How Does Your {Indoor} Garden Grow?

I'm on a mission over the next few months to bring more of the garden indoors. There are so many harsh lines and empty corners in our new home and, whilst it's definitely not my aim to fill every space with clutter, I do yearn for a little vibrant greenery to soften things up a little. Whilst sourcing plants for a shoot next month, I caught the bug big time. Can you tell?

I have a gorgeously simple DIY hanging garden to share with you at the end of the week which is beautifully contained and it got me thinking about other ways to introduce little contained gardens in the home. Mainly terrariums. Considered to be rather "trendy" these days, filled with all manner of succulents, cacti and other low maintenance plants they seem to be the thing to have right now. They don't need regular watering, feeding or pruning and can be left to their own devices to flourish on a windowsill (N.B check growing advice before you do this as some plants love light more than others!)

Growing up we would always have the odd, quirky succulent plant about the house and I'm no stranger to them, so it was really lovely when I got to bring them in as a key plant for a client's wedding decor last year- in fact I ended up bringing quite a few home with me. It does make me laugh though to discover that since their rise in favour it's become almost impossible to find these in their usual habitats at bake sales, car boots and charity shops-they were unfashionable for so long and now everyone wants them!

My absolute favourite gardening store, Terrain, has unfortunately yet to make it to Europe, but given that its sister stores Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters are already a much loved brand here in the UK I doubt it'll be long before its arrival. That's my explanation for breaking my "won't feature anything outside of Europe" rule today. If you don't know Terrain, then welcome -it's a breath of fresh air for all modern gardeners with beautiful collections of gardening paraphernalia, dressed up in the typically fresh, delicate style of its sister stores. It's a real treasure trove to explore and there's so much to love, but for today, in keeping with my indoor garden theme, I've chosen to share my 'Top 7 Terrain Terrariums'...

1. Dome Specimen Cloche | 2. Edwardian Case Terrarium | 3. Open Bubble Terrarium | 4. Cylinder Terrarium | 5. Pedestal Terrarium | 6. Weathered Basin Terrarium | 7. Tidewater Terrarium

Fancy starting your own mini garden? It really couldn't be simpler (or cheaper for that matter).  Here's a few tips:

• Glass works really well to display the details of your plants-don't assume you need to have a specially produced terrarium for this, a vase or bowl will work just as well.

• Most mainstream garden centres sell a variety of terrarium plants for as little as 99p for a young sapling so you can stock up and watch them grow.

• A layer of stones or pebbles on the bottom of the terrarium allows for drainage which is very important. Try not to over water your plants or they'll start to rot.

• Add a variety of textures for your plants to grow into such as stones, worn glass pebbles, compost and sand. It also looks great layered through the glass.


I hope you feel inspired to go forth and create your own indoor gardens and I look forward to showing the results of what I'll do with mine once they've had their moment in front of the camera in a few weeks!

Swedish By Design - HOW ARE YOU

Here's a colourful start to your week in the form of Stockholm design duo Tobias and Emelie or HOW ARE YOU. As the ombre/gradient trend continues into the summer months bringing both bright and subtle pops of colour into our homes, I simply had to share these with you.

I'm discovering a love of all things plywood at the moment that I never knew I had. Such a simple material and one no doubt you'll remember using to practice with on jigsaw machines during design and technology classes, HOW ARE YOU's Plywood Cabinet from their 'Made for us' collection is (I quote)...

"RAW, it's BIG and MADE FOR KEEPING STUFF IN".

I totally would too. The splash of graduated colour gives it a lift away from the ordinary and turns it into a real feature piece for the living space or office. All their cabinets are custom made in a "large and smaller than large" and painted to your preference. You could seriously go to town on this bad boy.

Their soft canvas cushions from the COLORS collection are an ideal addition for your sofa and would look gorgeous mixed in with some light or dark grey soft furnishings for a contemporary feel. 

Love what you see? Check them out...

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Illustrated Monthly - Petal to Petal

It's been some time since the last 'Illustrated Monthly' feature what with one thing or another and, whilst on Twitter the other night I noticed this amazing illustrator, Lily Reilly. Having fallen for her beautifully detailed floral designs it made complete and utter sense to make her the next instalment in this monthly feature. So here she is...

••••

• Tell us a bit about you and your background 

My name is Lily Reilly and I am an Illustrator and Surface Pattern Designer from Cork City but currently living in Berlin. I work under the artist name ‘Petal to Petal’. 

The name 'Petal to Petal' describes the method in which I work- literally drawing one petal at a time. I can (and do!) spend hours drawing and can get lost in my work- I think that time flies when you're doing something that you love. 

My style is quite intricate and I use a lacing pattern that I call ‘flower bomb’ in a lot of my work. The pattern explodes and disperses and I like to experiment with it and use it in different ways. I particularly love working in monochrome and just concentrating on the shapes and detail of an image. 

I studied Graphic Design and then trained as an Art and Design teacher, both at Crawford College of Art and Design in my hometown, the beautiful Cork City. I  graduated from Rachael Taylor and Beth Nicholl's course 'The Art and Business of Surface Design' last summer.

'Seed Heads'

'Lace Doily'

• How did you find your way to illustration?

I wanted to be an interior designer when I was younger and at an early age I was introduced to the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and William Morris. I loved the detail and perfection in their work, the pattern and symmetry. It was so clear that they loved what they did, not just in their work but in their involvement in the Arts and Crafts movement, and that made me realise how important it is to do what you love- I thought 'what a lovely way to view the world'. When I studied Graphic Design and trained as an Art and Design Teacher, neither of those professions appealed to me as a whole. I love elements of both but my heart just wasn’t in either, I knew there was something else. 

While I was in college I started making and selling illustration work in my spare time- I always made time for it because it was what I wanted to do. I then started approaching galleries and exhibiting my work in Cork City and County and the response from people gave me that boost to take the next step. 

'Blossom'

• Your work is incredibly intricate with a lot of attention to detail. What or who inspires your style and what is your creative process?

I am inspired by so many different things- the stunning classic designs that the greats (as above) have left behind, work by talented designer friends and established designers today, the seasons and patterns in nature, trend boards and blogs. Living in Berlin, you can't really go anywhere without getting inspired. I work from home so it's good to get out of the apartment (especially if my kitten Poppy is in a hyper mood!). The area that I live in is jam packed with lots of beautiful little shops and cafes and I like nothing more than to disappear to a cafe and sit drawing for hours, accompanied by some creamy Cappuccinos! 

'Roses'

• As a surface designer, what's your preferred medium to work with and why?

I love working in pen on paper- I always have. When I studied Graphic Design and one of our topics was print. I developed a healthy obsession with paper- the texture, the weight, the colour- it is wonderful stuff! I really enjoy sitting down with some nice new pens and beautiful paper and just starting a project- it’s just as exciting for me as when I finish the piece. When I have finished the image I scan it in and work on it in Photoshop or Illustrator. 

'Spring Florals'

• What's next for Petal to Petal?

 I am currently part of an exhibition here in Berlin, which I helped to organize with two friends. The exhibition is called ‘all in the detail’ and it shows three very different but feminine, artistic styles. The exhibition will be running until mid June so if anyone is in Berlin please call in!

I am always open to commissions and collaborations with other designers and I enjoy participating in different events and exhibitions.

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I hope you've been inspired by Lily's work-she's sparked a desire in me to cover everything in tiny daisies! Enjoy your weekend and I'll be back on Monday...

A Small Office Tour - Just A Little Corner

Morning. Sleep well? I thought I'd start the day gently with a milky decaf and a little insight into my new office space, sharing a little corner of it with you. Over the past few days in between trips to the supermarket and hunting for nurseries for our son (a whole different ballgame here) I've managed to pick my way through the boxes and slowly unpack my office. I'll say it again. My office. You have no idea how good it feels to say that, given that I'd gone from having a corner of a room in our two-up-two down, to working on the sofa/dining table once our son was born. I planned entire weddings that way and it wasn't conducive to anything remotely organised...although I did it. Now I have an entire room. I can fill it with whatever I want. I can swing the cat if I feel like it (and I wouldn't really) but it is such a creatively liberating experience to finally be here. 

I discovered this beautiful old bureau in our local charity shop a few years ago and, although it was partly my sewing cupboard, it was also needed to store some very ugly DVDs for some time, so being able to lovingly display all my fabrics, linens and sewing paraphernalia is just really exciting. I'm rediscovering things I forgot I had be it from past shoots, projects or events and I treasure them even more now. 

The flip-side to up sizing a home is that you suddenly discover how much furniture you lack-slightly frustrating when you have all this "stuff" you had stored in the loft for years needing a home but nowhere as yet to put it! So, I'm only sharing this small corner of my space with you today because if I took any shots behind me you'd see a mess...so give me some time and I'll post a full reveal. 

As an impatient person I'm not too practised at waiting but I'm enjoying relaxing into the space and letting it reveal itself, how I use it and thus how I choose to decorate it. I'm going to live with it for a little while and carry on adding to my Pinterest board for inspiration until I feel ready. I'm pretty sure that crisp white will be the order of the day on the walls though, with colour brought in with accessories, perhaps a little rug?

My next project will be to revamp my boring pine desk -thanks to everyone who voted on the colour on Facebook and Instagram. I'll reveal the winner in a DIY as soon as I can get out in some dry weather and get started!

Hope you enjoyed exploring this morning. What's your creative space like?