Inspiration from Airplantman’s Garden
LA landscape architect Josh Rosen—botanical superhero alias Airplantman—has created a magical tillandsia-filled batcave in the courtyard behind his Mar Vista studio. Check it out, then come see us and start your own collection!
The Flora Grubb team has been working with Josh for years, so when we opened our new Marina del Rey store just a few minutes from his studio, we were all thrilled. We share a love for weird and wondrous plants, and Josh's artistry with tillandsias is astounding.
When Josh moved into the Mar Vista space five years ago, he removed a massive play gym from the courtyard and started building from scratch, creating structures for hanging plants all the way up the walls.
"It's an exercise in putting a ton of plants into a tiny space," he explains, adding that everything is high enough to keep plants safe from his sweet but enormous dog, Elliot.
As Airplantman, Josh creates frames, trays, and pedestals for displaying tillandsia air plants and showing off their beautiful curves. These tools also make them easy to water without handling the plants, which can cause damage.
Josh loves to collect anything with lots of variety, and tillandsias fit the bill; there are over 600 species of these plants within the genus. "There's just something about those curving, grabbing arms," he says. "Every tillandsia has its own particular charisma."
Josh's hanging lanterns are essentially living light fixtures, illuminating the courtyard with their otherworldly glow. "At night, they cast these incredible shadows on the ground," he says. "It's got a cryptic, archaeological kind of vibe with these weird plant-shaped symbols moving around the garden."
Want some plant care tips from Josh to help keep your tillandsia air plants thriving? Check out his interview with Sunset magazine.
You can find Josh's landscape design work online at Studio Grey Green. Thank you, Airplantman, for sharing your botanical superhero's lair with us!
Feeling inspired by Josh's garden? We got you. Here’s lots more tillandsia information and inspiration.
Whether you're looking for just one special extravagant tillandsia (in bloom!) or a dozen or so babies to start your own collection, our SF and LA stores always have a wide variety of air plants in stock.
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