It's A Jungle In Here

Inside me, there’s a deep need to surround myself with greenery. I go out of my way to try and make this a reality in every part of my life. Whether that’s in the plant-filled environment I have created at home, the lushness of my studio, or searching for the local conservatory or botanical gardens in every town I visit.

Something in me is just drawn to a place that’s full of plants. You know that feeling you get when you look up and turn your face to the sun on the first warm day of spring? That feeling of warmth on your skin, the smell of the end of winter in the air, the smile on your face as you feel the first signs of spring— that’s the feeling I get every time I enter a space with plants. These spaces give me life, and many others can relate to that. These spaces are what I like to call wild interiors.

What sparked my interest in the world of indoor greenery in the first place was my visit to Terrain, a nursery/plant shop in the city of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. While dining in a greenhouse among what felt like hundreds of plants, I thought that this was what I would like every dining experience to be. Where a traditional dining room would have chandeliers hanging above tables, in Terrain they hung large staghorn ferns, and where room dividers would usually be made out of a solid material, here they had ivy tendrils draped like stage curtains. My mind was blown. I left that day forever changed.

While I can’t say exactly which plants are ideal for a dining room, any plant could work based on the type of light and the type of space you have. Consider the light that is coming into the room and how you’d like to style it. Kitchens can be the perfect spaces for plants that like humidity and moist soil. Planting in the kitchen has its benefits, because when you’re cooking, humidity is created, keeping the plants that love this type of environment thriving.

WHERE TO SHOP ONLINE

DOBBIES GARDEN CENTRES Branches in Braehead, Milngavie, Livingston and Lasswade, as well as all across Scotland. Order online at dobbies.com.

B&Q Stores all across the Central Belt and beyond. Staff can help you with plant selection. Shop online at diy.com.

HOMEBASE Branches in Pollock, East Kilbride, Craigleith and Dunfermline. Shop online at homebase.co.uk

WAITROSE A diverse choice of plants and planters, particularly online at waitrosegarden.com.