend of resilient, beautiful, and fascinating.
What does your plant care routine look like?
At home, I am the dead leaf picker and re-potter. That carries over occasionally at Evolved. Nowadays though, Susan really has it on lock down!
How / what got you into houseplants?
A healthy houseplant silently conveys feelings of abundance, confidence, and love.
Why should everyone have a houseplant?
Our plants remind us to take care of them and ourselves. They remind us to decorate our environment. They bring smiles to our days.
What has having plants taught you?
I love watching complete strangers walk by the front windows of Evolved, peering in at the plants and planters. Plants seem to have a wide, almost universal appeal to all types of people.
If you took a Buzzfeed quiz- which houseplant would it say you are, and why? Or if you had to choose a plant to represent you which would it be?
I hope I am not a houseplant! Maybe a pawpaw tree. It is local but almost unknown. It has delicious, exotic tasting fruit that almost nobody likes! Hmmmm.....
#betterwithplants
@evolvedbodyart
Photos by Evolved
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