Small green things make my heart soar.
The thing about living in London is that you spend most of your life surrounded by bricks and concrete. The city might be famous for its languid parks that operate like green lungs pumping oxygen into the air, but there is still a lot of pavement to contend with on a daily basis.
The solution is to bring a little green into your home to add life and colour to forgotten corners. Houseplants can become your best friends.
At the moment I have a basil, a miniature rose, a convalescent lavender, and a few sprigs of ivy calling the top of the fridge home.
The rose completely surprised me. I bought her thinking she would be a demanding mistress, like the rose in the Little Prince, but she's turned out to be a wonderful flatmate. She never asks for more than she receives, and quite literally, seems content to bloom where she's planted.
The basil is also a very easy houseguest. I forgot to water him the other day, and he never complained. Though he did sulk for a few hours before forgiving me.
I'm starting to root the ivy shoots, as I remembered that I used to love all the ivy plants in our house when I was growing up. Don't tell anyone, but I stole the shoots from a mass of ivy growing in a neighbour's front garden.
And the lavender? I'm not sure exactly what his issue is. He was doing fine for weeks (weeks!), and then he suddenly started losing needles and drooping. I'm doing my best to reconcile whatever differences we might have, but worry that I might lose the battle.
The most important thing is that I love the way the air feels cleaner and more alive with them around. They make our little London flat so cheery.
Do you have any favourite houseplants? Where do they live in your home?
More tips for London living HERE
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