Mara Ellis

Mara has kept indoor plants alive across five rented flats and three climates, which is a slower and more useful education than any greenhouse. She writes the guides here from plants she has grown for at least a full year, records light levels in lux rather than adjectives, and is happy to say when a widely repeated piece of advice did not work.

The journey

1. 2014

   One pothos, one north-facing kitchen

   The first plant was a supermarket pothos in a flat with a single north window. It survived, which was surprising, and it started the habit of writing down what was actually done to a plant rather than what the label said.

2. 2016

   First honest failures, written down

   A fiddle leaf fig, two calatheas and a maidenhair fern died in one winter. Keeping a record of the conditions each one had — rather than blaming a green thumb — turned into the notebook this site grew out of.

3. 2018

   RHS Level 2, and learning to measure

   Formal study filled in the botany behind the habits: why roots suffocate rather than drown, what fertiliser salts actually do to a root, why light is measured and not guessed. The lux meter has been in use ever since.

4. 2020

   Third flat, third climate

   Moving between climates showed how badly generic care advice travels. The same plant, same pot, same person — completely different watering intervals. Every guide here now states the conditions the advice was tested in.

5. 2023

   Testing the claims nobody checks

   A year-long low light trial with twelve species in one north-facing room, and a proper read of the air-purifying literature, made it clear how much repeated houseplant advice has never been tested at home.

6. 2026

   Upflat

   This site collects the results: what worked, what failed, measured where possible, and honest about the difference between tradition, marketing and evidence.

How these guides are researched

1. Every plant covered has been grown for at least a full year, through one winter.
2. Light is recorded in lux with a meter; watering intervals in days, with the conditions stated.
3. Botanical and toxicity claims are checked against RHS, Missouri Botanical Garden, NC State Extension and the ASPCA database — never against other blogs.
4. Where a common recommendation failed in testing, the guide says so.
5. Corrections are made in place and the review date on the article is updated.

Corrections and contact

If something here does not match your experience, that is worth knowing — write to hello@upflat.online with your conditions (light, pot size, watering interval) and the guide will be re-tested and updated. Corrections are made in place and the review date on the article changes with them.