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and humidity requirements,” Marina added.
In addition to conversations in-store, plant
enthusiasts are invited to reach out on social
media for help with care, and more plans for
in-home consulting are in the works.
For beginners and plant collectors alike,
Andrew recommends the lush monstera
adansonii. “They’re easy plants to care for,
you can put them in almost any window and
they’ll thrive,” he said. “They’ve also got
beautiful fenestrations on the leaves, even at
the smallest size, and they’ll grow up to have
even double fenestrations on the leaves.” A
fitting choice, since the shop itself is named
for beautiful botanical markings. “Variegata”
references variegation, the appearance of dif-
ferently hued zones in plant leaves, often the
basis for sought-after rare varieties.
“We hope that we can live up to this
namesake by making Variegata a true desti-
nation in Astoria,” said Marina. The shop is
on its way, with a newly installed plant swap
wall — a place for visitors to take and leave
cuttings for the community free of charge
— and plans to install a soil potting station.
Because some plants require a unique mix
of speciality soils, this could cut the cost and
waste of buying soils individually.
“We want this to be an urban jungle filled
with all sorts of exotic plants. We hope that
each customer will see something they have
never seen before, learn something new about
plants or their care, and take home something
that will be special to them,” said Marina.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Interior of Variegata Exotic Plants, featuring a hammock swing.
Interior of Varegata Exotic Plants in Astoria. Variegata carries more than one hundred species of
plants. ‘Plants to Trade’ wall, where the community can take and leave clippings free of charge.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022 // 5