getting ready for the holidaze

start making your lists and checking them twice.

it's that time of the year to say thank you, happy holidays, happy new year- with a token that is fresh, green, modern, unique and pocketbook friendly!

the $50 container garden by Pots and Plants Miami.

call to order. free delivery in south beach and the design district.

$2 from the sale of each pot will be donated to Roots In the City- a non-profit focused on community development, creating jobs and beautifying Miami's inner city. the organization has established several community gardens and tree nurseries in Overtown.

sign up for sale updates on the website: www.potsplantsmiami.com

yay for fiberclay!

fiberclay is an eco-friendly option for today's modern urban gardener. these lots are lightweight, frost and freeze resistant (not that we have that problem here in Miami, it's still 90 degrees and it's October!) and salt tolerant.

fiberclay, also known as fibercrete is made from recycled fibers (paper and nylon) mixed with low-ash concrete to create a strong and durable product that perfectly molds into modern profiles and shapes from squares to cones to low bowls.

these pots are perfect for condo dwellers for several reasons. 1. they are lightweight and easy to carry so you don't have to dread trudging a heavy pot across your marble foyer, 2. they are easy to move around, even when planted- so when the winter sun pattern sets in, you can nudge the planter over to get optimal winter daylight, 3. they are reasonably priced- between $25 and $150 without plants.

it's hard to find these pots around these days- so sign up for our mailing list on our website to be the first in line to buy ecoLITE pots from Pots and Plants Miami- this January!

float on

we spent last week up in o-town for the landscape show. i found some great new things that i will share in a series of blogs this week. first thing's first: Beemats.

these interlocking 'mats' are designed to hold aquatic plants in perforated pots- and float at the surface of a body of water. aquatic plants produce oxygen, absorb pesticides from the water, and hinder the growth of harmful algae. these patented floating plant mats are puzzle cut mats held together by nylon connectors that can be assembled in any size or shape. i personally love the concept of creating interesting geometrical designs...intersecting lines and isles across a natural or man-made pond.

beemats are minimalist floating islands of lush and lovely greens that provide habitats for wildlife. what could be better than that?

i am going to contact FDOT to see if i can turn them onto these. they are too good to not be used!

www.beemats.com

hip hooray hammocks!

in the spirit of sprucing up our backyard- i have been thinking a lot about how we actually use our outdoor space, our backyard. granted- i am never out there from may to august (too many mosquitos!)- but for the impending winter months i definitely plan to cozy up, outdoors.

what better way to cozy up than in a hammock. lazily swinging my sundays away in an oversized hammock, under the shade of our fishtail palms, on a sunny winter day- with the boys and the pups- is my ultimate idea of heaven.

fatboy- the company that gave us the modern take on the beanbag chair also has a fabulous headdemock hammock that comes with its own stand. available in a myriad of bright colors, this super hip hammock is quite large, weather and stain resistant. $399 includes the hammock and the stand. i'll take one in turquoise blue, please!!

joe walters' flora and fauna

this month, bernice steinbaum gallery in miami opened the season with one of my favorite artists, joe walters.

his show, 'tableaux' runs now until october 3, 2009. walters' works are realistic recreations of flora and fauna that are so lifelike you swear you hear birds chirping, leaves rustling and crickets chirping.

flawless craft and organic beauty all rolled into one delicious sculptural existence. yum.

if you're in miami head to the gallery to say hello to bernice and to joe walters birds and bees.

bernice steinbaum gallery

3550 north miami avenue

(across the street from Target)

305-573-2700

tell bernice i sent ya!

it's shangri-la season!

now that the weather is starting to "cool off"- my mind has been a buzz with winter plans. or shall i say, winter plants.

thoughts of plants, accent walls, a mid-century inspired playhouse, raised vegetable garden beds, have already been put to paper. i want to improve my outdoor space for the winter. the time when our backyard will be used for 5 straight winter/spring months. when snowbirds begin to replace summer mosquitos. my oasis.

with outdoor restoration in mind, on a recent family bike ride around our hood- i made a point to scope out as many balconies as i could (without crashing into cars in the process). a self-assigned social studies of sorts, to check out how many different ways outdoor spaces are being used. report found unkempt plants in often-broken pots with a sprinkling of lame plastic stacking chairs, a bicycle or two, prayer flags and the odd quintessential wind chime- seemed to be the latest trends. conclusion: fail.

i am baffled. not because i'm woven from strong aesthetic opinions and rules- but because we live in a summer-7-24-365 kinda place. it's not about making your outdoor space look pretty- it's about making your outdoor space first and foremost.

your outdoor space, be it a stoop, balcony, sprawling terrace should be prized. coveted. desired. imagine your very own personal shangri-la. a cozy cove to spend chill-tinged winter nights, reading, swooning and suddenly remembering why you loved life in south florida in the first place.

start here and join our rooted. miami facebook page to start your own modern plant journey. in the meantime...i present to you a cornucopia of images to get your creative outdoor juices flowing.

1. a great outdoor space may have comfy seating, planter boxes, a rustic but modern feel

2. classic modern succulents

3. outdoor rugs made of plastic (some recycled plastic) from home infatuation. you won't be able to buy just one. they're all so pretty!

4. tall rectangular planters with bunches of kale/something colorful and seasonal

5. low slung old boat wood sofa made from the wood of retired fishing boats from the south pacific by cabela (yes, the hunting people!) (top with vibrant fabrics and pillows from marimekko!)

6. the award-winning 'green pockets' by maruja fuentes.

7. a great outdoor lounge table from ikea, lillberg

start now.

marimekko plants

pssssst...did you know that you CAN have plants in your home even if you don't have a green thumb? well, now you can, thanks to marimekko. mari-who? marimekko.

THE marimekko miami concept store is located in the design district on north miami avenue, next to pizza volante- this store is the grand mammacita of hip vintage modern boho design and style.

the designs of marimekko energetically emerged out of finland in the late fifties- and really made waves in north america when jackie o. wore marimekko frocks during her husband's presidential campaign. since then, marimekko has become synonymous with high style and iconic design. the brand continues to pump out new designs each season (fabrics and fashions) keeping me falling in love every season...

i suppose you're thinking- what does marimekko have to do with pots or plants? read one and see for yourself.

many of their fabrics are organically inspired. which is beneficial to the non-green thumbers out there. with marimekko you can have ferns in your home without fear of sunburn! enjoy your very own cacao nut forest year round! and have everlasting brightly blooming plate-sized poppy flowers now in a myriad of colors!

all jokes aside- i encourage you to dust off the sewing machine, a good book on sewing for home decor (BUY Lotta Jansdotter's sweet and chic book "Simple Sewing") and head to marimekko to start planting...picking fabrics for your pillows, duvet covers, chair covers, roman shades...

here are just a few of my favorite marimekko patterns to inspire you to head to the marimekko miami concept store today, tomorrow and again and again...

kaakaopuu, $42 per yard, 100% cotton

this cacao seed pod pattern is graphic, bold but beautifully organic and chic. reminds me of Paul Gaugain's delightful (and personal favorite) Tahiti series. (see my pillow photo above)

gingko, $42 per yard, 100% cotton

what is cooler than having the pattern of the pre-historic gingko tree's leaves on a custom duvet for your bed or a wall hanging, hung low- above your sofa? ya, i thought so...

guada, $42 per yard, 100% cotton

another nod to the prehistoric foliage of the beautiful fern. wispy leaves and delicate branches flutter across this fabric. imagine what it will do in your decor.

ho hoi, $42 per yard, 100% cotton

can't help but say how much i love this pattern. best suited as a stand alone wall hanging, it reminds me of a modern day japanese painting of a bonsai tree.

unikko, $42 per yard, 100% cotton

if you haven't- seen- this pattern at least once in your young and vibrant lifetime- then you must be from mars. this marimekko classic- poppy pattern- has become their signature brand image and best selling pattern. it's available in red, blue, black, green and every season- in special edition colors such as grey, white on black and more! the poppy comes alive.

garden organically

everyone learns in different ways. personally i always excel in hands on learning through charettes, workshops, anything applied- but when it comes to learning theory or history or anything that involves things that i can't see clear relevance to my greater purpose or passions in life- i'm so gone. this is why school (and all of its conventions) was not something that i loved.

so at the ripe age of 34- i, by total fluke, am going back to school. okay, maybe not school- but i am taking a course. a course that is useful and exciting and that interests me wholeheartedly...organic gardening!

hosted by Slow Food Miami, it is being taught by south florida's organic farming-guru, Andres Mejides. he owns Elfin Farms in Redland, FL and he grows over 30 types of tropical and temperate fruit, row-crops, herbs, microgreens and ornamentals. his farm is certified organic and being in florida- he is blessed (and always busy) tending to crops all year round.

aside from his farmer-hat, he also teaches organic horticulture and organic gardening at Miami-Dade community college and has an innate passion and enthusiasm for his profession. i always love to meet people who are doing what they love...these people are always usually positive, happy-go-lucky people that are honest, good-natured people. these are the people i like to surround myself with.

today we learned about composting. how coincidental that i am in the middle of shopping for one! i decided on a small drum barrel to put in our yard. the barrel composter is great because it's mobile, and you can turn your compost- which increases aeration and overall compost production/cooking time. in 4 weeks or so, you will have fabulous useable compost fertilizer. as opposed to the traditional standing composters which can take months to produce useable compost.

imagine how fun you can have- spinning the composter, pretending you're the bingo caller! get the kids involved! pets will love it too! okay, i digress.

in all seriousness- it just makes sense because we eat a lot of fruit and veggies on a daily basis. it makes sense because we live in a sub-tropical climate where weather is favorable for 'cooking' compost- so it's ridiculous to NOT compost.

i hate miami for being so behind in so many things...don't get me started- but how come the county hasn't figured out a household composting program to coincide with the recycling program is beyond me. in toronto they have implemented a fabulous recycling program which includes a composting program. i think miami is sadly light years away from such enviro-sophistication and lack an understanding of eco-nomics- so in the meantime, it's up to the people- YOU- to take action.

composting is easy if you take the time to read about the basics and how to's. check out www.composting101.com to start learning. and then do the earth and your children a favor. buy a composter today and start learning about this very simple and natural act.

back to class...so after learning about the perfect nitrogen to carbon ratios and different ways to lay down compost in your garden- we finished off the class with a fabulous organic meal of freshly made baba ganoush, hommus, wheat berry salad, quinoa with lemon olive oil, roasted carrots and delicious apple oat bran muffins made by my friend ginny of mindful organics. yum.

five more classes to go. can't wait.

ps. if you live in florida- go buy your composter NOW.
it's the best money you will ever spend...and the earth will love you forever. http://www.gardeningwithkids.org/17-1501.html

plants in space

take plants out and off the ground and onto your walls. indoor or outdoor. check out my personal picks and get inspired.

these 'pockets' are made from recycled plastic bottles, are waterproof and breathable. their ad campaign is pretty neat too. check it out. www.woolypockets.com

i am going to order the Wally 3 for our back fence and give it a whirl and i will post photos of the progress of that little project...soon!

next- check out the work of french botanist, Patrick Blanc.
he has designed award winning vertical gardens for public spaces around the world. i love his aesthetic vision and simplistic but modern approach to a such a sensible concept.
www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com

and finally- i have to give a shout out to the good old fashioned macrame plant hanger. this website needs a little sprucing up, but c'mon, where else can you find such a great little cornucopia of old skool lookin' macrame plant hangers? i love the vintage seventies bohemian look of these and am also thinking about getting a few to hang plants outside...why knot? www.knotzmade.com

start looking around your spaces and walls and see how you can elevate your plantings. transform a sunroom, a foyer or even a bathroom! get creative and send me some other suggestions or questions! click 'comment' below...

i heart manscapers....a personal anecdote

no no no! i'm not referring to male grooming. what i'm referring to are the amazing men who have an interest in nature, trees, gardens, plants and flowers. and especially, my horticulturalist husband and my super green-thumbed-dad.

it's not until you reach a 'mature' age (yes, maturity is relative) that you start realizing how life experiences have shaped your own passions and interests and even brought you to where you are now in your life. these reminders seem to creep up more and more as i grow older.

in the past few years, i realize how much my dad influenced my own interest in plants and gardening. growing up, our garden was beautiful and lush. my dad always spent hours trimming, planting, and tending to our bountiful hostas, gardenias, succulents, roses, forsythia trees, strawberry patch and vegetable garden.

stereotypical gender roles lead us to believe that women garden and cook, and men hang out in their man caves, drinking beer or barbecuing out back...or at least in my world growing up the 80's they still did. but in my home, my dad did everything. he cooked, drank beer, smoked cigarettes in his man cave, mastered the BBQ and gardened!! my dad is totally awesome. not a bad bone in his body...he's thoughtful, caring and supportive.

so in my books there is something to be said about men who take a true interest in plants and gardening...not only that they aren't afraid of their sexuality- but that they are genuinely good people.

when i first started dating M way back when, a friend who was anxious to meet him (no doubt to give his male judgement/approval)- finally did and told me this: "a man who has chosen a career that grows life/plants and trees- is a keeper..."

i also started to think about the saying, "girls always marry men who are very much like their fathers". and here was M, a horticulturalist of all things...and whether the green thumb is a result of being a great man, or if being a great man gives you a green thumb- is another discussion- but for my purpose of this discussion, green thumbs give me the green light!

so in that instant i decided that i would marry M and make lots of babies with him (just kidding, more like 2 years later i did). and though its only been six years with M- he inspires my love of plants everyday (with my very opinionated design aesthetics sprinkled in). i reminisce about being 10 in the garden with my dad planting snapdragons and hostas- and it's these memories and thoughts that inspire my entrepreneurial endeavor of 'pots and plants'.

the moral of my drawn out sap story is that manscapers are good, upstanding peeps. these men are a rare find so if you are single and you meet one- marry him! your love will 'bloom' and 'grow' day by day. tee hee...

pots and plants

we have an interesting mix of pots. from wooden bowls that have travelled through costa rica strapped to our packs (that probably were not intended to be planters per se), to large ceramic pots from indonesia and eco-friendly fiber-crete pots that have simple shapes that add simple, modern and clean beauty to any garden, terrace or stoop.

i love the rustic garden look just as much as i love a clean, modern architectural garden look. but most of all i love that all the pots that i own each comes with a story or a meaning. this makes me more passionate about holding onto them- even if they get a little neglected during the hot summer months. usually i add new plants to them at the end of summer at the end of hurricane season when rain is still quite regular.

note- this all still sounds strange to me, as i am still getting used to 'reverse' seasons. in canada, one usually plants during the spring and summer to make outdoor living spaces beautiful for the high season of summer. but here in florida, i now plant in the 'fall' to enjoy our outdoor space in the high season of winter. i love it.

today we woke up to a fantastic thunder storm. the skies were light and rain was refreshing. we were inspired to finally clean out our little backyard pot collection and put some life back into them.

i had picked up an aloe, a mini jade and some echeveria haageana succulents last week but of course, i was waiting for my personal gardener (aka husband) to make everything happen.

and so the drill came out and we started to drill holes into the bottom of our pots. proper drainage is important when container gardening. this way you keep the soil aerated and roots, happy.

put some rocks on the bottom of each pot, filled with potting soil, sprinkled on some osmocote for extra insurance and voila! instant love.

happy rainy labor day weekend...when it rains, get some pots and get high on planting! ;)

baby cacti and succulents for miles...

these photos were taken from a trip i made out to costa farms many months ago. they are the nations largest nursery/grower of plants to the retail industry. i was floored when i saw their succulent shadehouses which seemed to go on for miles. as you know, i love me my succulents, so as you can imagine: i was in looooooooove!

a cornucopia of succulent arrangements

tweetin' sweet birdHOMES

the other day, a little birdie told me that they like good design too!

this particular bird was complaining about the lack of good design when it comes to bird houses. he went to add that they are 'too tweetin' conventional', 'too tweetin' ugly' or even just plain tweetin' uncomfortable.

then he went on to tell me that he wishes there were birdhouses that spoke to his architectural desires and that he didn't want a bird HOUSE, he wanted a bird HOME...

well here you tweetin' have it! a German company called 'Raumhochrosen' (wra-om-hock-rozen) has come up with several striking birdhomes. i haven't found a retailer in the US...yet- but hopefully these birdHOMES will be available soon!

imagine, a pimp my birdHOME tv series...

how great would that be?!

i love you, pot

'container gardening' as the professionals refer to it, is something that i love love love.

i think it's more fun and exciting than planting out an entire yard because it's smaller and more cost effective- and it's perfect if you are scared of commitment because if it doesn't work- you can just start again! now only if dating was as easy as container gardening...lol.

container gardening gives you creative carte blanche. you decide what you're planting, what you're planting in, and how you're going to plant everything together.

look through gardening books and magazines or the garden design website www.gardendesign.com- and start jotting down the names of plants you like. look for things that have color, texture and various heights and sizes.

determine what kind of pot you want. something modern, something rustic, a found object perhaps? (think old bath tubs, or wash basins, your old wooden salad bowl, an empty drawer) and get creative.

plant something large, medium and small and dont' be afraid to use three different plants. try to achieve height and contrast by picking plants that have large and little leaves, or plants that vary in color. color contrast is a great way to bring life to your planter and personalize it.

your planter is something that can be changed every season- or when things may start to look a little unhappy. freshening up a container garden is something that is inexpensive and again, allows you to get creative and even daring. eyeing a vibrant plant you see at the nursery? as long as you love it- try it. buy it and add it to your container garden. no harm done...and at least it's a very low financial risk to take for the sake of natural bliss!

here are my picks and suggestions.

for color/contrast:
- sweet potato vine (lime green)
- coleus (purple)
- cordylines (reds, oranges)

- canna lilies

for height:

- sansevieria

- cat palm

- white bird of paradise

- fan palms

- reed palms

- fish tail palm

- banana palm

- fiddle leaf fig

- heliconia

- alocacia

for texture:

- succulents

- agave (some variations not recommended if you have small children- they have very pointy and sharp ends)

- liriope

- mondo grass

- sedum

- foxtail fern

- asparagus fern

- wart fern

have fun with your pot!