Tour Plant Kween Christopher Griffin’s Houseplant-Filled NYC Apartment

Plant Kween thrives with 200+ houseplants in a small Brooklyn space filled with freshly watered snake plants, propagated newbies and 5-year-old monsteras that top the plant parent wish list of houseplant hot ticket items.

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March 13, 2023

By: Rachael Jones and Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Show: HGTV Handmade

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Photo By: Phoebe Cheong (@welcometothejunglehome / http://phoebecheong.com)

Photo By: Christopher Griffin

Photo By: Phoebe Cheong (@welcometothejunglehome / http://phoebecheong.com)

Photo By: Phoebe Cheong (@welcometothejunglehome / http://phoebecheong.com) | YOU GROW, GURL! by Christopher Griffin. Copyright © 2022 by Christopher Griffin. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Let's Talk Green Gurls, Honey

Plant Kween, aka Christopher Griffin, is an enby influencer, fashionista, author of "You Grow, Gurl! Plant Kween's Lush Guide to Growing Your Garden" and an avid indoor gardener who loves to share their passion for plant care with the world. But their blooming Brooklyn abode is so much more than a social media rival to the borough's most popular botanical garden. It’s a space that offers a simple reminder that when plants need sunlight, water and physical care, we do, too. "Plant Kween is about providing opportunities for folks to learn about the wonders and beauty that is indoor gardening," Christopher says.

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Roots of Expression

A generation of hands in the dirt drove Christopher to follow their passion for houseplants. “I got into plants with my grandmother — she was really into gardening, and it was a space for her to create moments of joy and healing,” Christopher says. “When I was younger, she would take me to some of her favorite nurseries in Philadelphia, and it was a magical experience, especially as a little baby queen looking at this luscious, magical jungle of a nursery. So at a very young age, my grandmother was nurturing the nurturer in me."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Here Comes the Sun

Plant Kween is a serious planner when it comes to passionate plant care. "One of the first things I did when I got the keys [to the apartment] was order food, sit on the floor, and watch the sun move throughout the space," Christopher says. "I had a little playlist and was in a very zen mood. And as the sun moved throughout the space throughout the day, I marked those particular spots [that] would be good for a particular plant."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

New Directions

But in order to pass the test, Plant Kween had one main goal for their new space: lots of the right windows. "Whenever I step into a [new] space, I whip out my phone and I pull up the compass app," Christopher says. "Then I’m like, 'Oh! What direction are the window’s facing?'" The deal was done when Plant Kween realized all five windows in the Brooklyn space were south-facing. The very best light for indoor houseplants comes from south-facing windows because they provide direct sunlight and lots of warmth.

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Plain Walls Preferred

"I like to describe my apartment as maximalist when it comes to plants and minimalist when it comes to decor," Christopher explains. "I like the decor to be really spaced out. I love blank walls and I like blank spaces."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Where the Green Gurls Grow

Christopher's little plant nook is a welcoming indoor jungle that looks like a slice from a botanical garden — and filled with houseplants that all have gorgeous nicknames. "All right, darlings," Plant Kween says, "I have about 90 green gurls in this particular space. And if you know anything about moving into spaces in Brooklyn, going vertical is the way to go, because we just don’t have a lot of floor space. So, [one of] the very first things I did when I got this apartment was install these shelves."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Houseplant SPF

Plants need sunscreen, too. "Nine times out of 10, giving your plant too much sunlight will cause sunburn," Christpher says. "Because I get direct light, I have sheer curtains on the curtain rods to kind of filter out some of that light so the plants aren’t getting that harsh, harsh sun ray, but are getting filtered, bright light. That’s always the way to go, especially if you have south-facing windows."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Plant Based

"About five years ago, I went out and bought my very first plant," Christopher says. "It’s a 'Marble Queen' pothos. She was struggling, so I made a promise to myself that if I could take care of this plant then I had something on my hands. And so, five years later, she is 9 feet long. I’ve propagated her multiple times, so she’s all over the apartment and has over 200 sisters."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Not So Little Monsteras

"One of my prized possessions is Miss Monstera Deliciosa," Christopher says. "This queen right here, she’s a bit of a diva. She’s taking up a lot of space, but she’s absolutely beautiful. And I actually started this queen with one little leaf. I bought [it] in downtown Manhattan in Chinatown. She was sitting in a vase and they were rooting her in water." So Plant Kween took it as a personal challenge to mature this giant green gurl at home — and now she's more than 4 years old.

Learn More: How to Care for Monstera, the Swiss Cheese Plant

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Pruning to Perfection

To keep houseplants thriving, you'll need a pair of shears. "Darling, sometimes our green gurls need a little haircut, and that comes in the form of pruning," Christopher explains. "Yellowing [or] browning leaves are basically decaying leaves that are more likely to attract pests."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Nurture Nook

A bold yellow chair anchors the little corner of Christopher's living room. "This is basically where I get a lot of my work done, my little makeshift office space," they say.

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Work Buddies

While many people have a dog or cat cuddled up beside their desk while working from home, Plant Kween has a different type of companion. "I tend to have a plant buddy of the day," they share. "I'll place that plant on my desk and kind of just use it as an opportunity to inspect the leaves and escape the screens. So it’s a little practice that I do to help me stay grounded and rooted."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Can't Get Enough

But a must-have mainstay in their nook is one of the most common houseplants around. "The snake plant is one of my favorite plants because they’re so easy to care for," Christopher says. "They’re adaptable when it comes to different lighting situations and they’re wonderful air purifiers."

Watch the Video: How To Propagate a Snake Plant

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Propagation With Plant Kween

"One of the ways that I enjoy filling my space with green gurls is not just from buying plants, but actually, propagation," Christopher shares. From planters and pots to well-drained soil and water consumption, learn how Plant Kween propagates their green gurls to make brand new plants.

Watch the Video: How To Propagate a Snake Plant

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

A Bathroom Fit for a Fern

"I love my bathroom," Christopher says. "And the reason that I was particularly drawn to this bathroom was because it had a south facing window. And so I have a staghorn fern in my bathroom that’s growing out of a coconut shell. And I've had that plant for about four years now — she’s had her ups and downs, but I think I found the perfect spot for her in the bathroom where she gets filtered bright light and gets a lot of humidity and moisture."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

You, Too, Can Mount a Staghorn Fern

"I also have a staghorn fern in my bedroom that’s mounted on wood," Christopher says. "It’s literally like a piece of living art. She’s gorgeous, sturdy and resilient, and also one of my favorite green gurls. Learn how to mount a staghorn fern just like Plant Kween's with their easy tutorial.

Watch the Video: How to Mount a Staghorn Fern

Organic Bedroom

Bold splashes of orange contrast the plants in Christopher's thoughtfully planted retreat. "The bedroom was one of the last spaces that I greened up," Plant Kween shares. "I wanted to do so intentionally and really piece it together, not to rush the process."

Learn More: 4 Tips to Be a More Patient Plant Parent

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Hot-ticket Houseplant

"One of my favorite aspects of the bedroom has to be this green gurl right here — the Monstera 'Albo Variegata,'" Christpher says. "She has this beautiful, little white variegation on her leaves. And she’s a hot ticket right now because she grows very slowly. That has to do partly because of her anatomy in that some of her leaves lack chlorophyll. So she’s just a little slower when it comes to growing, which also means that growers in nurseries have to wait some time for them to grow and mature."

Watch the Video: Plant Kween's Favorite Foliage Houseplants

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Repurposed Floors

Plant Kween's bedroom does feature common collections like books and decor, but those items are displayed on the floor rather than the shelves because the shelves are where the priority plants live.

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Accidental Design

All the bedroom green gurls are grouped together on gold-trimmed shelves that Plant Kween lovingly installed themself. However, one shelf had other plans and became an accidental stylish staple. "This [diagonal] shelf was actually a mistake," Christopher says. "As I was putting the shelves on the wall, the second one slid down to this slanted position. But I [thought], 'This actually looks pretty cute and different.' So I kept it that way."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Beauty in Resilience

"On the other side of my bedroom, I have a little collection of cacti," Christopher shares. "When I first began my journey, I stayed away from cacti [because I thought they were] rough. And then, the more and more I studied cacti, I realized how delicate, intricate and really beautiful they are ... these green gurls are really resilient and actually don't really need a lot of care. They just need a good amount of sunlight."

Learn More: 4 Tips to Be a More Patient Plant Parent

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Three Simple Things

Plant Kween firmly believes in the power of plants and their ability to offer introspection for self-care and reflection. "When I’m watering my plants, I like to ask, 'Am I drinking enough water?' When I’m figuring out if [the plants] are getting enough sunlight, I ask, 'Did I let sunlight touch my body today?' And when I’m making sure [the plants] have the nutrients they need to grow, I ask, 'Did I give myself, my body, my being and soul the nutrients I need to continue to spread my roots?' So my green gurls are a constant reminder of the various different ways that I need to constantly engage in caring for myself."

Watch the Video: Explore Plant Kween's Indoor Jungle

From: Christopher Griffin | Plant Kween

Hear More From Plant Kween

Dive into the lushness with Plant Kween's book, "You Grow, Gurl! Plant Kween's Lush Guide to Growing Your Garden." Then learn how to shop for the perfect green gurls at your local nursery with a hot-tip tour.

Read a Preview + Buy the Book: 4 Tips to Be a More Patient Plant Parent

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