Model, author and environmental activist Summer Rayne Oakes has transformed her home into an urban garden, sharing her Brooklyn apartment with more than 1,000 houseplants. She tells us about her book, How To Make A Plant Love You.
What sparked your passion in the environment?
Living close to nature as a kid helped tremendously, as I had an endless fascination with the outdoors. Having parents that fostered, shared in, and supported my interests was also critical. When I went to university, my advisor, professors and mentors all helped continue to stimulate and encourage my pursuits.
I have friends, however, who didn’t always share the same interests in nature, so that understanding between us really made me analyze how I was talking about what I love. It made me get more creative with how I approached certain topics—some more sensitive or polarising than others—and I began to try to meet people where they were at in their understanding of our environment and their place in it.
What inspired you to move from a career in the field to inspiring others to connect with nature?
If someone looked at my CV, they would see a very non-linear, creative and non-conforming professional path. I’ve worked in so many different industries: fashion, beauty, food, media—and everything in between. To this day, I cannot give you a blueprint for how I’ve done what I’ve accomplished. The thread that connects it all, however, is my passion for the environment, so once you look at it from that lens, it all makes sense.
At the moment, I’m largely focusing on connecting people—particularly urban dwellers—back to nature through the beauty of plants and gardening. I consult on the topic and on the side I run a blog and YouTube channel called Homestead Brooklyn and Plant One On Me, respectively; an online audiovisual course on houseplant care called the Houseplant Masterclass; and have just published a book called How to Make a Plant Love You: Cultivate Green Space in Your Home & Heart. I love that I can tie my love of plants and my education into my professional pursuits.