A Warmer Welcome: plant styling & care plan for Plastic Surgery Queensland
Some spaces need a full transformation. Others just need the right greenery, in the right spot, to feel considered rather than overlooked.
This project was the second kind, a beautiful clinic with a clean, high-end, black-and-white brand that just needed plants chosen with the same care as everything else in the space.
It also started with a rescue. Before this project began, a feature Bird of Paradise at one of the clinic's sister sites had a serious mealybug infestation and was on the brink of being lost. I came in, diagnosed the problem, and nursed it back to full health — and once it was thriving again, the team asked me to bring that same care to their main site: the entrance, waiting rooms and reception, all in need of a refresh.
Project details
Client: Plastic Surgery Queensland, Birtinya
Service: Commercial plant styling & weekly maintenance
Location: Birtinya Sunshine Coast
Property type: Medical/Cosmetic Clinic
Spaces styled: Entrance & first waiting room, main waiting room, reception
Plants used: Kentia Palm, Spider Plant, Bamboo Palm, Bird of Paradise Nicolai, Mother-in-Law's Tongue, Dragon Tail, Monstera, ZZ Plant, Pothos
Pot palette: Charcoal fibrestone feature pots, light grey sea bowl
Turnaround: Ongoing weekly maintenance plan
The Brief
A full plant refresh across the clinic's entrance, waiting rooms and reception — chosen to suit each space's light conditions and tie into the clinic's clean, monochrome, high-end brand. Following on from a successful plant rescue at one of the clinic's sister sites, the brief was to bring that same level of care to every space, softening the fitout and creating a warmer, more welcoming feel for both staff and patients.
Room by Room
Entrance:First Waiting Room
This space receives little natural light — artificial light only — so plant choice had to work harder than usual. A feature medium-tall charcoal fibrestone pot anchors the space, with a medium Kentia Palm framing the back, and a Spider Plant and Bamboo Palm layered in front. The trio is styled to cascade and vary in height and texture, creating a lush, layered look built entirely from varieties that genuinely thrive without natural light.
The plant it replaced — a long-neglected dracaena — wasn't beyond saving. Its dead trunks were removed, the plant was cleaned up, and it's now recovering in an office space, where it'll be nurtured back to health rather than discarded.
Before
Main Waiting Room
The existing monstera here was tired and straggly, sitting in a small grey pot that no longer suited it or the space. Rather than simply replacing it, I propagated it — cutting it into two new monsteras, which will grow on to become new plants for the clinic. The remaining plant was repotted with fresh soil and a coco pole for support, and moved out of direct window sun into a spot better suited to its needs.
In its place, a feature large tall charcoal fibrestone pot ties into the clinic's black-and-white brand and the other new pots throughout the space.
This corner receives strong direct sun through the window — exactly the conditions the monstera had been struggling with — so three sun-loving plants were chosen instead.
“A medium Bird of Paradise Nicolai sits at the back, with plenty of room to grow through spring, framing a Mother-in-Law's Tongue for stripy texture and contrast against its verdant foliage, and a dragon-tail plant in the shadier front position, its lush dark green leaves left to cascade over the pot as it spreads.”- Jane
The Reception
The finishing touch: a medium island jungle ecosystem in a light grey sea bowl, layered with ZZ Plants, Pothos, Spider Plants and more. It brings texture and a natural softness to the reception area, breaking up the monochrome branding while still complementing the clinic's high-end, considered aesthetic.
What the client had to say
"We can't recommend Jane at iki and moss highly enough! Our feature Bird of Paradise at one of our sites had a serious mealybug infestation and was really struggling — we thought we might lose it. Jane came in, diagnosed the problem, and nursed it back to full health with such care and attention to detail. It's now thriving and back to being the showpiece it once was.
We were so impressed that we asked Jane to take on another project: revamping the plants throughout our main site to soften and warm up our waiting rooms and reception area. The transformation has been amazing — we've had so many comments from both staff and patients about how beautiful and welcoming the space feels now.”
— Jenn, Plastic Surgery Queensland
Curious about the Bird of Paradise recovery Jenn mentions?
See the documented the full rescue — mealybugs, treatment, and an unexpected twist involving ants — across a 5-part series. Start here →
The Ongoing Care Plan
Every plant here is on my weekly maintenance plan — watering, health checks and styling upkeep, so the space stays looking its best without the clinic having to think about it.
Want a Space That Feels as Considered as the Rest of Your Brand?
Whether it's a full refresh or bringing a struggling plant back to life, I bring the same care to every space I work in.
"Jane clearly knows her stuff, genuinely cares about the plants she looks after, and has a great eye for design. Highly recommend iki and moss for anyone wanting expert plant care or a fresh, green refresh for their space — work or home!"." — Jenn
