Plant-obsessed dad spends thousands on ‘indoor jungle’

By Jamie Saunderson

A dad-of-two has quit his day job to become a full-time “plantaholic” after spending around $67,000 creating an “indoor jungle.”

Green-fingered Jonny Balchandani’s passion for plants took over his home in Malvern, Worcestershire during the COVID19 pandemic and turned him into a viral sensation as he collected around 10,000 plants to his wife Charlotte’s annoyance.

Jonny, 38, has since published a book, transformed a 45-foot lorry into a “tropical paradise” plant shop and, four weeks ago, gone full time.

And the self-proclaimed "bearded hippy" says Charlotte, also 38, has grown to appreciate his “vice” after she initially bemoaned being “hit in the face” every time she made her way through the bushes, leaves and shrubs that populate their home.

The former marketing director, said: “Since 2021, I've probably spent another $67,000.

“I still have imposter syndrome over the entire thing.

“I still can’t believe this little old hermit from the Malvern Hills is doing this kind of thing.

“My wife said to me ‘nobody knows you do this, why don’t you see if there are any other weirdos like you?’ but only in a passion sense.

“For the first few years, it was purely a hobby.

“The book deal came in and I was still making my videos.

“There were more and more plants being bought and it grew.

“Nearly a month ago, I left my day job and I took this on full time. It’s been incredible.”

Charlotte has now come to terms with the “insanity” of filling the house with plants - after Jonny made a key concession to leave the windows clear.

He explained: “I think it’s slowly over time changed from thinking it’s insanity and slight irritation to being quite proud of me.

“She’s now my agent. She’s the best agent I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t be where I am without her.

“She still won’t do any watering or propagating or care for the plants.

“A couple of years ago now, when she decided to go to London for a work event, I transformed the spare room and installed an indoor greenhouse.

“My wife then said ‘look, I’ve been very kind and patient but I’d rather see out the windows of the house’.

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“My solution was buying a 45-foot insulated lorry.

“Then I had to have it driven across 16 acres of land on a truck that didn’t hold the entire length of a 45-foot lorry and I then created a jungle inside the lorry.

“It is still a jungle inside the house but now you are able to look out of the windows.”

Jonny, who had already splurged £6,000 on plants between 2011 and 2021, said he has spent around £50,000 in the last five years.

He opened his plant shop in the lorry in February 2025 and now regularly attracts visitors from as far afield as the US, Sweden and Turkey.

“I always had a dream of having my own little plant shop," he said.

“The demand increased and suddenly things took off.

“I went hunting down plants and importing them from the four corners of the world.

“I bought a 45-foot insulated lorry and transformed it into a tropical paradise… where I’ve got a thousand or so house plants for sale.

“I’ve had people fly in from America, Ireland, Sweden.

“The other day there was someone who had come from Istanbul.”

And his children Tallulah, seven and Phoenix, eight, are excited to see their dad becoming a social media star.

“To see their daddy on YouTube has made them very proud of their father," Jonny said.

“Tallulah even gets involved in the videos. Phoenix is slightly more reluctant but he’s happy too.”

Jonny admits he straddles “a fine line” between “insanity” and “enjoyment of life” - but he plans to continue amassing plants.

He said: “If we include my 45-foot truck, we’re probably in the 10,000 plant range.

“I have my indoor greenhouse, a house filled with plants, an entire jungle in my home which was the original OG gangster jungle and the outdoor greenhouse.”

Speaking in 2021, Charlotte said: "I've always had a love for the plants, but I've never met somebody who's got so much of a passion for plants in general - indoor and outdoor.

"It was a bit of a slap in the face at first but [now] I see his passion and how good he is at keeping plants alive.”