How Does Your {Indoor} Garden Grow?

I'm on a mission over the next few months to bring more of the garden indoors. There are so many harsh lines and empty corners in our new home and, whilst it's definitely not my aim to fill every space with clutter, I do yearn for a little vibrant greenery to soften things up a little. Whilst sourcing plants for a shoot next month, I caught the bug big time. Can you tell?

I have a gorgeously simple DIY hanging garden to share with you at the end of the week which is beautifully contained and it got me thinking about other ways to introduce little contained gardens in the home. Mainly terrariums. Considered to be rather "trendy" these days, filled with all manner of succulents, cacti and other low maintenance plants they seem to be the thing to have right now. They don't need regular watering, feeding or pruning and can be left to their own devices to flourish on a windowsill (N.B check growing advice before you do this as some plants love light more than others!)

Growing up we would always have the odd, quirky succulent plant about the house and I'm no stranger to them, so it was really lovely when I got to bring them in as a key plant for a client's wedding decor last year- in fact I ended up bringing quite a few home with me. It does make me laugh though to discover that since their rise in favour it's become almost impossible to find these in their usual habitats at bake sales, car boots and charity shops-they were unfashionable for so long and now everyone wants them!

My absolute favourite gardening store, Terrain, has unfortunately yet to make it to Europe, but given that its sister stores Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters are already a much loved brand here in the UK I doubt it'll be long before its arrival. That's my explanation for breaking my "won't feature anything outside of Europe" rule today. If you don't know Terrain, then welcome -it's a breath of fresh air for all modern gardeners with beautiful collections of gardening paraphernalia, dressed up in the typically fresh, delicate style of its sister stores. It's a real treasure trove to explore and there's so much to love, but for today, in keeping with my indoor garden theme, I've chosen to share my 'Top 7 Terrain Terrariums'...

1. Dome Specimen Cloche | 2. Edwardian Case Terrarium | 3. Open Bubble Terrarium | 4. Cylinder Terrarium | 5. Pedestal Terrarium | 6. Weathered Basin Terrarium | 7. Tidewater Terrarium

Fancy starting your own mini garden? It really couldn't be simpler (or cheaper for that matter). Here's a few tips:

• Glass works really well to display the details of your plants-don't assume you need to have a specially produced terrarium for this, a vase or bowl will work just as well.

• Most mainstream garden centres sell a variety of terrarium plants for as little as 99p for a young sapling so you can stock up and watch them grow.

• A layer of stones or pebbles on the bottom of the terrarium allows for drainage which is very important. Try not to over water your plants or they'll start to rot.

• Add a variety of textures for your plants to grow into such as stones, worn glass pebbles, compost and sand. It also looks great layered through the glass.


I hope you feel inspired to go forth and create your own indoor gardens and I look forward to showing the results of what I'll do with mine once they've had their moment in front of the camera in a few weeks!