Freeman Leonie - Living with plants: a guide to indoor gardening

CONTENTS

ABOUT GEOFLEUR

Hello! Im Sophie Lee, founder of botanical styling company geo-fleur. I love adding greenery to everything, whether its a windowsill, bookcase or even a bedpost. Plants make everything feel and look more beautiful, no matter how big (or small) the space. At geo-fleur, along with educating our customers about the joys of indoor gardening, we aim to inspire everyone to green up their homes.

I started geo-fleur back in October 2014, but I have always had an obsession with house plants; my mum is a florist (and a huge inspiration!) and from a young age I was always helping her out with making occasion buttonholes, big table decorations and bridal bouquets. I guess green fingers run in the family, as my uncle is the head gardener of a National Trust garden and goes seed collecting in Japan he would always bring me back the most beautiful succulents to propagate, which then prompted me to start my own company. This is why succulents feature so much at geo-fleur!

My business partner, Sally, prefers plants without flowers, so when she got married I suggested that I plant her up a terrarium to carry down the aisle. It all kind of took off from there; I made a few more and then got addicted, and now run my own terrarium workshop so people can learn how to make their own miniature landscapes. For me, terrariums are the perfect example of indoor gardening, and how you can bring the beauty of nature into your home.

Indoor plants can be just as good as an outdoor garden plus, they are versatile, personal and can move house when you do! Plants can add subtle pops of green to a room, or serve as a dramatic focal point. Whether your style is modern and minimal or vintage and whimsical, you can find the right plant to suit you. Once you start a plant collection, you wont be able to stop youll soon be giving them names and treating them to fancy, decorative pots.

Not just for show, plants are hugely beneficial to your health. Studies have proved that house plants improve concentration, purify the air, improve productivity, lower blood pressure and boost your mood. They serve a practical and aesthetic purpose, and will enhance your life.

As well as plant styling tips, I have also included some helpful How To ideas, to help you create bespoke, plant-based decor for your home. The demand for indoor plants and ways to display them only grows, and I cant wait to share my knowledge with everyone out there who wants to create their own indoor jungle. I hope youll find this book insightful and that it will inspire you to get creative with nature and make your own green, urban sanctuary.

THE BEAUTY OF PLANTS

Plants are an easy and stylish way to bring energy into your home and transform its look. They come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and textures to suit your taste and space.

In many cities, outdoor space and gardens are at such a premium. Its no wonder geo-fleur has flourished selling weird house plants and cacti, as there is such a trend for house plants and adding some greenery to your indoor space. Its so tempting to run out and buy a huge collection straight away, but once you have purchased your beautiful plants, you need to know how to care for them. Thats where I can help. This book will be your plant bible; it will help you find the right plants for your home and how to care for them correctly, teaching you all the tips and tricks to help your indoor garden to thrive.

Health benefits of keeping plants in your home

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House plants are good for your health: they release oxygen into your home, control humidity and purify the air. An indoor garden can be your sanctuary from the outside world, and for many people it is a source of great joy. Whether you live in a small apartment, or a large country house, by introducing certain plants into your home, you will start to notice improvements to your health, and overall happiness.

Knowing what plants are best for what room is crucial when it comes to plant styling: the bathroom is perfect for air plants and kokedama, as the excess moisture from your daily shower helps those particular plants flourish. If youre lucky enough to have a conservatory or a super hot room, then fill it with ferns, palms, succulents and cacti as they will love the heat. Most plants dont like direct midday sun, so please be wary of this when placing your plants in your home. The biggest killer for house plants is overwatering and accidentally drowning them! See to learn how to correctly water your plants.

It is so easy to add some greenery to your home, and you will notice an instant change. Adorn your windowsills with succulents, drape vibrant macram hangers from curtain rails or try something big and bold like the gorgeous fiddle leaf fig. You can also have fun with the pots, and display your plants in beautiful ceramic and copper containers. Owning plants doesnt have to be expensive: just take a cutting from a friends plant or from your local plant shop. There is also a section on this book for beginners plants and how to style your home with a few statement, hardy plants ().

I hope that by reading this book, you will develop a knowledge of how to care for and grow your own indoor plant collection, and share this knowledge with friends to help their collection grow too!

You can use a new or old terracotta plant pot for this How To, but I find that using an old one just adds to the texture and charm. Make sure that the pot is clean and unglazed or the inks will not stick. At geo-fleur we use Scola iridescent inks, but there are many different marbling inks on the market. You can also marble a matching terracotta saucer for your pot to stand in.

YOU WILL NEED

34 different coloured marbling inks

large bucket filled with clean water

a stick

unglazed terracotta plant pot

rubber gloves (optional I like to get messy!)

newspaper or plastic sheet

paint brush

sealant

plant of choice

Drip a couple of drops of each of your chosen colours of marbling ink into the bucket of water, then use a stick to swirl the inks around.

Hold the pot on its side and place it in the water, keeping your hand steady to avoid twisting the pot. Then, again without twisting the pot, lift it all the way out of the water. Feel free to wear rubber gloves for this part (but I prefer to get messy!).

Repeat the process of submerging and lifting. You can change the water at this point and add different inks to get a variety of vivid colours on the pot.

Keep dipping the pot into the water until the whole sur face is covered and you are happy with the pattern remember to not twist or dunk it completely as this will disturb the pattern.