Kim Nyiri’s lifelong hobby of tending rare and exotic plants got off to a bumpy start when she was about 6 years old. Today, her Greenfield apartment is home to nearly 200 thriving botanical wonders. Dispersed throughout seven rooms, the plants create a lush environment for Nyiri and her three cats.
It didn’t start out that way.
“When I was in first grade, I often used my allowance to buy tiny potted cacti for 25 cents apiece from Mr. Diffendale, our neighbor across the street in Chicopee,” recalled Nyiri, 50. “He had a greenhouse attached to his garage, and his back yard was magical, filled with all kinds of plants.”
Mr. Diffendale’s yard was also populated by “peacocks, ducks, turtles, a pond with koi, goldfish and lily pads, frogs, chickens, cats, dogs, squirrels, and so many birds. To this day, I dream of having a place like his.”
Nyiri’s cacti purchases were an attempt to emulate her neighbor’s magical realm.
“The cacti fascinated me with so many colors and textures, but there was one problem: they always died on me. I kept trying, though. This went on for years. One day, Mr. Diffendale remarked that he wasn’t going to sell me any more plants. It seems funny now, but I was so upset when he said that. Luckily, he never did stop selling to me.”
She lost touch with her neighbor, but oh, if Mr. Diffendale could see her now.
Photographs and descriptions of the plants in Nyiri’s 1,400-square-foot apartment could fill a book, but for the purposes of a newspaper article, she provided a few glimpses.
One prized specimen is her Bowiea Volubilis or “Climbing Onion,” which lives in a gorgeous, large terrarium.
“I grew it from seed, and look forward to a time when it will flower — cute little yellow blossoms sprouting throughout the vine,” Nyiri said.
She also grew a lush avocado tree from seed and has several impressive pitcher plants. Many varieties of aloes live amongst flowering cacti–Christmas cacti flowering a deep pink and Easter cacti yielding a stunning orange color. Succulents abound, including a Huernia Zebrina “Lifesaver.”
“I’ve got a multifloral Pahiopedilum Michael Koopowitz (sanderianum ‘Zeus’ X philippinense ‘Nine Tails’). My Pony Tail Plant (Beaucarnea recurvata) was about 8 inches tall when I got her 10 years ago–her base was two or three inches in diameter — and now she’s about 3 feet tall with a 10-inch diameter base.”
One snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata), when blooming, is fragrant like honeysuckle.
“They tend to bloom only when they’re mature and pot bound,” Nyiri explained. “There can be one or several spikes, reaching a height of three feet. The funny thing is, the first time one of mine bloomed, I thought another plant had somehow ended up in the same pot. I had no idea they flowered.”
Pine trees also inhabit Nyiri’s household. “I have one — I’m not sure what species — that I dug up and replanted from a seedling 20 years ago. It now lives in a rectangular tartufa pot I made myself.”
Another specimen, a Norfolk Island Pine Tree (Araucaria heterophylla), was cut back five years ago “because it had grown too tall to get into my apartment. The tree now has two growths that sprouted from the mother tree before I cut her back,” Nyiri said, adding, “Upon recent inspection, there are two more growths starting up from the bases, one from the twins and one from the cutback stock of the mother tree.”
Nyiri devotes time and great care to her indoor haven: “A simple watering can take about an hour, once or twice a week, sometimes more in warmer weather. Humidity misting takes about 15 minutes, one to three times each day.”
She prunes as she waters and mists.
Of pest maintenance, Nyiri said, “I don’t like to use chemicals and hand removal can be tedious.” Transplanting can take “hours or days, depending on how many plants I need to do.”
Once spring arrives, Nyiri moves many plants to her porch, but carefully monitors temperatures. “When it gets above 40 degrees during the day, many of them can go out. When nights go below 40, though, I have to move them inside and put them back out in the morning, which can take a while.”
Yet she doesn’t refer to any of it as a chore. “I love admiring the plants and being amongst them. I just wish I had more time to spend with them,” said Nyiri, who works as a manager at Green Fields Market on Main Street.
Some of Nyiri’s plants are as old as she is, or nearly so. “I inherited a Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata 2) from my mother that’s about 45 years old and currently lives at (Green Fields Market) atop the produce cooler.” She rescued another snake plant (Trifasciata Laurentii) from a dumpster 30 years ago. “That one’s also at (Green Fields Market) as you walk in the front door.”
Nyiri acquires her plants “just about everywhere. From friends, family, and co-workers. I buy them at greenhouses and stores, online, at shows and orchid society meetings, and of course, I do garbage rescues.”
Tending so many plants can be expensive, depending on the plants’ needs and the grower’s aesthetic tastes. “I have ‘silver spoon’ aesthetics: vintage, wrought iron, copper, Victorian-style glass-and-iron terrariums and other artistic creations.”
Plastic is cheapest “but not always beneficial for plants.” In terms of economy, unglazed terracotta pots are the next best. Shelving, risers and plant stands also figure into costs.
When it comes to lighting, “I used to go all out,” Nyiri admitted. Artificial lighting varies in cost, both upfront and in electric bills. ”For the last 10 years, I’ve used mostly natural lighting. I move plants around until I find the location that makes them happiest.” She also uses fans to provide air circulation.
In terms of feeding, Nyiri emphasized, “It doesn’t have to be expensive, depending on the size of collection, choice(s) of fertilizer, and how often you fertilize.” Many horticultural experts suggest various feeding practices as soil becomes depleted of nutrients, or when a plant is blooming.
“I find that most plants thrive when I merely change the soil, with limited or no additional fertilizer. But I’m no expert, simply a hobbyist. Some of my failures could be because I don’t fertilize correctly? But then again, I have plants that are about 50 years old that I’ve hardly fertilized!”
Nyiri admitted that “plants can be tricky. Some that are considered easiest to grow can be impossible if they don’t have the right conditions. I have a common spider plant that I’ve really struggled with.Yet I have some that are considered difficult, like Paphiopedilums (Venus slippers) that I’ve had for more than 20 years. Go figure!”
Not owning one’s own home can be a challenge for the plant enthusiast. “Due to the whims and needs of various landlords, I’ve had to move about every five years since coming to Greenfield 30 years ago,” Nyiri said. “And I’ve found that plants, once established, do not like to move. Along with under- or over-watering mistakes and bug infestations, many of the plants l’ve lost perished due to moving.”
Describing some of her more challenging moves, Nyiri said, “Some of my specimens are very tall and require special traveling accommodations. I’ve been known to ride in the back of a trailer in the dark — or with a flashlight — holding onto plants so they don’t tip over.”
Small and medium-sized plants can travel in Nyiri’s car, but a move requires many trips: “Depending on types of plants and weather conditions, I’ve had to use insulated boxes or coolers. Some plants are so heavy, I’ve used a hand truck and gotten help from lots of strong people.”
She used to tend outdoor plants, as well, and grow a garden, but Nyiri found that “it’s expensive and too uncertain to garden on someone else’s property. I’ve put in hours of preparation only to find that I had to move and start all over again. I couldn’t afford to keep doing it.”
There’s also the heartbreak of having to leave behind many beloved, costly, and established plants and outdoor structures.
In addition to working full time as a store manager and skillfully tending plants at home, Nyiri has many wide-ranging hobbies and interests, including hiking, geology, figure skating, cross-country skiing and scuba diving. “I love the ocean. I’ve done lobstering, spear fishing, and loads of shell collecting. I miss my time under water. It’s a whole other world.”
She studied ballet and “even tried belly dancing. I’d really love to learn the Latin dances someday.”
An avid photographer (both above and below the ocean’s surface), Nyiri worked as a conservationist for an orchid society, presenting slide shows for other enthusiasts.
Nyiri looks forward to the day when she’ll purchase her own home and dreams of having a conservatory or an orangery.
“I’d love to take up welding so I could create my own glass Victorian-style terrariums,” she said. “Until I have my own place, though, I’ll stick to house plants and potted herbs and vegetables. Wherever I am, I enjoy all of the moments I spend doing the things I love. I make the most of those moments.”
Eveline MacDougall is a local author and garden enthusiast. She welcomes comments at eveline@amandlachorus.org.