For over two decades in the showbiz industry, Aubrey Miles has been known for her sexy, antagonist roles. However, many don’t get to see her nurturing side. Aside from being an actress and fitness trainer, Aubrey Miles is also a happy parent to three children and plentiful plants. Growing up, Miles spent her childhood in her mom and grandmother’s garden and a love for plants is something that she got from them. Her appreciation for greenery started at a young age, despite not knowing their names and not having interest in indoor plants yet. Missing the vibe of having her mother around, she began purchasing plants and placed them around her own home. She bought her first plant in Japan and had started collecting more plants since then.
Among her first plants are different varieties of monstera, pothos, and alocasia. As a plant mom, she has had to face numerous challenges before she got the hang of caring for houseplants, so she encourages beginners not to get disappointed at first as it’s part of the learning process.
Plant mom duties
In one of Miles’ interviews, she said that she loves plants because they give her a sense of responsibility, kind of like having kids that long for her love and care. Miles said that getting a plant entails a responsibility that one must take seriously. Once you raise plants well, they give back the love by continuously growing, just like humans. “If the purpose is just for decoration or not really meant for caring, then it will not love you back,” she added. Here’s a proof:
The love for plants also runs in her family. Miles said, “My kids appreciate plants and nature. They think every house should have plants because it makes it homey and positive. It gives us different happiness and positivity.”
It was a challenge for Miles during the first year of placing her plants indoors. She had to find good spots, particularly for her rare plants, to survive in the environment they have at home. She tried putting them in every corner of the house to check where they grow best.
Now, she has tons of plants (both indoors and outdoors) and the majority of her indoor plants are rare and imported. If she had to choose her favorite, it would be Albo monstera plant, a rare variegated type of monstera that is easy to tend. For newbie plant parents, she recommends snake plants, monsteras, pothos, rubber plants, philodendrons, ponytail palms, and yuccas as these are not difficult to grow. In contrast, she doesn’t suggest anything rare and expensive (like Ficus lyrata or Fiddle-leaf fig) because one must have enough experience and knowledge to raise them properly.
On her Instagram account, she has a series of plant unwrapping videos where she shares different plants while discussing their characteristics. See how she talks about one of her favorites, a Monstera deliciosa:
Unlike her indoor plants, the plants she has outdoors like bougainvillea don’t demand much care to flourish because they can easily get sun and rainwater. Miles reads a lot about watering for indoor plants and learns about the various plant types that thrive longer indoors. She purchases plants and gardening necessities during her local and international garden visits and through online shops. She frequently opts for black plastic containers for her plants and re-pots them with the accessories and pots that she already owns. When watering plants, she touches the soil to see if they need water or not based on the soil moisture. She carries each plant into their garage and waters them there. She also collects rainwater for them.
Here’s a rundown from Miles’ vlog about Dos and Don’ts for indoor planting:
1. Research. According to Miles, newbies must do some research before getting indoor plants to avoid wasting plants and money.
2. Location. Know where you are going to place your plants before buying them. One must pick the particular spot where the plant will be placed before getting them; planning it beforehand will be convenient to know the exact size of plants that you should buy. For instance, you cannot get a huge, tall plant for your dining table; it might look odd and might take much space.
3. Start on low-maintenance plants. If you’re a beginner, get an easy plant to practice and learn each plant's characteristics.
4. Don’t follow a schedule for watering. In Miles’ case, she checks the soil before watering the plants because she said overwatering is a common problem many gardeners encounter.
5. Do the look, touch, and feel method. This refers to regularly paying attention to your plants to check and examine what they need, may it be water or proper sunlight.
Here are some low-maintenance plants that Miles’ suggests for newbies:
- Snake plant is a popular indoor plant that is manageable to grow, especially for first timers.
- Pothos, also one of Miles’ favorites, can adapt anywhere even when set on small windows. This doesn’t require to be taken out every day as long as they’re fed with enough sunlight indoors.
- Rubber plant - this doesn't require much effort also as long as they’re given sufficient sun and water.
- Lastly, Sansevieria cylindrica or any sansevieria variety that is also similar to the snake plant.
Check out the video: