He’s your new plant pal the Chinese Evergreen aka AGLAONEMA VIV is a ‘Silver Bay’ boy with large impressive oval shaped leaves. These two toned beauties are very easy care plants and a gorgeous addition to any place in your home that needs a bit of Wow! The Aglaonema plant is a super houseplant to have in your Cosmic Collection because it can withstand draughty, darker places and requires very little care – my kinda easy! His name is VIC because he’s a goody – clearing the air waves for you to breathe more easily. I’ve had mine for about 4 years now, and it’s as healthy and pleasing on the eye now as it was then. It sits in the centre of my living room, a heavily shaded spot – opposite an open fire – I remember to water home about every 3 weeks and he’s ok with that. I top water him as he’s a shallow root system and so it is harder for him to gather water from the base up. I’ve put down on your instructions to water him at about 7-10 days – just a bit. The consistency of a regular watering pattern with all plants keeps them at their happiest. So mine at 3 weeks is ok – cos he knows what’s coming & when! If a room is too dark, you’ll notice the colouration fading in the leaf pattern. VIC will thrive in humid well lit spaces; but is tolerant of low humidity too – making this plant one of the best, most versatile house plants around! Word to the wise, VIC doesn’t want to be rubbed on your chest. He’s not that kinda guy. Neither should you or your loved pets or babes snack on his leaves. It might upset tummies if you were to do this. Much better to obtain proper sustenance from a reliable edible source and leave VIC to be enjoyed by your eyes only! 

Meet the Silver Fox!

Hurrah, a relatively unknown, less common monstera – that super easy to care for!

This beautiful blue green jewel in the Monstera family, has distinctive silver veins as a youngling and as a vine plant it can either be left to trail or staked to climb. 

Originating in South America, this gorgeous green gift thrives in warm and humid places. So consider this when introducing to your home and positioning your new pal. A bright, indirect sunlit space will also allow this Silver Fox to really shine.

The Silver Fox is quick off the mark too! So don’t be surprised if your considering where to wind the stem regularly. Before you know it he’ll be away-charming the plants off the shelves on the other side of the room!! Watch out for this one.

Like others in the monstera family, this Silver Fox will provide some fenestrations (holes in leaves) but this is seen in very mature leaves when the plant is climbing and staked to a pole – after two or three years. With maturity the leaves will lose the silvery nature and become fuller and duller in appearance – such is life, says the menopausal woman! 

Watering plants generally, follow the rule of the finger… dip into the soil and if dry an inch down give the plant some water. Just don’t let the plant sit in water for long and discard the drained through water once the plant has finished water uptake. I usually leave my plants sat with the drained water for about an hour to allow the soil to take up the water if it is still thirsty. 

This wedding florist got married without wedding flowers!
Yes, ’tis true – I felt the pressure. Just like you may be feeling right now too!
With so many wedding expectations, choices and costs – it can be blooming overwhelming!
For me, being a florist too, I felt the bar was set high and I had a feeling that the guests expectation of what ‘should’ be at a wedding was huge.

• Of course this wasn’t going to be the case, as we were to be surrounded by the friends and family we had chosen to be there! But at the time of planning, it’s a massive mind game of who, what, when and how much.
  The biggest thing I can say is don’t loose sight of who’s day this is.
• You are only planning on doing this once, right? So do it your way. You be You.
• Don’t live out someone else’s dream day. It goes so quick and in a blink all the preparation and consideration you have given it for months or years in some cases – is lost in the moment and hopefully in the magic of you connecting with your love and starting the next chapters of your life story together.
  Our wedding was extremely personal, I didn’t have fresh flowers.
  I carried a few satin handmade buds to acknowledge my grandmothers talented craft and I wrapped them in ivy and berries that were growing from the side of another family members memorial headstone. That’s wasn’t morbid or weird. Not to us anyway, it was personal, considered and fitting to us and our story.
  
• If you’re feeling the pressure, take a step back. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by ideas. I urge you to close all the wedding apps open on your device and go for a walk with your love. Choose your wedding flowers around your story. We all have one, even if you don’t think it’s significant. there will be one. This is your staring point. Make your wedding day, yours. Totally you. This should be the only day in your life together that is all about you and only you.
  Ditch a hundred photographs you really wont look at more than once, ditch the expensive extras in a beautiful building that has its own voice, ditch the guest list that pleases some but not you. And smile, laugh and be with those who want to celebrate your story.
  I also had warm furry boots on under my dress, no uncomfortable nipping shoes that weren’t true to me, infact I only wore a wedding dress for fun – and see my husbands smile!