Plant mom digs into nature with Fannczy Plants
Published:Saturday | March 30, 2024 | 12:05 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
Growing up in an Asian household, Fanny Chan was always surrounded by plants. But she was a far way from having a natural green thumb. Through trials and errors, patience and determination, Chan was able to lean on those learning experiences and start her collection a few years ago.
“My experience with plants started when I was a child. We were always surrounded by plants such as ZZ plants and bamboo plants. While I never really experimented with them or had any unusual attachment to them, being around greenery was always something I was accustomed to, and I think I carried that into my adulthood,” she told Saturday Living.
During the global pandemic period, the garden enthusiast was able to take a breather and get to know her plants better. “I’ve been collecting and growing my garden since 2019. Back then, I had the time to slow down and really get to know my plants and expand my knowledge about them. With extra time on my hands, I started experimenting with location, lighting and watering schedules, which really kept me busy during a time when the world slowed down,” she said, adding, “with the right care and living conditions, one plant led to another, which helped me to develop a level of satisfaction that in turn grew my love for plants exponentially”.
So, what are some of her favourite nature babies? The plant parent listed monsteras, philodendrons, anthuriums, pothos, ficus, succulents and cacti. But her all-time favourites are the hoyas. “If you know me or follow me, you’d know my favourite plants are hoyas! If I could, I’d collect all of the hoya varieties, but that’s nearly impossible.”
NOT AN EASY FEAT
The process of nurturing her little ones was no easy feat. Chan initially charged into the plant world with one goal in mind: to gather as much green life as possible, all at once. This didn’t pan out as she had hoped, because there was no keeping up with a good care and maintenance routine.
After deliberating selecting the plants she wanted to keep, she zoned in on the garden varieties and examining the environment and lifestyle which best suited her loves. “This was especially important to me because of how often I travelled. So, I started specialising more in plants such as hoyas and philodendrons, which required less upkeep when compared to plants such as orchids and calatheas.”
Although she initially saw her plant adventure as nothing but a hobby, her passion triggered new motivation to channel her energies into entrepreneurship with her business Fannczy Plants.
“I returned home from a summer vacation one year, shocked to see just how much my plants had grown in my absence. This encouraged me to start propagating them. With this surplus of plants and no space to put them, I decided to post some of my propagations for sale on my plant page @fannczyplants which I had created to share my new plant obsession and the ups and downs of new plant parents,” Chan revealed.
To her surprise, she received wonderful feedback and was also successful in the sales department. From there, she took her venture a step further by participating in pop-up events.
According to Chan, indoor plants provide a soothing environment for the home or the office, but they also assist in purifying the air, which contributes to the improvement of mood and well-being. “Outside of the obvious aesthetic benefits to having them in and around your home, plants have the ability to make people happy. Their foliage and bright colours can induce a sense of joy and relaxation akin to that of a walk around the park, which transcends whether they’re indoor or outdoor, in my book,” she highlighted.
Plant parents tend to be overzealous in their approach to building a garden, biting off more than they can chew. “Without the proper research being done in relation to the necessary methods of upkeep for varying plant species, they may lose a lot of them in the beginning, which is an error I certainly made. To combat this, I’d say ‘start slowly and take time to get to know each plant, what environment they thrive in, how much light they need [and] how often they need to be watered’. Once you’ve gotten into this habit, you can then branch out and start expanding your garden.”
Another common issue has to do with light deprivation and overall neglect. “Pay attention to light and water. And be vigilant about checking for insects and diseases. Insecticides and fungicides are your best friends! Also, be sure to wipe the leaves and feed your plants as dust settlement can inhibit photosynthesis, and nutrients within the soil can become depleted over time,” Chan recommended.