Amid the concrete sprawl of London's business district is an urban oasis – or "Jamie's Jungle" as its creator, Instagram influencer Jamie Song, prefers to call it.

His apartment has become a social media sensation, thanks to the tropical paradise he has created there. Song lives in the converted boiler room of a hydraulic power station and has turned his sitting room into a live-in greenhouse packed with Chinese money plants, false shamrocks and orchids.

"It is a lot of work. Typically, I water them every other week … and it takes me six to eight hours," Song says of his demanding plant-care schedule.

But he believes it is worth it for the feelgood factor it gives him and his growing legion of 200,000 social media followers.

"I fell in love with the tropics on a trip to Bali in my twenties. When I first came to London, I lived in a small and dark apartment and I was basically depressed every winter. Any plants I had, I couldn't keep alive. When I moved here, I reconnected with my love of plants. I see them all as individual works of art. They make me feel wonderful," he says.

Song is co-director of vintage art and furniture gallery Bureau of Interior Affairs and regularly unearths items for himself when driving through France looking for gems to sell at his gallery. 

But the focal point is without question the foliage.

"It is amazing people want to see photos of my house and plants. When they look at the photos they feel relaxed, get a sense of tranquility, and I feel in this day and age people really need to reconnect with nature," he says. 

Recent research backs this up: The 2019 Wyevale Garden Centre Garden Trends Report notes that 43 percent of gardeners say houseplants help them feel calm. It adds that those aged between 25 and 34 are most likely to purchase a plant for its health and wellbeing properties.

 

A growing trend

City dwellers are investing in houseplants at a growing rate and they are trending on social media – there are more than 2.2 million posts of greenery linked to the hashtag #plantsofinstagram.

This has had a knock-on effect for plant sellers, as demand has soared. The Wyevale report, released in March, notes that houseplant sales were up 31 percent on 2018.

There has also been a dramatic increase in online searches for indoor plants. Online data show searches for the term 'houseplants' almost doubled between the end of 2018 and March 2019, while searches for the Swiss Cheese Plant – a favorite among millennials – have increased 300 percent over the past five years.

For those without vaulted ceilings and large skylights, it is still possible to jump on the houseplant trend as long as you start small.

"You need the right light and to know what your plant needs, then you, too, can have a jungle in your home," says Song.

Katie Cooper, a psychologist-turned entrepreneur, says plants improve our immune system, are natural mood moderators and can purify the air we breathe. Her business, The Bloombox Club offers a solution to people living in cities without much or any outside space, looking for their fix of the great outdoors. It is a plant subscription service that delivers easy-care plants to your home, with top tips for aftercare. She says business is blooming.

"We have grown over 400 percent in revenue in the last year. You know, wellbeing is a big thing right now. You have heard those buzzwords like mindfulness, meditation, yoga. We see plant care as a form of meditation," she says.

This notion of personal growth alongside the plants' growth, could mean the houseplant revolution has stronger roots than a fleeting home décor trend.

 

Seven hard-to-kill plants to kickstart your indoor oasis

Jamie Song explains why the following species work in your home:

 

Peace lily

"It can thrive in even darker areas and you know when it needs water because the leaves will droop a bit."

Ficus Everest

"It's a new cultivar flower from Holland and if you touch it, you won't believe its texture, it feels like pure velvet."

Jewel Orchid 

"In the sun it shimmers a little bit and it's very easy to grow."

Oxalis Triangularis 

"This is one of the most popular houseplants at the moment… They move throughout the day and in the evening the leaves actually close and they look like dancing butterflies."

Chinese Money Plant 

"This was the 'it' plant about two years ago. It was very hard to get one and everybody wanted one. Now they are much more common, you can get them in most plant shops or garden centers. Give them bright direct light and water."

ZZ Plant 

"It's very easy because you can forget to water it and it's fine, it's got more flexibility in that way. It is one of the best beginner plants."

Pathos/Devil's Ivy 

"Keep it out of direct sunlight but in a bright spot and it will thrive. But it gets so long that you have to constantly trim it."