In the bustling and throbbing heart of Barcelona there lies a space far form the hectic on-goings of city dwellers and the daily routines of a never quieting cityscape: A tranquil contrast to the fast paced world that has the popular metropolis undoubtedly in its grip.

It is a peculiar place that once entered, will leave an ever lasting impression. Its inhabitants gently brushing up against the walls, slightly swaying in the draft of the closing doors, fully encompassing all your senses:

Curious eyes meander immediately through the vivid jungle of plant treasures and newly collected botanical findings. Some may linger on the many shelves filled with extraordinary succulents others may be enthralled by enormous specimens of tropical plants that gently lean their greenery against the raw and atmospheric walls. Its seemingly effortless existence is like pulling paradise into reality. Fresh, Abundant, Contemporary and filled with authenticity and underpinned by expertise.

Amidst these living treasures one can find the proud owners and plant enthusiasts Jesús and Pancho who founded the plant collectors studio Casa Protea in the heart of the artistic quarter of Grácia. Here they are able to pair an exquisite eye for detail with a fresh design perspective, elaborate botanical knowledge with a natural joie-de-vivre and an instilled passion for collecting plants, resulting in a tranquil studio space that is brimming with plant specialities and other delights.

They both met around seven years ago in an art gallery in Santiago de Chile, where Jesús used to work. After a few laughs and some piscolas (a typical Chilean long drink made with pisco and cola) at the bar around the corner they both became inseparable: Besides common interests they both quickly learnt about their grandmothers who, early on, sparked an ever evolving passion for cultivating and collecting plants that made their bond even stronger and turned a passion into an urban oasis:

“When we started living together, we realised we both had a close relationship with plants. We like to think that Casa Protea put down its first roots in our tiny apartment in Santiago, where we managed to accommodate more than 200 plants.”

After moving from Santiago to Barcelona to embrace the idea of quitting their former jobs to work and create together as well as being their own bosses, they opened Casa Protea which soon became a renowned and sought after space for urban gardeners, keen artists, designers and fashion folk alike.

We use the word “casa” (Spanish for home) because we feel our space is closer to a second home than a studio/store. We conceived this project as a place where people could gather and share knowledge. Plants have always been an inspiration and remind us of the beauty of imperfection and change. According to Greek mythology, this last quality – inherent to all human beings – is incarnated in the God Proteo that had the ability to change its appearance in order to survive. Proteas belong to one of the most antique families of plants that have been discovered — the Proteaceae – which is around 300 million years old. This family extends to more than 1,400 species and is the one with the widest variety in shape, color and size. Their extraordinary adaption to their surroundings are also reflected in the name and the combination of both words, casa and protea, seemed to be the best way to show the values we wanted to communicate.”

Since the opening Jesús and Pancho have continually evolved their imagination and collection of plants always hunting for new and unusual species, drawing inspiration for planting and styling projects from botanical gardens and artistic green spaces such as “Las Pozas” Edward James, as well as looking back to their shared memories of their grandmothers, like Jesús says: “I really enjoyed it when she was propagating the Geraniums by stem cuttings, the best time to learn the technique. However the main thing she shared with me it's just a feeling, something as simple as her love and passion for her plants. In that sense she taught me the importance of taking care, not just of plants, but of all the things and people you share your daily life with.”

Pancho adds: “My grandmother was a cage of knowledge, always reading and always with the right answer for whatever you were looking for; and as a self made gardener she had a really big botanical library composed primarily of British encyclopedias and nordic know-how magazines. One of the coolest experiences I had the pleasure of sharing with my grandmother was the amazing process of growing a plant from a seed.”

For discovering new plants they both venture to find new growers and nurseries and always keep an eye on locally sourced and grown plants as they are “much stronger and more adapted to the city environment.” both explain. Through being able to share a glasshouse with a friend Jesús and Pancho have the ability to acclimatise the unusual species that they source from abroad: “Luckily with the nice weather that Barcelona has, most species considered houseplants can work perfectly both indoors and outdoors. Another important aspect when selecting new plants is handpicking, we like to choose ourselves the healthiest and unique specimens.”

As contemporary plant collectors they are always on the lookout for the unexpected botanical discovery, whilst paying very close attention to the plants health and its origin. “Sometimes rare plants, especially cacti and other succulents, are threatened species. If they are on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) list it is important to always ask for their pertinent certificate when getting them.”

Besides being able to bring in new and exciting plants into their Studio, they both have created planting schemes and outdoor projects for clients all around the city as well as publishing their first book “Me quiere, no me quiere”(Love me, Love me not) that is filled with anecdotes from their lives, evocative plant photography, lovingly drawn illustrations and an abundance of botanical knowledge about tropical plants, air plants, cacti and other succulents. With DIY guides Jesús and Pancho are able to share a part of their practice at Casa Protea with their readers.

Lush leaves of a Monstera gently sway goodbye as the door opens leaving behind the tranquil space on the Carrer de Ramón y Cajal immediately being pulled into the urgent pulse of the city that is Barcelona.

It is a certain wilderness that comes though in all of their work as partners in life, creators and cultivators of spaces, collectors of plants and their studio always evolving their horizons, imaginations and concepts of what it means to be contemporary plant collectors.

Is there a favourite plant that your grandmothers have collected that you still love and grow today?

(J) My grandmother had a strong passion for Geraniums, she had almost any colour you can imagine. She was born in the south of Spain where you can find Geraniums everywhere. It's something that as a child-teenager never thought to ask her but I guess somehow it was a way of remembering her childhood and her origins. We don’t have any Geraniums species like the ones she used to grow but we do have a quite weird, and not yet identified, Pelargonium in our collection.

(P) I remember that my grandmother had a really huge Avocado tree in the middle of the patio and every time we came to her house we gathered all together below the Avocado tree. Always loved to grow avocados pits in water, don't really remember if she taught me how to do it but it definitely inspired me seeing that huge specimen at my grandmother's house and dreaming of growing myself one as magnificent as the one she used to have.

Is there one plant that you both find rather difficult to grow?

We have always struggled with Begonia species. We find them difficult to grow even in glass domes. In Barcelona they have a really bad time during the summer season. Even though we love them, we have a couple of them in our personal collection. With no exception the incredible Begonia brevirimosa is our favourite one.

What is a “Must-Have” plant for any light situation?

Almost every Sansevieria species adapts quite well in any light situation. Anyway they thrive with really bright spots, even with some hours of direct sun. But for us a must-have Sansevieria is

S. francisii, probably one of the oldest and also easiest plants to take care of that we have in our collection.

What's the biggest lesson you learned leading a botanical studio and growing plants?

Working with plants is something fascinating and being surrounded by them every day has made us understand the importance of cycles. We always think that we take care of them, but day after day we are more convinced that it is the other way round. Undoubtedly they have taught us to be patient.

What is next for “Casa Protea”?

We are really enthusiastic about “Káktos”, an upcoming project with two more partners that will be ready hopefully next spring. It will be a new space for plant lovers where you will be able to enjoy not just lots of plants but also good coffee, cocktails and food along with a cultural program related to botany. Workshops, cinema screenings, themed dinners, talks and book presentations will be the main activities we are planning so far.

Learn more about Jesús and Pancho and their thrilling journey of CASA PROTEA though their Instagram or find them amongst the plants in their studio in Barcelona. Be sure to stop by on your next trip to the city if you are looking for unique plants and a tranquil escape.