I’m so excited for today’s guest post, the plantastic Bianca of Terri Planty recently played with one of our Woolly Pockets, the Wally! She’s a Los Angeles based artist who “loves to share the gardening lifestyle with others, because once you have the green thumb it feels so good!” Please check out some of Bianca’s amazing terrariums here. Now, take it away Bianca!
“In the beginning I got so indecisive, what shall I plant? I intended to hang the wally on my living room wall (the perfect finishing touch to may wall of art!). In that space I get the most sun – it is kind of like a green house, I have a wide variety of plants in that room growing successfully so the options were nearly limitless. I first bought a family of cacti and succulents – these are the plants that I am known for working with most often. I imagined creating a desert scene, however recently I have been reading a ton of books written in the 70s about houseplants. These books seduced me with their interiors of cascading vegetation, homes loaded with ferns and colorful foliage. So that was it. I was going bushy and loud. I returned to the flower mart and my local nursery and scored some bold and lush plantings…
I picked out a gorgeous and giant floral shaped bromeliad (neorgalia) that had a striking and strong form that reminded me a bit of a cartoon flower. I paired it with another bromeliad (vriesea) that has a red tail like bloom and black and dark green patterned leaves that echo a kind of reptilian graphic. I picked a red-veined prayer plant (maranta leuconeura erythroneura) as well, another great multi colored graphic leaf, although more delicate in its markings, adding some contrast to all the bold moments. Then a fern was totally in order, but I had to go with a hardy fern that didn’t require as much water considering the other plants going in. I went with an Australian sword fern or kimberly queen fern. I had also picked up a string of pearls and a small red edged dracaena – both of which I didn’t end up using. After hanging my wally up, it felt as if though it could us some more movement and interaction with the rest of the wall, perhaps more of a cascading effect, and that was when I went out seeking my lovely pink infused philodendron (naturally called the pink princess). I love this plant! It gave me that wild jungle in my house effect i was desiring and best of all n.a.s.a. determined that philodendrons were among the best house plants for removing formaldehyde from the air. I love knowing that my plants not only make the room look gorgeous but also serve a purpose.
All in all I am so pleased with the outcome. It feels like the wall is growing. I can never have enough plants in my home, but this woolly pocket offers a totally different and exciting way for me to display my love of plants. Before, I was running out of space with all my macrame hangers and terrariums galore, but with the wally it makes a statement and is such a playful way of indulging my need for plants everywhere. Plus, having the wally up amongst my beloved art collection, as an artist committed to horticulture, is the perfect way of bridging my two loves.”
Thanks for sharing your wally creation with us!
