reading

PLANT PORTRAITS

Cactus plants

Succulents

DIY
Growing succulents

Aloe Vera

PLANT PORTRAITS

Monstera Deliciosa

Oxalis triangularis

PLANT PORTRAITS

Ficus elastica

Calathea

PLANT PORTRAITS

Tradescantia

Pilea peperomioides

PLANT PORTRAITS

Palms

Sansevieria

IGOR & JUDITH

EDITORIAL

URBAN JUNGLE – LIVING AND STYLING WITH PLANTS

Everything started back in 2013 with a chat between two friends in a Parisian café. Over coffee, we talked about interior styling, our love for redecorating and about plants. It was right there and then that we discovered our common passion: our love for plants.

We quickly came up with the idea of choosing a green topic each month and interpreting it through plant styling on our blogs. After the first month we had other bloggers asking to join us. Over the following months even more plant enthusiasts joined, and today, three years later to be precise, the Urban Jungle Bloggers community unites more than 1,200 plant enthusiasts and bloggers around the globe, from all over Europe, the United States, Brazil and even New Zealand.

The book “Urban Jungle” is like a long-awaited cactus flower. For three years we have been creating green living ideas with our community. We have peeked into hundreds of urban jungles all around the world, we have appraised unusual plant styling ideas and we have exchanged plant care tips. The moment has finally come to pack all of this green creativity into one book. The result is in your hands right now.

In “Urban Jungle” we will take you on an inspiring voyage across Europe to five green homes, taking a closer look at these creative people’s houseplants and chatting with them about plants, plant care and green styling ideas. Count on us: we will uncover their secrets and tips for you! Moreover, we have invited a group of amazing members of our Urban Jungle Bloggers community to showcase their plant styling ideas, DIY projects and green vignettes. But this publication is way more than just an inspiring coffee-table book to flip through: it also includes ten plant portraits and simple plant-care tips. It is no botanical encyclopedia – it is a book for everyone who wants to bring more green into their home, no matter whether they are a beginner or an expert. We do not believe in the concept of the so-called “green thumb”. We prefer to believe that anyone can live with and care for plants. All you need is the right information – and this book is a first step in the right direction.

On this note: get inspired, get informed and get green with your own plant styling at home. “Urban Jungle” is more than just a book – it is a one-way ticket to your own lush, dreamy urban jungle. Here’s to plants!

AT HOME WITH

MARIJ & EVERT

Alphen aan den Rijn / The Netherlands

FRESHNESS NEAR AMSTERDAM

In the middle of the “Green Heart” of the Netherlands, close to tulip fields, greenhouses and windmills, Marij and Evert live with their two cats and 50 plants. While the surroundings of Alphen aan den Rijn may be as ordinarily Dutch as can be, this creative couple’s home is atypical and contemporary.

Together with their two cats, Def and Mos (not pictured), Marij and Evert live in a cosy and colourful home in the green heart of Holland.

Marij runs her own online shop for vintage and upcycled furniture and ceramics, and also works as a fashion stylist, photographer and blogger, while Evert works as a visual merchandiser for a fashion brand. The couple’s sense of style can be felt in every room: there’s not a single corner that looks dull or messy. And any time Marij thinks a room needs a bit of pep, she reaches for paint and brush and isn’t afraid to add a graphic shape to the wall – in mint or palm green for example. Her latest splash is the dusty pink wall in the dressing room, which complements the camel-coloured accessories and the deep green of the Alocasia and Euphorbia triangularis so well.

I FIND A LOT OF NICE PLANT POTS AT THRIFT SHOPS. I COMBINE THEM WITH NEW MODERN POTS FROM THE GARDEN CENTRE.

Marij painted the vintage chest in a pale pink for some #plantsonpink perfection.

The linear details of the artwork are reflected by the pink line pattern on the leaves of the Maranta leuconeura erythroneura.

A hanging Rhipsalis, a fern, succulents and a cactus are joined by some vintage friends from the African jungle.

The bathroom has been turned into a lush spa retreat with ferns and two aloe vera plants.

In the attic of the house, Marij collects vintage furniture, ceramics and dinnerware that she sells online in her shop My Attic and at markets and festivals.

DID YOU KNOW

that most Rhipsalis cacti droop, but some are upright or sprawling? They add a different texture to your cactus mix.

Under the roof, on the second floor, Marij has created a treasure trove: her attic. With a passion for vintage designs and an eye for style, she sources the best vintage ceramics and furniture at flea markets and thrift stores in Holland, Germany, Belgium and France. She then upholsters the pieces of furniture with contemporary fabrics (from Febrik) and paints them in pale pink, ochre or mint. To show her clients and blog readers that vintage designs can add some serious style to a contemporary home, she combines her finds with modern objects from design shops and independent designers.

Marij cannot visit a nursery or garden centre without taking home a new green friend. And even though their home has nearly 50 plants, it does not look like an out-of-control jungle. She dispatches the plants to every room of the home, including the bathroom. The Bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus) in there thrives with the humid air and limited amounts of sunlight. To prevent the home from looking too full-on “planty”, Marij likes to add smaller botanical details to the walls and shelves, like a vintage cactus photo, terrarium illustrations or artificial gold cacti. There’s botanical inspiration everywhere.

This Phlebodium pseudoaureum, also known as Blue Star Fern, is an easy houseplant. He thrives in indirect light with good drainage, and he also likes to be misted, especially when humidity is low.

Vintage furniture mixed with a big contemporary hanging lamp, modern cups and a thrifted cactus mug.

COOL IDEA

Creating your own plant hanger is very easy. Use some beautiful strings, ribbons or rope made of fabric or natural fibres to knot your hanger (see instructions on page 22). To make a plant hanger more personal, you can embellish it with shells that you’ve collected during a holiday. Before knotting the strings together, thread the shells onto them and then glue larger shells onto the knots.

One of Marij’s tips is to suspend plants from the ceiling in easy-to-make plant hangers: this creates a nice dynamic in the room without taking up precious floor space. With some rope and shells or beads, you can knot your own plant hanger (DIY tutorial on page 22). For the hallway she used rope and paint to create a hanging hexagonal wooden shelf which welcomes guests with a hanging ivy. And as a bonus for cat owners, this keeps the plant out of reach of plant-destroying furry friends. Def and Mos could not care less about the plants, though – they much prefer cuddles and sunbathing.

The home office is also decorated with plants, both real and in glossy white ceramics. Vintage coffee cups are nice vessels for small cacti and succulents.

Minimal effort, maximum style: create your own plant shelf with a plank, two leather belts and some jam jars.

The wall of the dressing room was painted in a peachy pink, which makes the deep green of the Alocasia amazonica plants pop. Illustrated terrariums by Inge from Teken-ing add a soft botanical touch to this corner.

It looks like cactus, but it’s a succulent. This Euphorbia trigona is also known as African Milk tree because of the milky white sap that streams from the plant when cut. The latex from the plant is poisonous and can cause skin irritations.

COOL IDEA

Cups, mugs and small vases can be turned into plant pots. Because you don’t want to destroy your ceramics by drilling drainage holes in the bottom, be sure to fill the bottom layer with clay drainage balls, little pebbles or some terracotta shards that will create space for excess water. Small cacti or succulents are particularly suited for this kind of container, as they like their soil to be dry in between waterings.

When shopping for new plants, Marij looks for unexpected shapes and colours, as well as graphic details and patterns that match their interior. The two big Calathea plants in the living room create a striking contrast with the pink chest. Marij also fell in love with the pink details of the Herringbone plant (Maranta tricolour), for which she painted an Ikea Ingefära plant pot. Decorated plant pots are a staple in Marij and Evert’s home: as with their interior design, they create a mix of vintage, painted and DIY pots. After leaving Marij and Evert’s beautiful home, you can be sure of one thing: Netherland’s “Green Heart” is truly beating strong in Alphen aan den Rijn.

PLANTS ADD A FRESH TOUCH TO YOUR INTERIOR. IT’S SO NICE TO BRING NATURE INSIDE, AND I LOVE USING PLANTS IN STYLING PROJECTS FOR MY BLOG. IT ADDS THAT LITTLE EXTRA TO A PHOTO.

A vintage typewriter and secretary dress up the corner next to the daybed where Def loves to sleep (he shares with guests).

With plants on different floors of the house, Marij has several watering cans at hand to make plant watering an easy chore.

EXPERT TIPS

5 QUESTIONS

FOR MARIJ

1 Living with plants – is this a lifestyle choice or the natural way of life in your home?

For me it’s not a conscious choice. This way of life grew over the years, and I started enjoying having plants at home more and more. I cannot imagine our home without them anymore. I like to place a group of plants in every room, and we actually do have some green in every room.

I would describe my interior as a mix of eclectic, Scandinavian design, vintage, graphic elements and prints, fresh pastels and a hint of boho. I don’t know if you could put a label on my style – I follow my gut feeling and when I like something, I combine it with the things I already have. This creates an exciting mix, I think. I also love colour. At the moment my favourites are ochre yellow, minty green and pale pink, combined with lots of white. My vintage finds really pop against this colour palette. And of course, there’s always a huge amount of green!

3 You have a beautiful collection of plants at home. How did it grow over time?