The Instagram account @wildchildgreenery is a one-stop shop for plants and painted plant pots. Its owner, Criselle S. Mendoza, started it as an homage to her father who died three years ago. Her dad taught her to love and appreciate plants.

“He grew up as a farmer. I grew up with orchids on one side of the garden and vegetables on the other. Jino-joke ko siya before that maybe we should start a plant shop together since we both love plants. But then he got sick and eventually we lost him,” Mendoza said.

She moved into her apartment one month after her dad’s death. The move was for her to be closer to her work in Makati. Mendoza brought some of his plants with her because she missed him. She said that her father’s plants brought her comfort. They were just a way for her to decorate her apartment without spending a lot of money.

Her favorites change because they depend on which plants are visibly thriving. She likes pothos because “they are easy to grow and they grow really fast, too. They don’t shed leaves as fast as other plants.”

However, she also likes the prayer plants because of the challenge they pose. The perfect combination of light and humidity the plants require before they reward you with colorful, vibrant leaves can be rewarding.

“The vibrant green made the place much livelier but the standard clay pots they came in were plain boring. I wanted my plants to match the home aesthetic I was going for, and my solution was painting,” she said.

Armed with her acrylic paint and makeup brush (yes, makeup brush), she started painting her terra-cotta pots. Mendoza took into consideration the colors of the leaves and their sizes before painting the pots.

This is not as easy as it sounds, though. She has since traded in her makeup brush for a nylon one for more even strokes. Each pot is sanded down and given a coat of primer before she can paint on them. She also applies four layers of paint for each design. Mendoza said that this is to ensure that the colors don’t fade when exposed to direct sunlight.

Honing her craft

Her officemates could not get enough of her painted pots and started placing orders. Prices for her pots start at P400.

“Many of my clients were more excited about the custom pots because they wanted items that would look good in their rooms,” she said.

Her painted pots have motivated some to adopt a plant and take care of it. All her designs are original except for special requests like her rendition of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”

“I never turn down a design challenge from my customers since I just love exploring how far I could further hone my craft,” she said. Mendoza recommends that her painted pots are kept indoors.

Like her friend, Mercedes Cabral, she’s starting to make her own pottery. They will be collaborating.