Hilton Carter - Wild Creations

HILTON CARTER

WILD

CREATIONS

HILTON CARTER

WILD

CREATIONS

INSPIRING PROJECTS TO
CREATE PLUS PLANT CARE TIPS
& STYLING IDEAS FOR YOUR
OWN WILD INTERIOR

Senior designer Megan Smith

Photographer Hilton Carter

Editor Martha Gavin

Art director Sally Powell

Head of production Patricia Harrington

Publishing manager Penny Craig

Publisher Cindy Richards

Cover and chapter opener art

Drury Bynum

Readers should make sure they are using the correct fixings and have tested the weight-bearing capacity of their walls and ceilings before hanging heavy plants and containers, or employ a professional to do so. The author and publisher cannot be held responsible for any damage occurring as a result of hanging the projects in this book.

Published in 2021 by

CICO Books

An imprint of Ryland Peters

& Small Ltd

2021 Jockeys Fields

London WC1R 4BW

and

341 E 116th St

New York, NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Text Hilton Carter 2021

Design and photography

CICO Books 2021

The authors moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library.

ISBN: 978-1-80065-025-1

E-ISBN: 978-1-80065-050-3

Printed in China

CONTENTS

People say things come in threes or that the third times a charm. I believe that to be true. I mean, why not? I am from Baltimore, a place coined with the name Charm City. So, that being the case, after making Wild at Home and following that up with Wild Interiors, I felt it was only right that I create a third book. The trifecta, if you will. In Wild at Home I spoke about the best ways to style greenery in a home, while also giving tips on how to care properly for your plant friends. In Wild Interiors, I took readers around parts of the globe, to be inspired by the journeys in greenery of individuals just like them, those in the plant-loving community, while also giving my thoughts on the best places in the home for particular types of plants to live and thrive. In Wild Creations, I want to give you, the reader, an opportunity not just to be inspired but to take action. Its in being inspirational that I want to go deeper. I dont want those reading this book to just feel excited or energized by an image, I want them to feel moved in a way that forces them to put down the book and go create the thing that they just saw or go tend to their plants with the care theyd give to any living thing in their home. Thats real inspiration. The power to awaken an individuals creative sleeping giant and have them feast on the opportunities in front of them. Thats the direction the next 200 pages should take you toward.

Wild Creations is a book I needed to create because its a book that I selfishly wanted for myself. As a plant and interior stylist, there have been times when I have an idea for how Id like to utilize a plant in my home, but there hasnt been a product that reflected my sensibility or style, and its made me want to just create it myself. For example, I knew I wanted to have a terrarium in my home but wanted it to be different than any I had seen before, so I purchased a fillable glass lamp and turned it into a terrarium. I could feel how special that was and the statement it made in a room was evident. Honestly, its in those moments when I know I particularly want something and I believe others might want it as well, that I know Im on the right path. While Im a lover of plants, Im just as much a lover of interiors and style, and my aim has always been to live in that space where the two come together. Therein lies the beauty of bringing the outdoors in.

The first chapter, WILD IDEAS, is the heart of this book. It will give readers a chance to show a little of their creative side, getting their hands in the mix, to create beautiful projects in the comfort of their home. I think right now, many of us are looking for ways to create with our hands and literally do it ourselves. With ideas from how to create a concrete planter to a detailed breakdown of how to paint a jungle mural one tone at a time, each project is designed to help make your space feel more lush, stylish, and, of course, alive. My plant hammock project, which I shared in Wild at Home, is a good example of this and because there was such a great response to that part of the book, I wanted to do more of it. The projects shared throughout this book are all ideas that Ive been excited about for a while now or concepts that Ive been thinking about, and now finally have the opportunity to put out into the world. In the same way that the at-home chef uses their favorite cookbook to spice up their plate, I want Wild Creations to be that to the plant and interior design lover.

In the chapter WILD HACKS, it felt important to share the pro-tips of sorts that Ive come to learn over the years. These are simple ideas to help you care for and style the plants that you are bringing into your interior space, which maybe you havent thought of. Did you know that you can use No.2 (HB) pencil shavings to help repel bugs? No? Well, you can. Thats what I mean by simple. We will discuss ideas from how best to pack your plants for a move, to how to style the surface of a plants soil, and just cool/inventive ways to set the vibe. The goal for these hacks is to bring a little fun to your weekly care routine or alleviate some of the stress when it comes to the plant issues you might encounter.

In the chapter WILD RANTS, I do just that rant. Wild Rants could be its own book when I think about it. I refer to this section as rants because I feel like its me on top of my soap box screaming about my love for plants and how transformative they can be in your life, and I just wanted to put that energy out into the world. After two books, I felt driven to drill home a few thoughts that Ive had over the years from discussions with those in the community or messages sent my way. I fall into my feelings and go from discussing the true power of light to the importance of getting a plant sitter. And let me tell you, its important. I feel passionately about the relationship we have with green life and wanted to help others out there have a better understanding of why its important to make that connection. While many have been running out to fill their homes with as many plants as they possibly can, I hope this chapter will be a PSA (Plant Service Announcement) on why we should be thinking more deeply about plant life and the goodness it can provide. I would certainly be remiss if I didnt talk a little about some of my favorite indoor plants and how to care for them. I mean, who would do that? Ive covered some of my top plant friends in