Meet Paula Palma

How many plants can you squeeze into a tiny home in the city? Paula stopped counting after her own collection exceeded 60.

For the past five years Paula has immersed herself in the plant world. She’s worked as a plant maintenance technician, created a plant care blog, cultivated her own large collection, and grew a houseplant-based Instagram account, @plant.heart.city, with 40k followers.

Like many urban house plant enthusiasts, her education began with trial and error. Some of her most valued lessons came from big failures - like bringing home a gorgeous pink and burgundy calathea ornate, and slowly watching it morph into a crispy brown pot of death. She will never forget the sting of wasted money and the guilt that comes with the self-imposed ‘plant killer’ label.

Over time, she learned how to create a plant-filled oasis in small living quarters with limited light. She figured out which plants thrived in her home and which ones didn’t (ahem, string of pearls). She also learned the science behind her observations, and how to adjust an indoor growing environment to suit a wider range of plants.

After a local Chicago company hired Paula as a plant care technician, her knowledge flourished. She watered, pruned, and styled plants in cafes and retail spaces around the city - and drank a lot of espresso. Caring for hundreds of plants increased her skill base and inspired her to start a blog. She loves to share what she’s learned and help others avoid her mistakes.

Paula has a teaching background in pilates, yoga, and meditation. She is currently studying biology as a prerequisite for further education. One of her favorite pastimes is to find a struggling plant on the brink of death and bring it back to life. Unlike her calathea experience, it’s much more fun to watch a pot of wilted brown leaves turn vibrant green.

These days Paula’s indoor plant collection is much smaller. She’s scaled it down to about 30 beloved plants so she can spend less time caring for them and more time researching, writing and connecting with other plant lovers. She lives in Chicago with her husband, who never seems to mind ducking under a hanging vine, and their three rescue dogs. She would love to hear from you, or to help with your plant questions. You can find her on Instagram or visit her website: www.plantheartcity.com.