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Writer's picturerebecca's home sort

welcome to the jungle.

During the Summer of 2020 I started to get somewhat obsessed with houseplants…


Up until then we had a few around, but mainly just yuccas or small succulents (basically ones that were very low maintenance). Now we have around twenty I think, and they are all thriving, healthy, green and gorgeous! I love them. They make me happy.



It all started on my 39th birthday, when all I really wanted was a Swiss cheese plant (monstera deliciosa) in a terracotta pot - very specific I know! My husband told me to go and choose one at the local garden centre, so I did… and I came home with Betty. She was (is) beautiful. We placed her in a prominent and sunny spot in our kitchen, and each morning she would bring us joy - especially when she started to sprout more and more new growth at a seemingly crazy rate. She just grew and grew and grew (much to the delight of our son).



Well, Betty prompted me to then buy more and more plants to have around the house. We also had an unfortunate (that now I would actually call fortunate) experience with some really disappointing flowers that my husband had ordered for me online… when he complained about them they gave us a full refund (but as a credit note) so we decided to try some plants from them (instead of more flowers) and thankfully their plants were much better quality. So we now have a huge weeping fig (ficus benjamina) in our living room and a ZZ plant (zamioculcas zamiifolia) in the bathroom that just continues to go from strength to strength. I love fresh flowers, always have, always will - but they only ever last a couple of weeks… whereas with the right care and attention (that doesn’t have to be complicated) plants can last forever, so they are a great investment.



I often move them around the house as well, just to change things up. I’m always rearranging everything else at home, so why would plants be any different?! I like to see what they look like in different corners, or I move them to give them more/less sunlight depending on what they need.


At one point we had four or five plants on our (very small) bathroom windowsill - including a huge, lush, and slightly out of control Boston Fern (nephrolepis exaltata) and honestly, every time I walked in there they would instantly put a smile on my face - and I would always have the Guns N’Roses song “Welcome to the Jungle” play in my head! It was like the soundtrack to my bathroom plants!



I would say that all the plants I’ve mentioned here are very easy to care for - I was (and still am) a novice after-all. That said, I have learnt quite a bit about plants over the last 18 months, mainly relating to sunlight and watering.


I was given a lovely book (Plantopedia) which features over 130 different plant profiles with pictures and detailed care information - it also makes a beautiful coffee table book BTW! Another great source of information I found (especially for troubleshooting) was from following @pointlessplants on Instagram - however it seems something happened to their IG account last year and they are now in the process of starting again?! They do still have all the plant care guides on their website though pointlessplants.com.



We live in Woodstock, Oxfordshire and are lucky enough to have several lovely garden centres on our doorstep (Yarnton Home & Garden, Burford Garden Company, Bunkers Hill Plant Nursery, Charlbury Garden Centre to name a few). We have bought plants and pots from most of these places, as well as from some online companies like Appleyard or Bloom & Wild. This bad boy (below) is next on my shopping list… a giant white bird of paradise (strelitzia nicolai). I just need to figure out where I’m going to put him at home first.



One of my favourite fashion & lifestyle stores is actually down in Cornwall - Roos Beach (roosbeach.co.uk) and they now have an epic Plant Shop there too (which I think sells some online). And my favourite local coffee roasters (uecoffeeroasters.com) not only have a stunning ‘green room’ filled with plants at their roastery cafe - but they’ve also recently opened up Floralia in Witney (floralia.co.uk) bringing together a speciality cafe and plant shop… what more could you possibly want?!



Plants have always been around (obviously!!) but I feel like they really are EVERYWHERE at the moment, and I like it. I love the colour green… for me it’s a very clean, fresh and uplifting colour (hence my choice in our logo design and branding etc). Plants have the ability to transform any room, adding not only a focal point but also a sense of calm. They have many health benefits too; they literally clean the air around them in your house but also help to promote well-being and lift your mood. So what’s not to like? Go get some, and transform your home (into a jungle) too!



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