PLANT LOVERS GIFT GUIDE

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? If like me, you're totally a little behind on the whole Santa prep then I'm here to give you a hand with a few gift list over the next few days, starting with gifts for plant lovers. Yep here are some beauties for all your green fingered loved ones and all at a reasonable price point! Which ones your favourite?

1. Letter Plant Premium Poster (from A-Z): £9.90 Juniqe.

2. Prick: Cacti and Succulents. Choosing, Styling, Caring Book £10.50 Amazon.

3. Maple Leaf Sweater: £79 French Disorder. 

4. Scandi Style Watering Can: £6 Ikea. 

5. Enamel Pin Badge Monstera Leaf: £7.50 OHNORachio. 

6. Longwood Scissors: £24 Antropologie.

7. Geo-Fleur Plant Post Club Subscription: From £24. Geo-Fleur.

8. Green Ceramic Cactus Vase: £10  Not On the High Street. 

MAKE YOUR OWN TERRARIUM WITH FISKARS

I’ve long been a huge fan of plants in the home, they make you feel calm, are great for your health and create a stylish interior. The trend to style up your space with a wide variety of Instagram friendly greens is not going anywhere, and thanks to Pinterest our love for terrariums and plants is at an all time high, even if we’re making them all wrong!

So when I was invited to SkyGarden by Finnish Gardening gurus, Fiskers to shake off my gardening fears and get some advice from TV Celebrity Botanist, James Wong, to make my very own terrarium, I couldn’t wait to learn some new skills and pass them onto you lovely lot.

CREATE A STYLISH PLANT GANG WITH POPS OF COLOUR

It seems the grey skies and winter chill has missed my memo for sunshine and spring vibes and I've been left to try and bring some sunshine into the flat with pops of colour. Call it a pink pick me up, but I'm really needing colour to get me over the weather right now, so when the I was sent two gorgeous Stellenbosch Phalaenopsis Orchids by Dutch grower Anthura, I grabbed the chance to introduce these unique pops of colour into the lounge and create a stylish plant gang.

CALM BEDROOM MAKEOVER // INTERIOR INSPIRATION

Our bedroom A.K.A the dumping ground has always been a tricky space in our flat and has been on my makeover list for a while now, but being the biggest room and the place where most things go to be forgotten, it's hard to tackle the constant flow of clutter. I've often dreamed of a space that is light and calm during the day and cosy at night but with bundles of coats bursting from behind the door, my workspace which is *ahem* never always tidy, shelves bursting with DVDs and prints stacked on the floor, I never know where to start.

So when Homebase invited me to head in store and pick up a few pieces to change how I see my home – giving the bedroom the kick in the pants it needed – I knew exactly what to do. Unlike some of the other rooms in the house, the bedroom has no real theme and is a mish mash of furniture, colours and clutter which drives me nuts. So I decided to spend a weekend tackling some of the problem areas that adds to the overall mess and pick out a few things that would set the tone for the makeover.



We spent a few hours taking the 300+ DVDs that line our freestanding shelving unit, out of their cases – keeping the covers separately – and organising the discs into two small wallets that can be easily stored in our wardrobe, before driving to the local recycling centre to ditch the cases creating an abundance of space on the shelves.

I created the above mini mood board with the colours, tones and prints I envisage for the bedroom to give me a clear idea of what to look for when going into Homebase. I love soft colours, natural fabrics, and a Scandi feel for this room and was excited to pick up a few key pieces to set the process in motion. First I chose this statement ceiling light that gives off a soft glow adding a cosy feel, plus I love the raw bamboo and structured shape of the light.

Next I picked up this Neta glass wide vase from the Habitat concession in Homebase, it's so great having a place in Bristol that sells Habitat products as I've always been a fan of their patterns and I love the cool smoky colour of this glass. I can imagine filling this with freshly cut flowers, although it's quite beautiful without.

To finish off I picked up some plants and ceramic pots to add a bit of green into the room. I think Ferns work really well as they look great and are easy to look after and I always love the idea that plants recycle the air naturally while you sleep. I then reorganised the shelves using it to display my photography and design books, vinyl, vintage film projector and framed pictures making it a display area rather than a dumping space.
I now feel energised to tackle the rest of the room and create a space that reflects my personality and captures the wonderful light that pores in through the windows. With a new mattress on the way I'm looking at various beds like the Silentnight Hamilton King size bed from Homebase to help bring the feel of the room together and my next job is to tackle the slightly dilapidated chest of drawers!I can't wait to share both bedroom makeovers on the blog in the next few months!

PLANTS + COFFEE // URBAN JUNGLE BLOGGERS

I've been trying to keep the winter blues away, so when I read this month's Urban Jungle Bloggers theme I knew I wanted to join in. Created by Igor and Judith, Urban Jungle Bloggers is a collaborative monthly series which aims to inspire and create a community of green in the home and beyond.

I'm a bit rubbish when it comes to greens, the leafy foliage doesn't stand a chance once it passes the threshold, until that is, I discovered succulents and cacti. These hardy little plants look beautiful with their pale blue-green hues and architectural shapes and seem to thrive in our flat.

As a huge coffee lover I was excited to combine the two and take time to relax at home. I find that having plants around me quite calming despite the caffeine effect, they also add a special touch to white interiors and look great in ceramic planters.

I own five or six little succulents – which I must find out their names – and a sprawling Aloe Vera which I've been caring for over the last 12 months and I'm always on the look out for beautiful planters. Do you love plants in the home? Do you have green fingers? I'd love to hear any tips on keeping the greens going.

You can join in with Igor and Judith using the hashtag #urbanjunglebloggers

GREEN IN THE HOME

For those of you that know me, you'll know that I'm not so good with plants – I'm much more of a fresh cut flowers kind of girl. Ever since I managed to kill off my husband's Bonsai tree within two weeks of moving in, I've never really lived it down. But there is something beautiful and energising about living plants in the home, so after eight years of being plant free I've decided to go green.

Our windows overlook a lovely private garden, peppered with flowers that change with season and various types of grasses. As F wistfully looks out from the window I feel guilty that he doesn't have a garden of his own to plant seeds in, uncover creepy crawlies and explore. So to ease the mama guilt I have bought a few hardy plants and a small watering can for F to create a little indoor garden. My favourite by far is the Aloe Vera cactus, due to its beautiful structured shape, bluey-green hues and that my chances of killing it are low. Each morning we check the soil and F asks if they would like a drink and asks me if they are happy – cute overload.

Take a look at these inspirational green interiors.

Image 2/3/4/5/6/7/8 source Plant Life