We hope that this finds you safe and well. Never has it felt more important to us to make sure that our homes feel like safe havens. Social distancing and the  strong, clear message to #stayathome has brought about changes to our daily lives that most of us couldn’t have thought imaginable, but as our worlds start to shrink to the habitat immediately around us many are turning to green space – to mother nature – for a sense of grounding, however and wherever they safely can.

 

We can meet this need by planting flowers, fruit and vegetables: the simple, meditative joy of planting, watering and seeking light. We then anticipate the growth with a sense of hope and joy over the coming weeks – and we’re rewarded with colour, a sense of achievement and maybe even something you can eat! With lots of garden centres offering delivery services at the moment in response to a national outcry for seeds and compost, now is the time to start growing. We’ve been learning lots from recent videos posted by @willowcrossleycreates and @daylesfordfarm’s Head Gardener Jez for tips on planting and cultivating plants and vegetables.

If you’re not so green-fingered or haven’t the space – and even if you are and do – go one step further and bring the outdoors IN. Whether this means something as simple as a mug of cheerful tulips on your bedside table or a tray of seedlings busily germinating on your windowsill, there are countless ways to embrace nature and usher in a greater sense of peace that botanicals bring.

FOUR WAYS TO A BOTANICAL BOHO ABODE

1. PICK WILD FLOWERS

We’re still allowed one walk in the outdoors each day, so keep an eye out for wildflowers that might make a pretty posy. There are some clear rules and regulations you should take note of before setting off flower-picking: we recommend Googling these but in summary, don’t pick flowers in public parks or community areas and do make sure that you leave enough behind so that others can still enjoy them. In your own garden, of course, you can pick what you like – or you can, of course, add a bunch of blooms to your next supermarket shop. Use milk jugs, glass bottles, pretty mugs, and Mason jars to arrange your findings for a mismatched, bohemian look.

2. COLLECT PLANTS

 

 Create an oasis in your bathroom for a relaxing soak. Photo credit @freepeopleuk

Check out the brilliant Patch Plants who are still offering contactless plant deliveries within London. Their website and Insta is a huge source of inspiration and wisdom on all things botanical. Choose areas of the home where your favourite plants will thrive. Spider plants like humidity and indirect sunlight (they look fab trailing from hangers in the bathroom) whilst pilea plants don’t like getting too soggy and prefer somewhere drier to reside. Got a big, characterless corner that’s in need of some personality? Install a Swiss cheese plant in a woven planter: it’ll need space to grow, and a balance of light and shade.

3. DECK YOUR WALLS

Another pastime many are turning to – especially those unable to work at the moment – is home improvements. Consider block-printed wallpaper or a splash of one of Little Greene’s 31 different shades of green in that as-yet-unfinished corner of your home.  Framed botanical prints (especially a collection hung together) bring an eclectic ambiance, whether you prefer roses, peonies and blossom or Victorian-style illustrations of plants and vegetables.

4. NATURAL COLOURS AND FIBRES

 

Embrace a natural aesthetic in your home by choosing organic fibres and forms, whether that’s a sisal rug on your kitchen floor or a statement rattan chair or sofa in your sitting room. A bunch of pampas grasses look lovely gathered in a woven market basket, and nobody ever said that terracotta pots belong exclusively outside – the more weather-worn the better, we say!

Shop our Botanical Boho Collection here.