Yes, it's that time of the month again: time for a brand new Urban Jungle Bloggers post! Last month we showed you some cool urban jungles in our neighborhoods: Igor took us to a vibrant community garden in Vancouver, Jocelyn showed us around Planten un Blomen in Hamburg, Kate introduced us to a cool urban jungle in NYC, we went to the flower market in Aix-en-Provence with Ilaria, floral stylist Emilie wandered around a community garden in Gothenburg, Nina interviewed Jules who has a cute + green apartment and Yvonne presented us her lovely greens (and darling cat!). Oh and I took you to sunny Marseille 🙂
Today we will share a secret… a gardening secret! I guess my biggest secret is that I don't really have a green thumb. I just try what seems obvious and learn to grow plants through trial & error. For example I really want to grow a little fig tree: they look so great in interiors and I love eating fresh figs. I heard it's fairly easy to grow them from cuttings, so during our holiday in the South of France, I chopped off over 30 fig tree branches… but none of them has shown showed any sign of life so far. But I'll be patient…
I ♥ palm trees, they're so exotic and make me dream of sunshine & holidays. So today I'll share one of my more successful green adventures and learn you how to grow a palm tree! And just a little secret: it's easy! [[more]]
And then: enjoy watching your palm tree grow! Some of mine are long and lean, like the ones below. I simply wrapped their temporary vases in colorful paper (a Marimekko newspaper).
It will take years until I can lay in a hammock under my palm trees while sipping a cocktail, but one can dream, right? Like growing fruit and veggies, growing my own palm trees makes me very proud. I hope you'll try it some day!
Urban Jungle Bloggers is a monthly series initiated by 3 bloggers: Igor (Happy Interior Blog), Jocelyn (The Little Room of Style) and Judith (JOELIX.com). Every month we share ideas to create an urban jungle through styling ideas, DIYs and green tips & tricks. You can find additional inspiration on our Urban Jungle Bloggers Pinterest board. Want to join? Use #urbanjungle on twitter and instagram. Or let us know and we'll send you a mini-kit with all details. Let's bring some green into our homes and blogs!
Also check out Flora Inspiro and Mouseblossom today for more jungle love!
I love your designs, Judith! Your little diagram had me giggling. I never knew how to grow a palm tree but now I do! How great it that? Every day is a school day. Thank you for sharing your tips with us! Jocelyn x
Merci Jocelyn! Hihi, it's was really fun to make the “howto” with images from different stages. Very glad you enjoyed it! And it's so nice to learn from one another. My Tiger's eye is standing next to one of my succulents and you know what? It's growing in the direction of the stone already. No idea if it's a coincident… but you tell me ;) xx
Amazing Judith!!! I adore your tips and your illustration is fabulous! Not to mention the happy planters! Non mais je kiffe grave!!!
Hahaha thanks Igor! I kiffe your planters grave too! Especially the Atelier Stella ones. Missed out on their sales tonight again, argh! :( Next time!
love your tips :-) I am sorry I didn't make it this month to join UJB … next month, I'll be there, promise :-) and who knows, maybe in the meantime I will have a palm tree growing in-house! xxi.
No worries, Ilaria! Hope you'll be back with us next month… with a palm tree indeed! You can get some seeds just around the corner, you lucky lady :)
Oh wow! I'm so impressed – growing your own palm tree! I wish I had the patience for that ;)
Thanks Emelie! You said it! It's really easy to grow a palm tree, the only thing you need is patience ;)
WOW growing your own palm tree sound like a perfect plan to get some Mediterranean inside. Love the cool wrapped vases Judith – so creative.
Much love Axx
Merci Anya! Like you said, it's the perfect plan to get some Mediterranean inside (we need it right?!). Do you have any greens inside? A fig tree maybe? xx
Those temporary vases are so lovely! Hah, the coffee beans… Yes, that would be a typical mistake ;)
Hihi yes those coffeebeans… they probably taste horrible if you grind them to make coffee ;) Really loved your UJB post, Yvonne!
Je eigen palmboom, hoe tof is dat! Ben benieuwd ;0
Gaat prima hoor! Sommigen zijn al 'n stuk groter, maar voordat het echte bomen zijn, duurt het nog wel even ;)
Great tips, Judith and with such fun illustrations – thank you! Love the addition of the Marimekko newspaper too. :)
Okay, silly question alert: would a palm grow in cold, rainy UK?
Thanks Chi! Absolutely, palm trees will grow perfectly well in the UK. As long as you grow them inside, I think they'll be all right. Where we live, it's not as sunny as the South of France either and they grow slowly but surely :)