However, the combination of selection and location can present challenges. And this is where science comes in. In the small space of an apartment balcony, where climate conspires to get very windy or very hot or even both, Daniel’s collection is carefully placed. Delicate orchids that require daily watering here, hardier foliage plants that require less maintenance there, and the rarer, larger specimens tucked away in spots where battery by elements is minimised. It seems rambling, but that is what a rainforest is: chaotically green in root and flower. And all that bleed into Nigel’s direction as well; he is majoring in international tropical forestry, advocating ethical collection of plants, and championing native species. 

He worries about Begonias, for example. Beautiful in the way that colours and patterns fractal on its leaves, interest in Begonias is now growing, superseding Aroids. “And that created a huge spike in Begonia poaching to fuel the demand,” he says. “Considering that Begonias are more sensitive and micro-endemic than aroids, that makes them extremely prone to overcollection and extinction.” Sustainable collecting can exist, he insists, as long as it does not negatively affect biodiversity and the environment. 

Taking that into account, Daniel’s collection will continue to expand. At the top of his wish list is the showy Vanda Sanderiana and the hypnotic Epidendrum Parkinsonianum orchids—not necessarily headliners for everyone but certainly for Daniel. “Everything about plant collecting these days seems to be about the most extravagant and the most expensive. Me? I collect the plants that I love.”

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“I love plants. They bring me such joy. And they bring others joy as well,” says Andele Eau, as she points out some of her beloved and rare plants, a beautifully variegated Monstera Albo, the geometric grace of a V-patterned Astrophytum and the almost sinister symmetry of a Colocasia Pharaoh’s Mask. “I love that a lot of my plants have heart-shaped leaves—because plant collecting comes from the heart. It always reminds me that love is all around.”

Split between two houses in Penang, Andele’s plant collection is vast, ranging from the everyday to the exotic, succulents to specifics. It is a collection that really only began a few years ago but is rooted farther back in time. “When I was a child, I used to grow a lot of plants. Gardening has always been part of my life, all through my teenage and adult years,” she says. “Then two years ago, a friend introduced me to some exotic indoor plants. It was a revelation. I became attracted. I became curious. And that was the beginning of my current story.” 

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That enthusiasm and affection are evident as Eau tours her garden, pointing out individual plants and their stories. She relates one about Astrophytum, bulbous cacti species native to North America that occasionally burst forth with spectacular flowers. So captivated was she with these ‘living rocks’ that she immediately purchased a flight ticket to Bangkok the very next day just to attend a cactus exhibition to indulge her fascination.

The results of that dabble are now scattered across her garden, lovingly housed in individual ceramic pots. She also talks about how the process of propagation can lead to creation—and how she and her brother are experimenting with creating new colour varieties of orchids, where her background in entomology occasionally plays a role. “White is always the base,” she says. “And from that basic canvas, you can try to create new blends of colours.”

But more than just the plants, Eau loves the people that her plants have brought her into contact with. An active participant within the tightly knit Malaysian plant collectors community, Eau enjoys sharing her chlorophyll-laced joy with other plant lovers, and in turn gets inspired by the creativity and curation of her fellow collectors.

“I want to share my love. Not just on social media but with my family, my friends and even passers-by that might be attracted by my humble garden. I have a thought: If every person in the world grows one plant, then we are giving back to Earth and the climate will surely change for the better. So this garden of mine is not just for me but for the future generations.”

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