Master My Garden Podcast
Master My Garden podcast with John Jones. The gardening podcast that helps you master your own garden. With new episodes weekly packed full of gardening tips, how to garden guides, interviews with gardening experts on many gardening topics and just about anything that will help you in your garden whether you are a new or a seasoned gardener. I hope you enjoy.John
Master My Garden Podcast
EP296 - Louise From Sunfleck Chats All Things Houseplants: From Décor to Wellbeing: Houseplants That Calm, Heal, and Thrive
Your home can feel calmer in minutes—no renovation, no paint—just smarter, kinder plant choices. We sat down with Louise Ryan, plant lover and founder of Sunfleck in Dungarvan, to unpack how indoor greenery genuinely lowers stress, shapes better rooms, and becomes a deeply personal part of daily life. Louise brings the science and the soul: from the psychology of green and texture to practical steps that stop plant funerals.
We dig into the essentials: how to judge your light properly, why distance from the window matters more than you think, and the simple truth that most of us overwater. You’ll hear resilient picks for awkward spaces—snake plants for cold lofts, Chinese evergreens and dracaena for restful bedrooms, pothos for soft movement near the bed—and the best “bulletproof” gifts when you don’t know where the plant will live. Louise shares her watering rule (every two weeks or more, with real drying between), the case for gentle seaweed foliar feeding, and why refreshing soil often beats fertiliser. Orchids get a reality check too: bark over compost, bright but gentle light, and patience between blooms. Prefer colour without the drama? Try anthuriums for long‑lasting flowers and lush leaves.
Sunfleck isn’t just a shop; it’s a sensory space built to help people feel better—full‑spectrum lighting, natural scents, water sounds, and calm advice without judgment. We talk classes for beginners, corporate wellness talks, and the beloved “plant hospital,” where plants and treasured gifts get a second life. If you’ve ever said you don’t have green fingers, this conversation will change your mind—skills beat superstition, and the right plant in the right place does the rest.
If this episode helps you rethink your rooms, share it with a friend, hit follow, and leave a quick review so more plant‑curious listeners can find us.
You can find Louise here: https://sunfleck.ie
If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know.
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Until next week
Happy gardening
John
If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know.
Email: info@mastermygarden.com
Check out Master My Garden on the following channels
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/
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Until next week
Happy gardening
John
How's it going everybody and welcome to episode 296 of Master My Garden Podcast? So this week's episode we're going out of I I'm going out of my comfort zone and we're chatting about the subject of houseplants. So for any for any of you that listen to the podcast for a long time, you know that houseplants are not my strong point. And typically when I cover houseplants in any shape or form, I always bring on somebody to you know to help with this. I like houseplants, but I just don't know a huge amount about huge amount about them. So this week I'm delighted to be joined by Louise Ryan. And Louise has a very good business down in Dungarvin, County Water called Sunflak. And Sunflick is a shop that sells houseplants. She offers sort of customer consultations. So you send her a picture of your area or a video of your area that you want to get plants in, and she'll advise on the right ones. It's very much about softening the space, adding sensory experiences, you know, into your home, into your bedroom, into your kitchen, all of these things. And she sells other products, complementary products to go along with that. So Louise, you're very, very welcome to Master Mary Garden Podcast.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Yeah, I was really excited to it's lovely to be able to talk with people that are also like just really interested in plants. Um but I suppose most of my day-to-day is helping people to become interested in plants. So yeah, it's great to be uh invited on.
SPEAKER_00:And houseplants, obviously, they've they've always been popular, but they've taken a huge increase in popularity over the last number of years and have become sort of an integral part of the decoration of a home now. Whereas years ago it was always the geranium stuck in your granny's window, and uh it it certainly has come on a lot since then, and you know, the the variety and I suppose the the amount of options and structural plants and hanging plants, it's just it's vast now, and it's you know it's brilliant to see. Um I suppose the the a little bit like myself, many people probably if they're not very strong on houseplants, they they probably come to it with a certain level of nervousness or lack of knowledge. And I guess this is where you really come into your own, I suppose. So you're you're offering advice and all that sort of thing. So maybe just tell us initially how the how the shop started, and then we'll get into the you know that piece around how you help people pick the right plants. And I have some questions, personal questions, around how or what plant might suit in a few areas for myself. So I'm I'm thinking I'm thinking here, and it might help other people.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's fair enough. So I uh I initially started basically going like way back as a kid. I was growing up in my granny's garden, I just was always interested in plants. She was a very avid gardener, and then when I decided to go to college, it was more so on the side of I was more interested in like conservation and zoology. But as part of my degree, this was in uh university in Galway, we had to do um other parts, and I chose plant science as well. And I suppose during university I kind of fell back in love with it, and being able to like learn about plants in such depth was something that I didn't realize I would love so much. And I went on to do a master's in UCC in Cork. Um, it was kind of like a research master's where I basically told the professor, like, I want to work with plants every day. I don't want it all just be experimental and sitting in my office. So I worked with Basil on my uh research project. Um, and then once I left academia, I kind of just needed a break. It was really, it was, it was lovely, and I was glad I did it and I learned so much, but I I kind of wanted to go back to like working with people again. I missed customer service, working in cafes and things like that. So I took a bit of a break. And I suppose over COVID, like a lot of people, it kind of made me think about like what do I actually want? Um, and I was working kind of between a plant nursery and also a health shop, and I was mostly talking with people over COVID about like mental health and anxiousness. Um, and actually, people were starting to come to me for house plant tips as well because I just became really interested in house plants myself. And because my master's was on uh plant physiology, like that's technically my uh title. I'm a plant physiologist um masters. I I kind of was able to understand more how to look after plants and being able to know what they need. And the idea kind of came over COVID then that like I would love to do something for myself, you know, because I I didn't really have like a permanent job. And my mom's partner, uh Tony, he was in business for a long, long time. He's retired now, but he kind of said to me one day, if you could do anything, what would it be? And before COVID, it was I really want to move away and work for botanic gardens or something like that. But during COVID, I kind of thought it's you know, I was talking thinking more about mental health a lot, and I was reading into research about, you know, how do house plants actually affect people? And I realized a lot of the research on house plants was actually the exact same as going into a forest or gardening. It was all about like reducing stress levels, reducing blood pressure, reducing levels of anxiety and stress and feeling more relaxed. So I said to uh my mammoth partner Tony, I said, like, I would love to have a space where I could educate people about nature and get people more involved again because I feel like we've become quite disconnected with how busy the world is right now. Um and he said, Would you not just open a shop? And the rest is history. I I had no background in business whatsoever. I'm a scientist, like I I'm very like, I suppose, methodical, like day to day, like in you know, my work, but I didn't know how to start, but he did. And we kind of just created a shop around experience in nature rather than just selling things. I wanted it to be a shop that didn't feel like a shop, like a sensory experience, somewhere where people come when they feel stressed, somewhere where people come and they don't feel judged, or they can ask me any questions, and there's no such thing as a stupid question. Um, or somewhere people can come to like learn about like mental health, because I think there's a bit of like a disconnect. Like we have, you know, we have our doctors, which are amazing, we have our health shops, which are amazing, but we don't really have somewhere we can just go in and just like talk about things. So that became like a really big part of something like uh especially during COVID, like the first year was 2021. So it was we kind of still were in a bit of a lockdown, and people were actually coming into me just to talk about mental health, and they told me that coming into the shop made them feel better. Um, and things kind of just escalated from there, and the shop's nearly four years old now, so it's been great.
SPEAKER_00:Brilliant. Um I I said before we started recording that the the conversation will go in in many directions and and it already will. Um I just I hadn't, you know, we we spoke off air, but the the connection between nature and and people, as you say, has been we've we've been disconnected from it. And I think when it comes to walking in a forest, I think people can, you know, everybody can understand that when you walk through a forest you feel better, generally speaking. Um so it and it has there's scientific reasons for that, you know, negative ions, the colourings, all of those things, they're there's scientific reasons why you would feel more relaxed in a forest. But I think when it comes to house plants, I think mostly people don't make that same connection as they would to a forest. And so maybe, you know, relating to the business, tell me in terms of that, how how does plants help, you know, from a mental health perspective, from a relaxation perspective within the home?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think you're right. I think for a long time, like house plants are not a new thing to Ireland. I think we've just for such a long time we've seen them as just decor. And I always encourage people to see them as more that as than that, and you have a living thing in your space. And I think that's actually why people struggle so much as well with looking after them. I think we forget that they're alive and they're supposed to thrive, and there's different things we need to do to make them happy. So I think by opening a shop like this, it's made people interact with them in a different way or think about them differently. And I would have started the shop, like really encouraging people to see them as more than just like making your guest bedroom look nice, like actually using them in spaces that you spend most time. So most people, when they come into me initially, they would say, you know, I want to put a plant in the hallway or in the guest, the guest bathroom, or whatever. And I would always encourage people to think differently, like put them in a space that you actually use, you know, like bedrooms and sitting rooms and spaces that are parts of the house that you would actually want to unwind and relax in. Because most of the research around houseplants is actually, like you said, it's it's the color. So humans are naturally attracted to green, like it's a lot of people's favorite color, and that's for good reason. As humans, like we are human nature, we are animals and we are attracted to nature and natural colours, so greens and blues generally. Um, I also think that you know, like there's nothing wrong with like minimalism lifestyles and things, but we've lost a bit of like natural texture as well. And texture is also a really big thing in um environmental psychology, which is something that I'm not qualified in, but I'm extremely interested in reading the research around and house plants become into that a lot. But it's basically how we feel in our environment and how it affects our mental health. And I think as well, and I talk about this a lot when I do talks and things, like we actually did a recival in Mount Congreve there in May, and this was a big part of my talk was connecting humans back to nature for our mental health. And I said that most of the time now we we spend most of our day in a box, looking at a box. And boxes are not part of nature, they're not a way that actually helps our brain to focus or helps our brain to relax. So both of those things are being affected all day, every day. And then you bring on top of that like unnatural lighting, not being able to see daylight in some cases, um, and then not being able to see nature in many cases, and just maybe being a little bit more disconnected from nature than we used to be. We don't spend as much time in it anymore. And I think that also changed a little bit over COVID, like people's mindsets shift a little bit where they realize actually to make myself feel better, I should go to nature. And everybody started going back to you know, streams and lakes and woods and the sea or and gardening. And I think that houseplants should be part of that, but we just don't know as much in Ireland, like in other parts of the world, this is not new knowledge, but here it definitely is, and that's kind of where I tried to slip into that gap. But like a lot of the research I read initially was um even in places like China, they call it green medication, and they actually prescribe people to go and buy a house plant if they're not feeling very well. And I know it sounds ridiculous, but if you actually think about if you're struggling in your day-to-day, no matter what kind of reason it is for mental health, and you have a disconnect from nature, and actually all your brain wants is nature, a house plant is one of the easiest things to bring that in. Um, and most of the benefits in all of the papers that I've seen are that people would describe a feeling of relaxation or a feeling of kind of stress melting away, um, reduction of panic, uh, overwhelm, reduction of kind of like those stressed feelings like high intensity stress, and also to do with like blood pressure and heart health. So reducing blood pressure, um, reducing like heart pace and also levels of cortisol, so like stress hormone. So this is all proven in nature, and it's also proven indoors with house plants as well.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's interesting you say that because I read and I'd forgotten about it until you were talking about that there. I read um an article over a year ago now in relation to a trial that was done in a hospital, and I don't remember where it was, and I don't remember the hospital, um, but it was really interesting where they had two wards which were doing the exact same procedures on on both sides. And they there was a recovery ward uh that was completely kitted out with uh living walls, house plants, and so on. And then the other side was just the box that you're talking about, so the typical typical hospital walls and and so on. And they looked at the recovery periods and the happiness of the people in both wards, and it was remarkable the difference in the in the one that was had the house plants, had the living walls, the recovery times, the need for medication, all of that was improved, and it was dramatic. It wasn't just you know tiny little little improvements, it was dramatic in increases and improvements on one side versus the other. Um and it is true to say, I know possibly in a hospital situation, in terms of hygiene and cleaning and all that, house plants on a wall might be tricky, but it just shows that the evidence is there for for having more plants, more nature, you know, within our daily lives.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and it's it's funny because that's something that people come in to me a lot with. Like we mentioned that like off record that I people come in here for gifts, and I know like I don't advertise my shop as a gift shop, but when you actually want when you're thinking I really want to get something thoughtful for someone, or they're struggling, or there's any reason that you feel like they just need a pick-me-up. Like nature is one as such a nice present, and house pants have become such an important present for people. Um, so one thing, and I actually did this for my own ma'am, she had like a surgery at the start of the year, but you know, the little terrariums in the glass.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So they're there's no way that like they're going to be messy or dirty or anything like that. So I actually brought one of them in and I asked like the nurse, is it okay if she can have it on her bedside table while she recovers? And the nurses all came in to have a look and they said, We've never seen anybody do that, and that that was an amazing idea because they were coming in to look at it, as well as my mom looking at it on the little bedside table. So now that's become a really little popular present in here for people that maybe are in um, you know, care homes or hospitals or they're recovering in any way because you don't have to do anything with it, but you can see the nature in this little glass. So I think there's always a way to invite nature into a space, um, you know, but it just depends on the space. So we can you can be tailored to it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. Um, so tell us about the shop then and what what exactly so you you've mentioned there what you do. So tell us about what you have in the shop. So you have obviously loads of plants, so tell us about this, about the gifting side of it. Um, and then I as I say, I have some questions around houseplants for myself and uh be interested to hear the answers.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, sure. So the idea was to make it as sensory as possible, like satisfying our human senses, which is like sight, sound, hear uh you know, um, smell. So as soon as people walk in the door, you'll be hit with a nice, like natural smell. So that was always a really big point of Sunfleck was that I wanted to really introduce people to like um, like I suppose as little harmful chemicals in your home as possible. It's not really chemical-free living, like that's not really a thing, but it's more to do with making your say your space safe. So all of the scents in here are like natural waxes and natural scents, and also those scents, there's loads of research on this as well, but how much scent can improve your mood. So it's always the first thing for people will comment on when they come in, is how nice the smell is. And then you'll also see like a big like jungle of greenery up near the door as well. And as well as that, I have changed all my lighting to be full spectrum lights, which basically means they mimic daylight. So I think that also impacts how people see the shop. It's it feels more natural. So as you come through the shop, then you'll have all different kinds of plants and different plant accessories to help you look after your plants. And then I have like a little space which I'm sitting in in here, which is kind of down the end of the shop, and it's all different other products that might make you feel good. So I've incorporated an area over here to the side of me, which is um tabletop fountains. So water features that bring the sound of water into your indoors, but they're made to be in to be inside rather than out in the garden. Um, I also have like all natural incense and scents, like we like I said, I've all natural um skincare, crystals, and then like a few other nice things, like nice um like artists that focus and focus on nature for their cards and prints and things like that. But it I think it's just it's become a space where people come to get a gift where they feel like number one, the person will really use it and enjoy it, but also that it will kind of be like a mood-boosting thing and um feel like they're looking after themselves.
SPEAKER_00:So when someone comes to you then for houseplants, what's your your sort of starting advice? Um obviously it depends on the area, and and you mentioned that you like people to send you a photograph of the space that they want to put it in. Um, you also mentioned maybe videos, sending a video of the space, and you mentioned that you try and get them to think differently, so rather than thinking about it being a decor of some sort, you're trying to get it get them to think of it as a living, a living thing in within your home. I think that is probably the biggest thing is that people buy it as you know, they buy a lamp or they buy a painting or they buy something like that, and they stick it there because it looks well, but then they completely forget about it. They tell you afterwards, I don't have green fingers, I killed it. Um but it is just I I think most of it is forgetfulness. Um is is typically the reason that I would see that that people end up killing something like that. So how does that journey begin, I suppose?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I I think it's I think it is different for different people. Like I like I said, like it is more trying to connect people with what they have in their house. So the the easiest thing for people to do when they come in is say if you if you decide, yeah, I do want to have a plant in a space because I want it to look nice. As soon as someone comes in here, and it is easier if somebody comes in with like a picture or a video, or if you want to message me online, it would be the same thing. The first thing I'll always say is what's the light like there? And I think most people don't really think about that because they don't know what conditions a house plant needs. And I I that's that's not anybody's fault. There's this information is not common sense and it's not it's not commonly taught. And I know that people are coming in here with like the wrong idea of how to look after a house plant, and I I like to be able to help people, you know, correct those things. So it's all lighting will always be the first, like most important thing. Um, so basically I explain to people, you know, just tell me like where where the window is versus where you want to put the plant and how much light that window gets. And I actually do lots of videos on my Instagram about this as well, like just explaining like the basics of houseplant care. Um, and I have done classes on basics of houseplant care as well, because it I think it is something that people really need. Um, and actually, since you mentioned the green finger thing, like I also say to people like that's not a natural thing that you have. You it just depends on whether you were predisposed to it when you were a kid, like maybe learning about plants. But I think green fingers is a skill that you can learn, same as anything. So it's building up that skill. Um, so lighting first, we'll always look about where to put the plant versus that. And like some plants need quite good light to do well in a house. And I know not all Irish houses have that, and then some can adapt to lower light. Nothing will thrive in low light. That's a myth. Um, and nothing will thrive in a room with no windows. So that's always my first point because that's always a thing you're going to struggle with. And the second point then will be about um how you want it to look. So then it goes on to, like you said, like instead of it just being decor, like how we can put it in something that will benefit you. So usually if somebody says, Well, I want to put something in the bedroom, um, and I know that you were saying it's relaxing, so then I'll explain to people, you know, the greener, the better, soft, you know, leaves, like nice feathery-looking leaves, like ferns and things, or little plants that look like trees because they remind us of nature, uh, plants with flow, so like nice trailing plants, like you can see them up above my head here.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, where versus somewhere like a kitchen, which is quite like an energetic, busy space in a house. Usually I recommend things with like colour and pattern and interest, like a workspace as well.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. That's gonna lead me to my first question. So, as as I'm recording here now, I'm upstairs in a in a garage, effectively, uh in a loft in a garage. And I've for a long time wanted to put some sort of a house plant out here. Yeah. But there's a couple of issues. Number one, the first thing you mentioned there was light. Uh there's only one window, as you can imagine, it's upstairs in a in a loft. So there's only one window, which is not a big one, at one end of the of the of the space. But also it's it the temperatures fluctuate quite a lot here. So for example, we had a good frost. I don't know if you guys did, but we had a good frost here last night. So it was quite cold in here this morning. I've since lit a little stove, and now it's nearly too hot in here. So the the temperatures fluctuate. So is is there anything that might work there? It's gonna have to be tough.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and I suppose like the basis of like me teaching people about house plants is like understanding where they come from, and most house fans are tropical, so it's very hard to put house plants in spaces that get really cold with no light because it's the complete opposite of where they come from.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. But like there are a couple of house plants that are just a little bit tougher than others and like can adapt to those like harsher conditions. Um, so things like snake plants or the sense of area, you like a lot of people would recognize them, like they'd often be called the mother-in-law's tongue. Yeah, but snake plants kind of like covers their their general. They, although they come from South Africa, um, they actually can deal with like quite a fluctuation in temperature. And because they're slow so slow grown, it makes them a little bit hardier for spaces that have low light. So if they had like really high light, they would thrive and they would probably grow a bit faster. But if they're in a lower light space, they can actually adapt to it and they'll just grow really slow.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:I actually had a customer yesterday that wants to put wanted to put one in a bathroom that has no window, and there's not many plants I would recommend for that. But I said if you really wanted to, you could go for a snake plant, but you'd have to move it out to the closest window every now and again to give it some light because it wouldn't be able to survive long term, but it can deal with it for a long time.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. So that's that's a that's a good option. And am I right in saying that mother-in-law's tongue, as it's commonly known, is an oxygenating plant as well? Am I right in saying that?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I mean, it's kind of a weird thing when you're talking about air quality with plants because all plants make oxygen. Um, the reason that houseplants came out with the oxygenating thing is because NASA did a study on houseplants, um, and snake plants came out on top as like oxygenators and air purifiers. Where it becomes difficult then is that houseplants are doing it so slowly in our space that actually opening windows and doors makes more of a difference than the houseplants will.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, so like in order to basically satisfy what they found in their research, you'd need to have a lot of houseplants per space. Yeah. Uh but what I do say to people is if you if you did still want to kind of get it for that reason, the best thing to do is actually get a any type of cactus or succulent, even the mother-in-law's tongue, for your bedside locker because they breathe at nighttime. So it's the longest time that you're actually stationary and those plants breathe at nighttime. So I think it it's the only like that they make oxygen at nighttime. So it's it's the only thing that kind of makes the most sense, I suppose, if you're thinking about air purifying. Um, whereas like most of the reasons I would sell house plants is to do with more the research on the mental health benefits because it's so much better proven than the air purifying side and oxygen side.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and so that's more that's more down to the colouring, the softening of the space, and the calming benefits of looking at green essentially.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and there's actually the placebo effect as well that they've proven of when you see nature in the space, your brain automatically believes the space is fresher with more oxygen and healthier because we that's that's what plants do. But actually seeing them in the space will make you feel like that as well, which is like that's there's nothing to be glossed over. Like that's quite an important um factor as well, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. So that's the that's the first space. The second space is a bedroom, but it has um reasonable well, it has dappled light. Potentially it could have a lot of light because there's two, there's three doors in and out of it, um, and there is two windows, but with doors open, there's actually potential for a lot more light coming in. So I would say dappled light, uh consistent temperature, obviously, or fairly consistent temperature being in a bedroom. Um, what would your recommendation be there?
SPEAKER_02:Uh so it would depend where in the bedroom you're gonna you're going to put it. If the window that you have there, did you say it's because it doesn't get like all day direct light, but it does get some?
SPEAKER_00:Uh no, it's more because doors get closed. Um so potentially it could get sun pretty much all all day long. If all the doors were left open, if that makes sense. So there's there's like a bathroom off it with a big window, but the door gets closed, so the light doesn't get through to the to the bedroom all the time. So it's more dappled light, if that makes sense.
SPEAKER_02:So the bedroom itself doesn't have its own window as well.
SPEAKER_00:It has two it has two windows and they wouldn't get they wouldn't get the sun on till evening time.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, that's not so bad, actually. Yeah, so and like a lot of people explain that to me as well. So like by opening winds and windows and doors, like it does actually brighten the space, but because that light is still quite far away from the plant, it would still be considered indirect and almost shade in some cases. Yeah, and you have to think about the basically the proximity or the distance of the plant to the window. Okay. Um, because actually, if it's coming through a door, it's quite far away from it. So it's more to do with the windows actually in your bedroom that will make more of a difference. And because it's evening light, that's like kind of like west facing. So that's actually not too bad for a lot of house plants, as long as you know you open your blinds or greener the better, because green is the the colour that you're going to be most attracted to. It's also the most calming colour, and it's the reason that a lot of house plants in these studies help people to relax. So usually I would go for things like maybe I don't know if you've heard of Chinese evergreens or aglanema would be their Latin name. Chinese evergreens are a houseplant that's come on the market in the last couple of years. They wouldn't have really been that common before that, but they're quite a slow-growing but very hardy houseplant. Um, they're a little bit more expensive for their size because they're slow growing, but they're really, really tough and very, very easy to look after. And they come in a massive range of different colours, like all different types of greens and actually pinks as well. So for the bedroom, I usually recommend like a green version of them, either like a little tabletop version or like a bigger one for the floor. Um, or you can go for something like the one you see behind me. Like these would be quite a common house plant, the dragon trees. And because they've got a tree structure, but they're lovely and lush, and again, very, very hardy. They're great for for bedroom spaces, you know, something like that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, brilliant.
SPEAKER_02:I also like the kind of trailing ones for bedroom spaces.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, the trailing ones, trailing ones are beautiful, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And I think customers that actually hang them like over their bed or close to their bed where they can see them, because I think that lovely like jungle look is probably one of the most like relaxing, calming, you know, spaces you can have in your house. So I'd have different types of pothos, and then this one here is a mistletoe cactus, it's actually like a jungle cactus, and they wouldn't be a very common house plant, but they're great, very, very easy care.
SPEAKER_00:Brilliant, brilliant. Um, so for gifts, then um, we get you know, obviously, and I spoke about it before, at particularly at certain times of the year, the phelenopsis or the the orchid, you know, is is a is probably the most common one. People pick them up and give them as gifts, and yeah, some people do really well with them, and some people get the flowering out of them, and then then they they they suffer. Um, but typically when you're gifting a plant, you're not necessarily knowing where the person is going to end up putting it. So is there kind of let's say bulletproof or or really strong uh performing houseplants that you can gift, you know, without knowing where the person might end up putting it? I know you know in your scenario, you're probably already thinking where that person should put it, but for somebody that doesn't know, is there kind of good go-to houseplants as gifts?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, like there's definitely house plants that are just easier, like I was saying before, like the mother-in-law's tongue and things like that are just they're very hardy and they don't really mind where you put them. Uh the jade plants, they're like a type of succulent or money plant, people would know them as as well. Um, the Crassula family in general are very easy, and a lot of them can actually go in like slightly light, like darker spaces, and they can also grow in a window. So they're a very popular present. Um, and the Chinese evergreens, actually, because we know how tough they are now, and because they come in different colors, they're actually a very popular present in here as well.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, but then on top of that, like when if say if you're coming into the shop and you want to buy a gift, I actually will write out a care card for the person. So you get a houseplant care card and you get the where to put it, the watering, everything. Because I think even if you're buying something for someone and you're you're just presuming that they're going to put it wherever they like the look of it, I still think they need a little bit of care instructions, especially if they don't know anything about house plants, because I I know from experience of customers telling me that if somebody lands on the door with a houseplant and no information, it can actually make them panic a little bit that they're going to kill it because they they're so happy to have gotten the present but have no idea what to do with it. And often those little tags that come in the houseplants, the the care isn't specific enough and people struggle with it. So whether it's like in the shop, I'll do a full care card for them or online there's a plant profile as well. Um and like I will always recommend something easy anyway, if it's somebody that will you you just they don't know much about houseplants. So things like different succulents, Chinese evergreens, the pothos, actually, these hanging ones are great beginner plants. Um and then other than that, they'll get a care card anyway. So I think that's important to have the information.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. Um, just in terms of, I know you're talking about a specific care card for a specific plant, general rules of thumb, and I know it will vary from plant to plant, but general rules of thumb in relation to houseplant care, because I do think that some people are very good at it, but others do struggle with it, and maybe it's a forgetting piece or whatever. But what are the general rules of thumb for your houseplant care?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think the people that are really good at it, they either because they forget to water for a bit, uh, because overwatering is a huge problem, or that it's just been trial and error that they've actually learned how to look after houseplants. The the houseplant information in Ireland is quite poor, I think, um, like for actually learning. So the the main one is always like watering. I think 90% of the population overwaters their houseplants. People are always shocked when I tell them that a houseplant shouldn't be watered every week. Again, if you think about where house plants come from, they're usually tropical, and houseplant roots are sensitive to being waterlogged and then they get rot. So overwatering is a huge thing. So overwatering is basically watering your houseplant too many times too close together. So usually if you're watering something more than once a week or even every week, it's too much for houseplants. My general rule of thumb is two weeks or more.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:Uh, there's a couple of exceptions, like the fly-eating carnivorous plants like Venus Lytraps, but generally every week is too much. Um, so that's usually kind of where I would start. Just ease off on your watering, make things, make sure things are going dry between watering at least half a pot of dryness. If things are soggy all the time, or you see that they're sitting in water, they're more than likely struggling.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Yeah. Uh so and then in terms of feeding, what what's and again I know it's it varies for different plants, but are you kind of thinking once a month feeding?
SPEAKER_02:I I think with house plants, the feeding isn't as important as garden plants. Because number one, they don't grow as quickly and also most of them don't flower. Generally, what I recommend for a feed is just something nice and natural. So we actually use like a seaweed feed. Um I buy it from a company in Meath called Better Plants, but it's like a spray on foliar feed. Yeah, something like that that's more natural, you can do more often. And actually, a lot of customers have found that that's been easier to think about than trying to do something every month or like trying to figure out how much to put into the soil. Because houseplants, unlike garden plants, actually can get something called nutrient burn. It's basically a stress from too much nutrients.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, so I actually think the feeding sometimes can cause plants more stress, and you're better to do it, like you said, like as little as possible if it's something that's very strong or synthetic or concentrated, or if you want to get something more natural, I would go on the lungs of along the lines of seaweed. But the other thing with house plants is because they're all in pots, it's different in the garden. All your house plants are in pots, so they're restricted with the amount of nutrients they can take in themselves naturally. So, actually, either repotting, like just changing the soil, even if it doesn't need a bigger pot, or just changing some of the soil and refreshing the pot with some fresh um compost, is actually going to replenish the nutrients more for the plant than feeding it regularly. It will help it more naturally. And there's different ways you can do that. Like I have different soil mixes for different plants. I also have like natural um insect humus like soil boosters, which is a more natural feed for a house plant and it won't get stressed from it. I I would recommend that more so. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Um the the big one that I mentioned, Mother's Day, it goes through sales go through the roof, Christmas sales go through the roof, the the felonopsis are the the orchid that you'll see in all supermarkets. Just a couple of basic tips for those, because those ones, yeah, generally speaking, people have no clue how to mine them afterwards.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's fair enough. And I know I definitely think with orchids as well, it confuses people because it's bought for the flower. And then when the flower dies, most people think that the plant is dead or struggling or dying. But actually, if you think about outside, like nothing is supposed to flower all the time. All the time, yeah. Especially that spectacularly. Like for any plant, especially a houseplant, to make a flower, it takes a lot of energy. And I kind of explain a plant as being like a little like energy factory. Um this is the way we would have been taught in my degree as well, but the most expensive thing for a houseplant to make is a flower, and the only way that they were going to keep doing that is by getting perfect conditions. Otherwise, they should be making leaves, and the leaves take in sunlight to make more energy. So the most important part of your orchid isn't actually the flower, it's the leaves and the roots, and that's the part you need to look after. So generally, orchids are what's called epiphytic, so they don't live in the ground, they live clinging to trees and moss, and therefore they need like lots of aeration around their roots. That's usually why you wouldn't use compost because it's too heavy. So there's different things like orchid bark. So I think sometimes when people repot orchids, you can have problems. And then just the day-to-day, again, like they'd have quite good drainage because they're not sitting in the ground. So they wouldn't want to be watered too regularly. Usually, people who forget about their orchids have better orchids than people who water too regularly. So, again, like it'd be roughly kind of two to three weeks, a stand with a good soak. I often find that orchids get really dusty as well. So, even cleaning their leaves can really help. Um, and making sure they get good light. So they they need good light to both make the leaves and also flower, but not all day direct light. So it wouldn't be in the sunniest window in your house. A lot of people find their orchids do really well in like bathrooms that get kind of dappled light, like you were saying. So as long as they're close to the window but not being scorched.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. And I also think that like, I mean, I actually don't sell orchids because I think people are kind of inundated with them. And the only orchids that sometimes I will buy in are ones that people don't see very often and they might look different.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But actually, what I sell more of is the flamingo flowers, the anthuriums. Sometimes you would see them around Christmas. They have kind of like a red flower with a little kind of like uh little bit sticking up on the top, and but they have these lovely lush leaves, but they actually come in like hundreds of varieties versus peace lilies that are only white. Anthuriums or flamingo flowers are a fantastic present. It can flower all almost all year round versus orchids, and they're actually a bit tougher as well.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, good idea. Uh, you mentioned peace lilies, they're they're pretty much bulletproof as well, aren't they?
SPEAKER_02:It depends. I get a mix, I get a mixture of reviews. Some people say that they're very uh sensitive. I think they just they just really don't like being overwatered. So if you're an overwater, you're probably going to kill your peace lily. Uh whereas I have other people that they're like, I just leave it alone. Uh it's it's just in a space where it doesn't get like loads of light, but it it seems to be grand. And usually it's when they're allowed to kind of dry out, they will kind of droop and they tell you when they need water, and that's kind of the best way to follow them. But yeah, it seems to depend on the customer, whether you're an overwater or underwater.
SPEAKER_00:All right, well, I think I fall under the underwater then. Um just in terms of your business, so you you mentioned as well about um giving talks, and sometimes you do sort of commercial work and things like that. So tell us about the the the overall business and what else what else goes on in in Sunflick.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I suppose I like to kind of branch out as much as I can, but like if festivals ask me to do talks, it's usually either they will tell me to do something more on the wellness side of things, or I'll actually just talk about houseplants. Um, but sometimes it ends up being a mixture of both, like it is today. Uh so I did the rest of the Mount Congreve in May. Um, I often go like every year I go to Boston Scientific and I'll do like uh talks on like nature and looking after houseplants and improving your wellness space. But then I also try to set up classes as well. So during the spring, especially when it was a little bit quieter, I did um green thumb boot camp here in Dungarvin. And people actually traveled from like Cork and Kilkenny for it. But I had like uh basically two-hour classes teaching people the very, very basics of houseplants, like for complete novices. Um and I hope to kind of actually get them up and running again. So if anybody's interested, like I will be releasing it on my social media, my my website. Um, but I'm always trying to like um I suppose collaborate with different kinds of people as well. So, for example, we have an event coming up soon. Um, it should be on the 9th of November, but it will be released soon. Um, my sister is um, she's a psychiatric nurse, but she's also a Pilates instructor. And then we wanted to kind of make a day where people learn about like, you know, movement and like looking after yourself through like very simple movement and breath work, and then also incorporating the nature side into that. So, like, you know, having the sense and the greenery and just talking about looking after yourself in really simple ways. So that'll be coming up soon. That's gonna be a really exciting uh day out for people. But in general, like I if people ask me to do talks and things, I I love to be able to do that and get out the information as much as possible, you know, um in whatever way people lead me to.
SPEAKER_00:Brilliant. It's it's a lovely idea that the as you said, I think you're the words you use were the the business is not just about selling stuff, um, that you're coming at it from a different angle initially. Now obviously that leads, that knowledge share, that uh sharing of expertise leads to sales, but it's not your primary it's not your primary focus, which is always a good way to run a business. So that's uh but I've I've not seen you know a plant-related business that has you know come at it from that point of view, from the wellness side. Uh and I think that's a really really good idea because obviously it makes sense and there is scientific proof to it, but it's it's a lovely idea and something nice within a community as well. So I'm sure since you've started and and you know, given that you started during the the pandemic, I'm sure you've uh sort of seen the impact of the business within within your community and within your your customers. So is there any kind of standout moments or anything that you know, without giving away personal details, but is there anything that you have seen that has has made you feel like this is you know, this is we've taken the right approach here, starting with the holistic side, which leads to the sale?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I suppose and like you said, like I I mean I obviously the business has to make money to succeed, but it's the job satisfaction is beyond what I ever thought it could have been. Like, even just the day-to-day and someone coming in to show me that they got a new leaf on their plant and like their excitement, seeing the excitement in people's faces is like the best part of my job. Like, whether it's you know, an older person that's like retired and living at home and like wants to just take up a new hobby. Like I have a load of customers that would come in regularly and they just said, Louise, like looking at my plants during the day and seeing that they're doing well makes me so happy. Like I can't even explain to people. They said, My family think I'm nuts. But then, you know, I also get loads of kids coming in who like I never expected that to happen, but I have loads of really young customers who are so interested and have 101 questions for me, and they want to show me the pictures of their cactus flowering or whatever. And I just think that's like the best part of the job is like hearing hearing the enthusiasm that I've created in people, you know, even just by me being enthusiastic and really passionate, like I'm never forcing sales on people, but people want to, they want to try it because they see how you know how enthusiastic I am about it and how interesting it is. But then I also hear really nice things where people come in and you know, they say, like, I got a gift and because I was grieving and I never never knew like how much of an impact it was going to have, rather than having like a bouquet that was going to be gone in a week. Like now I can actually see the plant growing and I it reminds me of people or you know, I have customers that come in because I have a plant hospital as well. So I I call it my like weekly emergency room. Uh, but people will actually bring in patients to me, and I'm uh they call me my the plant doctor, but they'll bring in patients, and like sometimes it's people who they've brought in a plant that belong to like their late mother or like a late family member, and it's basically trying to save the plant because it's might be one of the only things they have left that like really reminds them of that person. These are things that like I never could have predicted, like how much plants can mean to people in so many different ways. Um, and just seeing the delight and the happiness and the trust in me, you know, to come back in and be like, actually, I I want to add to the collection, or actually I want to split this plant that was my mother's to give you know amongst people, or I just think it's it's amazing. Like an every day is different, you know, every everybody's story is different. Every reason that somebody comes in for a gift in here is different, whether it's you know, a loss or a celebration. You know, I just think it's it's really, really nice to do that with a plant.
SPEAKER_00:Brilliant. Yeah, and and in order for them to be bringing those plants in there, they they clearly trust you, and you clearly are you know doing a good job or or else that wouldn't be happening. The the connection that you mention, I've heard that a lot over the last couple of years on the podcast where there's well, people get into gardening nine times out of ten, it seems to be from their grandparents or or memories of their grandparents or parents, and but a lot a lot of the time it's grandparents, and I think you mentioned grandparents at the start, did you?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. My brother was a very avid gardener.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so it's interesting. It's uh it always seems to be, or a lot of the time it seems to be a connection back to parents or grandparents, which is really interesting. But also, you you do or I have heard a lot about plants, maybe and typically garden plants, uh, to be fair, but garden plants that have been handed down or split from a parent's garden or a grandparent's garden or a gift that was given, and yeah, it's it's a connection then back to somebody, uh, and that and that becomes really poignant over time, I guess. So the fact that they're trusting you to look after these or to revive these in some cases is yeah, big responsibility. A big responsibility, but it's a sign that you're doing you're doing you're doing things right as well. Um, I don't know, have you any events or anything coming up that people should look out for, or do they just generally keep an eye on your social and your website for for upcoming upcoming events?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I definitely think if you use social media, like between Instagram or Facebook, it's uh sunfleck.ireland. And I'm very active there with other like videos and information about the shop, but I'll also like will promote um events and things quite regularly when they're coming up, so you you won't be able to miss them. And then usually my tickets will be sold through the website, so you can also keep an eye there as well. There's an events page on the website. Um, so I'm hoping with this time of year that I'll be able to get a few things up and going as well, like the lead up to Christmas. I don't want to say it, like the lead up to Christmas is always really busy just being in a shop. It's just part of uh being a shop owner. But I try to fit in a few things this time of year, but generally my busiest time of year for events will be springtime. So I'm hoping to get a few classes in uh before this year is out, and then there'll be that um nice like kind of retreat day as well, which will be coming up in November. But if anybody just wants to keep an eye out, or if you want me to put you down on a wait list as well, a lot of my customers give me their number and I just give them a text when when these things are happening and let you know so that he it doesn't sell out on you. But um, yeah, yeah. So the Instagram is definitely the best way. The website is www.sunfleck.ie. Um, and then also my email is just um sunfleck.ireland at gmail.com. There are all the ways you can contact me, whether it's for help or wanting to join an event or something like that.
SPEAKER_00:Brilliant. Yeah, so well done on the business. It's it sounds and is fascinating as I said to you. I was in there once, you weren't there on the day, but it's about two years ago while I was down in Dungarvin. Um and it's a lovely shop, really is so congratulations. Uh it's clear to see why you're doing well, you know, the enthusiasm for the plants, but also coming at it from the point of view of a of a holistic or uh uh trying to ground people in nature more uh is the initial sort of basis of the business, and I think that really shines through. Uh shines through as you talk, but uh you know it it it will shine through when people have success and then find the benefits of of adding house plants into their homes. So Louise, a fascinating chat, and thank you very much for coming on Master My Garden Podcast.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you so much for having me. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00:So that's been this week's episode. A huge thanks to Louise for coming on. Yeah, really interesting, really interesting. Um, as I say, coming at it from the angle that she's coming at it from, where you know you're looking to soften the home, to add more nature, and coming at it from the holistic side really makes sense, and then obviously has the you know the expertise in order to back that up afterwards in terms of plant health and care, the getting the getting of the of the card when you purchase a plant, I think will be something that most people will hugely benefit from because, as Louise said, in a lot of cases you can just buy them on the way out of the supermarket, but what do you do when you get it home or what do you do when you put it into your space? Are you even putting it into the right space? So to have all those you know information and armory with you really makes it easy to succeed. Yeah, right plant, right place, right aftercare, and then everything works well from there. So really interesting chat, good for me because I have no clue about house plants, as I've said on the on the podcast on several times before. I understand plants, but not house plants so well. So, yeah, really, really interesting to hear that. And that's been this week's episode. Thanks for listening, and until the next time, happy garden.