Green fingers – Page 9 – Apartment Apothecary

katy 13th September 2014

Blog love

I hope you’ve all had a great week and enjoyed the warm, sunny days. It’s been quite hectic around here this week so I’m looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend. I’m off to a Thornback and Peel screen printing workshop at Smug cafe this afternoon with some lovely friends and then might sneak in some antiques shopping along Camden Passage. And then tomorrow will be all about staying in my PJ’s for as much of the day as possible. Here’s some weekend reading to keep us all going…

Geoffrey and Grace

Melanie has recently begun such an exciting project in this wondrous beach hut, beautifully named Margot. Find out all about the beach hut and take a peek at her newly opened Etsy shop – vintage fabric lovers with children beware!

Lapin Blu

I’ve been a bit obsessed with home offices recently, trying to get my own finished. Recently, Sarah-Lou took part in the blog-hop and we got a glimpse into her own home studio and some of her makes. You must take a look at her beautiful space – I love it!

Creature Comforts

I’ve also been a bit obsessed with paper flowers after learning how to make them last week. I came across this tutorial a long time ago but now realise how easy it could be. One for the to-do list and there are also lots of other lovely DIY makes on Ez’s blog so take a look through.

The Lovely Drawer

Teri was set a challenge last week to update a corner of her home for just £50. You must pop over to her blog to see the after shots – very inspiring indeed and perhaps something you could do this weekend.

Dear Designer

I willed myself away from real life when I came across this beautiful Greek island guest house on Carole’s gorgeous blog. I need to be there right now!

Enjoy and happy weekend all!

Katy x

katy 6th September 2014

Blog love

The first week of living as a freelancer is at an end and it has been a complete delight! I’m in the middle of doing a house makeover and a sewing commission for a magazine, as well as organising a lovely event for the gorgeous bloggers who are helping to launch Styling the Seasons this month. I definitely can’t complain, although I have begun to wonder how on earth I ever had enough time to squeeze in a full time job on top of blogging, social engagements, dog walks, cooking, events, appointments and housework. There still aren’t enough hours in the day! I hope your first week back to work has been good, too 🙂

Weekends give us all a bit of time to breath and think – I’m going to have to make sure I am strict with myself and try not to work over the weekend as it is such an important time to switch off and free the mind to think of new things and reflect, a bit like when you go on holiday, which is always when I do my best thinking. So, if you have a bit of free time and brain space this weekend, I have rounded up some of the blog posts I have enjoyed most this week and hopefully will provide you with a bit of inspiration, that isn’t always top of the priority list during the week…

Junkaholique

Artemis, a bit of a style guru to me, made the most delicious clothes for her gorgeous daughter over on her blog this week. The pictures alone are to die for, let alone the beautiful fabrics she has used. Pop over to read Sewing September Blue.

Littlegreenshed

Lou has been driving me crazy with bedroom decor ideas over on her Pinterest account. I now want to change everything about my own bedroom! Check out her inspiration in her bedroom renovation post – she has such good taste.

My Scandinavian Home

I always check this blog for beautiful home tours and this one really inspired me, so I hope you will like it too. Pop over to ogle over pictures of this Dutch home in a former children’s nursery.

Joelix.com

Judith’s post about how to grow your own succulents came at precisely the right point for me as I have lots of baby succulents that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with next (and after reading this I realised I was giving them far too much water). Some very useful and practical tips, as well as lovely photographs in this post Grow your own succulents. I also love Judith’s idea of sending friends baby succulents in the post, I’m going to have to bear that in mind.

Say Yes

I’ve been looking for some crafty inspiration and I came across Liz’s tea towel project, which is really simple, very cute and fits in perfectly with the back to school theme this week. Take a look at how to make her DIY notebook tea cloths.

Happy weekend and happy thinking everyone!

Katy x

katy 12th August 2014

Urban Jungle Bloggers: Tips for watering plants whilst on holiday

Last month’s Urban Jungle Bloggers theme was watering your plants. Really helpfully, some of the posts focused on tips for watering plants whilst you are on holiday, which I was particularly interested in as I did experience one year when all my plants died whilst I was away, which made me really, really sad. I’m off on holiday next week , so I need all the tips I can get! I want to share some of these ideas with you, as I know lots of you will be in the same position, especially if you don’t have neighbours that you can rely on.

1. I really loved Igor’s post and his amazing tip to put one end of a shoelace into a cup of water and the other end into your plant pot – LOVING this gif too!

Urban Jungle Bloggers watering tips for plants whilst you are on holiday

Igor’s tips, Happy Interior Blog.

2. Judith’s post is about watering your plants generally, not just when you go on holiday. I love this watering attachment she features that you can attach to water bottles and offers far more precise watering.

Judith’s tips, Joelix.com

3. I really enjoyed reading Elena’s post, which has some brilliant ideas for keeping plants alive for weeks, whilst you are away on holiday. I particularly liked the idea of creating terrariums for your houseplants using plastic bags – more details on that in the post.

Elena’s tips, Facing North with Gracia

4. Here is an idea I have found, but have not tried yet. The idea is to plant a water bottle, with holes in it, next to plants (tomato plants are particularly thirsty). You then water into the bottle so that water goes straight to the roots and won’t evaporate from the surface of the soil.

Graphic from: Homestead and Survival

5. I also found this brilliant graphic by Yumi Sakugawa that has loads of good ideas…

Graphic from: Wonder How To

Do you have good neighbours that will water your plants for you or will you use some of these tips? Do you have any tips of your own that you can share?

Katy x

Featured image: Happy Interior Blog, Igor Josifovic

katy 16th July 2014

Paper lanterns for summer parties

A bit of a cheater’s post today as I blogged about paper lanterns last Autumn but lots of you said that you wanted to be reminded about it for the summer….so, here you go!

These lanterns are the perfect two minute project that you can use for glorious summer parties in the garden (or even a wedding).

You need:

White paper bags from Amazon (25 for £2.40 – I just cut off the handles)

Battery operated tea lights from Amazon

Scissors/hole punch/craft knife if you want to create a design but you can just use plain bags

N.B. You may need a few stones to weigh the lanterns down if it is windy

Tutorial:

There really isn’t a tutorial, all you need to do is cut out your desired design (hearts, initials, flowers) or use a hole punch, like I have below. Pop a few tea lights in each bag – you will probably need at least four per bag – and weigh down with stones if you need to.

Have you got any lovely summer parties planned that you could use these for?

Katy x

katy 8th June 2014

Urban Jungle Bloggers: Greens in cafes, restaurants and shops

Last month’s Urban Jungle Bloggers topic was green window sills and balconies and I shared my cake dome filled with seedlings. However, May’s topic was greens in cafes, restaurants and shops and I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to contribute as I’ve been trying to save a bit of money for my new home office, which meant no shopping or eating in restaurants! However, because we have a dog we are constantly out and about walking him whether it be in our local Southwark park or we regularly take him over to Richmond Park for a weekend swim in the lakes. Therefore, over the last week I have come across some lovely greens in cafes, restaurants and shops on our walks that I wanted to share with you as it may give you some inspiration for your own home and garden.

The first pics (all on my iPhone whilst trying to restrain a dog so not the best quality, I’m afraid) I took are from a Richmond Park walk when we stopped off at Petersham Nurseries. You can’t get much greener than this place; it is a restaurant and shop set within a nursery so you’re surrounded by plants and there’s even soil on the ground.

Urban Jungle Bloggers: Greens in cafes, restaurants and shops www.apartmentapothecary.com

Petersham Nurseries restaurant.

As well as eat at Petersham Nurseries you can also buy beautiful plants and homewares.

Next, is an idea I love using at home, which is planting flowers or herbs in old food tins. I found these this morning at The Garrison on Bermondsey street (we treated ourselves to breakfast!).

We walked past a pub the other day on a River Path walk towards Rotherhithe. I had to stop and take a photo of the drain pipes they have erected on the facade of the pub, filled with soil and growing Nasturtiums from holes they have cut in the pipes. So pretty and such a great idea for the garden!

And finally, I want to share a special place that we discovered last weekend in Rotherhithe, after a walk in Southwark Park. It’s a a roof top garden connected to the Brunel Museum, right next to the river. It’s a circular herb and vegetable garden called the Midnight Apothecary that serves cocktails and mocktails. They host a special saturday night event that costs £5 – you get entrance to the museum and the garden where you can drink cocktails and toast marshmallows in the central fire pit. It is magically lit with lots of little lights and I think it’s going to be my new favourite place.

Yummy cocktails at Midnight Apothecary garden.

The bar grows all it’s own herbs for the cocktails.

Thanks to Igor and Judith for their Urban Jungle Bloggers inspiration. You must all take a look at Igor’s lovely Boot cafe in Paris post and Judith’s post about the gorgeous plants in the Ally Capellino shop in Notting Hill.

Katy x