Houseplant hacks: Philadelphia Flower Show experts share pro tips

Axios

28-02-2025

Bex Hamell and Pascal Garbe's paths to becoming plant experts sprouted from childhood curiosity, but it's never too late to learn the tricks of the trade.
Why it matters: The gardening gurus are sharing their horticultural hacks at the Philadelphia Flower Show, which kicks off this weekend.
Driving the news: Garbe, the head judge of this year's show and one of Europe's foremost edible plant experts, will lecture on the best plants to cook with, plus share recipes for delicious meals like a "flower burger." You can catch the seminar Saturday, 6-7pm.
Hamell will focus on how to care for houseplants, especially ones from unique and challenging habitats, on March 4, 6-7pm.
Pro tip: Beyond all the usual advice (proper watering, lighting and soil), Hamell says the secret is connecting with your plant. They talk to theirs.
The big picture: Interest in gardening exploded during the pandemic, when people isolated in their homes sought refuge outside, and signals suggest it's remained high since.
The National Gardening Association estimated Americans spent $2 billion on indoor plants in 2021, nearly double what they spent two years before.
Hamell says an online gardening group they belong to has grown from a few hundred members to more than 20,000.
Zoom in: Garbe says people love plants because they engage all of our senses.
He has people close their eyes before trying oyster plants. They're shocked at how much they taste like the real thing.
Flashback: When he was 3, Garbe says his grandfather pressed tomato and radish seeds in his palm for him to plant in their garden.
Now an internationally renowned judge, Garbe has published several books, including the forthcoming "All the Flavours in the Garden."
Growing up in the Garden State, Hamell loved visiting the wildlands. Their aunt, a hiker and nature enthusiast, gifted them with African violets they put up in their college dorm.
Today, they have more than 300 plants in their West Philly home.
What they're saying: "When I cut class in high school, I would go to the botanical garden," Hamell tells Axios. "I was a little bit bad and a little bit geeky."
"I have the best job [in] the world," Garbe says. "You know why? We put smiles on the face[s] … of the visitors."
The bottom line: Plants bond people together who don't have much in common. Hammel and Garbe can't wait for their audiences to have the same experience.
"You can really develop this totally new appreciation watching the plants grow," Hamell says.