City home generally means saying goodbye to the lush green surroundings of a country house. But an architect from Melbourne, Australia, has successfully transformed his city-dwelling into a mini forest of sorts.
While many buy antiques and art for home decor, Jason has collected over 400 plants that now beautify his apartment. From large pots on the floor to hanging vines from the ceilings or on walls – every corner of his home is dotted with plants, both rare and common.
The 32-year-old Melbourne resident, Jason Chogue was born with a green thumb as his passion for plants started at a very young age. He helped his grandparents with gardening and developed a skill that would later help him create an ‘indoor forest.’
“I was infatuated with nature and greenery, from plants to pets I was obsessed with. I would spend my days in the garden, growing and experimenting with anything I could get my hands on. Over the years I’ve explored a range of plant types and species, but the collection has grown and evolved,” Jason told DailyMail Australia. He added that some of his plants are as old as his childhood and many have been inherited from people around him. Rest are the ones that he has deliberately purchased over the years.
According to Jason, plants make a huge difference in our living space. For this reason, he keeps collecting and growing his green collection. The mini-forest has helped him escape all the negatives of urban life, he said.
He had not intentionally built this home that would be a viral sensation. Since living in a city apartment means lack of outdoor space like lawns and backyards, Jason looked inwards to fulfil his green dreams. A lack of outdoor space for gardening made him utilize the indoors of his Melbourne house. He also added that outdoor spaces in dense urban areas can cost a premium so the solution is indoor gardening as there are a variety of plants that can thrive in closed spaces.
In 2016, Jason turned his passion into a business. He is the co-founder of “The Plant Society” which is a social network targeted at gardeners and plant collectors.
You can see his collection his Instagram page where he posts nothing but his plants and sometimes fruits and vegetables he gets from his gardening.