CONDITIONING 05. Plant Living and growing with plants .
PROFILE

Leader of SOLSO KEEP GREEN . It has been 3 years since he changed his business from a clothing store to a plant shop. I am the mainstay of our family of four (myself, my wife, our oldest son, and our second son), and as I turn 30, I am at a turning point in my life!
On my days off, I go to the park with my children, occasionally go on a hand-holding date with my wife, and may or may not go surfing once or twice a month. That is my daily routine. My goal for this year is to buy my own home.
Instagram: @shota_hmg
- How did you become aware of plants?
I was doing PR for a select store and had quite a lot of photo shoots . It was during that time that I realized the appeal of plants. Plants can make a space more colorful, give a photo a three-dimensional feel, and enhance the main subject matter. I thought, "Plants are amazing! That was the beginning. At the time, I was thinking about changing jobs because of the Corona disaster and the birth of my child. My senior colleague told me, "SOLSO KEEP I knew someone who worked at "SOLSO KEEP GREEN," so I asked him about it, and he told me exactly what I was beginning to wonder about. Although it is a plant shop, they also do space production for apparel stores, exhibitions, and major offices, etc. I had no knowledge or experience, but I felt like I jumped into this industry.
- What are some of the benefits that plants bring to you in your work and personal life?
. I guess it's the fact that you can feel the four seasons. . Depending on the object, I really enjoy the changing expressions of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Also, when I see new buds or flowers blooming, I feel relaxed and healed. On the other hand, if I forget to water them, they lose their vitality, so I feel like taking good care of them, even though it is not like raising a child.
- What kind of activities is SOLSO currently involved in?
Broadly speaking, we have three teams: the store team, which sells plants in the store; the outdoor team, which constructs outside gardens; and the indoor team, which creates spaces with houseplants. Among them, I belong to the indoor team. When you hear the word "gardener," you probably have a strong image of an arborist creating an outside garden or climbing a tree and pruning it with a saw. But in reality, there is also the job of using houseplants to create spaces that fit the tension of a place, such as a major office, apparel store, or furniture store, using plants of all sizes, species, and a variety of plants. At first glance, this may seem a far cry from what I did in my apparel days, but just like coordinating in clothing, I take the customer's favorite tastes and brand background and express them with plants. When I think about it, I feel that the experience and sensibility I gained at my previous job is also being put to good use in this job!
- I would like to grow plants at home! Do you have any plant recommendations for people who want to grow plants at home?
I would personally recommend Monstera, Aglaonema, Anthurium, and other plants called Saturniaceae? The characteristics of these plants are that they are brightly colored, full of character, and have large leaves. They are very easy to grow and are healthy even without frequent watering. They grow faster than other plants, so they are very fun to grow! I often hear that people buy cacti or rubber trees at the local flower shop, but they wither quickly when watered. Many people have a pattern of not liking the plants because they wilted, so please try growing them!
Here are Ikeya's favorite products.
SOLSO HOME
Solso Original Socks

Socks for "PALETTE" facility for the handicapped . SOLSO KEEP The embroidery of "GREEN" motif is cute and I love them. They are made of thick fabric, so you can wear them hard. They also come in women's and kids' sizes, so the whole family wears them (laughs).
Foxfire
Alfrax Tackle Vest
The original vest of "Foxfire" with the logo "SOLSO KEEP . Our team maintains the properties we deliver to, and we sometimes work in tight spaces or at heights. Our team also does maintenance work on the properties we deliver, some of which involves working in tight spaces and at heights, so the vests with large pockets for towels, misting spray, string to change the shape of trees, dead leaves, etc. are a big help!