Markus gave up his bedroom for 311 succulents—“I created a bright and hot desert environment for them”
Plant enthusiast Markus Lehtinen, 28, became captivated by succulents. Whenever the grey weather outside his window starts to bore him, he retreats to his bedroom to enjoy a succulent jungle and an eternal summer.
“I completely agree with the Chinese proverb: If you want to be happy forever, plant a garden.”
I’ve had various houseplants ever since I got my own home. Then, a few years ago, I began collecting succulents. On a whim, I bought a jade plant and started learning how to grow it. The hobby turned out to be so fascinating that I began acquiring more and more succulents.
Finland’s long, cold, and grey winters don’t bother me because I have eternal summer in my home.
As my plant hobby progressed, I decided to focus solely on succulents and gradually give up all my other houseplants.
They have gradually taken over the bedroom of my two-room apartment. There, they can live their own lives. I’ve created a bright and hot desert environment for them. Succulents’ natural habitats are barren and hot during the day.
When I started accumulating succulents, I willingly moved on the sofa in the living room to sleep. It’s probably the craziest thing I’ve done for this hobby.
Some friends have commented that it would be wonderful to sleep in such a “greenhouse”, but I prefer to sleep in a cool environment. The greenhouse’s temperature is close to 35 degrees Celsius during most of the day, and around 25 degrees even at night. I have over thirty grow lights, and I’ve programmed them to turn on and off.
At some point, I’ll need to get a bigger apartment.
Finland’s long, cold, and grey winters don’t bother me because I have an eternal summer in my home. If the greyness outside my living room window starts to bore me, I can retreat to the bedroom for some light therapy.
There I tinker daily, checking the plants’ condition at the very least. I plant cuttings and sow seeds, rearrange the plants, and create arrangements. Sometimes I just sit and admire them.
Space is starting to run out in the greenhouse, though. At some point, I’ll need to get a bigger apartment.
Read also: 9 easy-care succulents [in Finnish]
My succulents are like one big family to me. I don’t want to give up any of them—quite the opposite. I have had failures, too; I haven’t been able to save a couple of them from plant pests.
Having this many plants does require time, patience, and some money. But at the same time, taking care of plants is free therapy. I’ll never get tired of seeing a real plant grow from a tiny seed and helping it thrive. It gives me a good feeling and a sense of accomplishment.”
