Botanical Inspiration: Orchid Cactus

This week, I'm sharing with you a new favorite:  the orchid cactus.  I bought this lovely botanical a few weeks ago and ever since then, it has proven to be the perfect plant for this brightly lit room.  Its flattened, scallop-edged leaves offer interesting shapes as they gently cascade over the pot making them great for hanging planters as well.  Being part of the cacti family, watering requirements are less then for your usual orchid variety, but they do like a soil mixture that drains well but retains a bit of moisture.  Your standard potting mix would work great.  With bright indirect light, the flowers will bloom off the edges of the leaves creating a pop of color in the room.  

Do you have a favorite botanical?  If so, do share.

Botanical Inspiration: False Aralia

For this week's Botanical Inspiration I'm introducing the elegant False Aralia plant.  Its jagged edge foliage sprouts in a coppery color, then turns to a  deep, dark green as it matures.  Although the leaves resemble those of a marijuana plant I assure you, the two are not related.  Placed in a brightly lit spot without direct sun light (since this would burn the delicate leaf edges) and with regular watering, the False Aralia will flourish and grow into a large houseplant with several woody stems.  What I like best about this plant is its delicate leaf formation.  Especially when clustered with broad leaf plants, such as the snake plant, it will lend contrast and softness to a botanical grouping.  Take a look:

Remember, plants add life to any space.  I will be happy to suggest the right ones for your home.  

Botanical Inspiration: Dahlias

Last week, Natalia and I ventured to the San Francisco Flower Market for a much needed botanical inspiration.  While she checked out seasonal pods and interesting objects for her Pod Art, I became immersed in the rich colors of the Dahlias that are ever so bountiful this time of year.  Although I'm most often attracted to foliage plants, I couldn't resist the deep burgundy hue of this season's petalled beauties.  After selecting a perfect sampling of them, I added some sedum, eucalyptus branches and weeping celosia to create a weekend arrangement for our home.  There's something deliciously self-indulgent about creating something beautiful for oneself, and that's precisely why I highly recommend you try it.  Here's how:

Botanical Inspiration: The Flora Around Us

Whether it's embodied in dangerous spikes, brilliant colors, smooth surfaces or delicate petals, the flora around us never ceases to inspire me.  Here are a few favorite specimens, as of late.   Some I shot at a wholesale nursery, others while hiking, one in our very own yard and a few in a friend's wild and crazy garden.  Enjoy their beauty.

To see more botanical inspirations on a [somewhat] daily basis follow me on Instagram.

Images are:  Barrel Cactus, PincushionProtea, a feral cactus, New Zealand Flax, Echium, and Garden Rose.