Seth Shezi On His Childhood And Parenting Plants

Brand strategist, digital creator and self-professed urban jungler Seth Shezi on his childhood, parenting plants and how he intends to celebrate Garden Day.

- Heidi Bertish

So have you always been into plants? What influence did spending half your childhood in Durban surrounded by a verdant plant world have on your current urban Jungling habit?

It took me a while to realize my clean-lined decor aesthetic, juxtaposed with curating my overgrown urban jungle, speaks to my yearning to incorporate the comforting yet unbridled aesthetic of KwaZulu-Natal in my now Cape Town-based home.

Did a childhood memory seal your fate as a plant parent?

For me, plants were a beautiful way to escape reality. As a child, standing under their tall trunks and wide umbrellalike leaves felt like being transported to an Amazonian reality, where no grown-ups lived. This was a place that belonged to kids only; where we could be creative, dream and be close to nature. From a young age, I learned to appreciate things as they were. Nature teaches us to let things be.

Do you have a favorite plant – and to photograph?