Living with plants

It makes living, in the truest sense of the word, LIVABLE. Because plants live and change – just like us. I like the aspect of change, because it’s a reminder that in our lives, too, everything is always in a state of flux. Plants grow, bloom, sprout new leaves; sometimes they lean in a certain direction, sometimes they grow haphazardly, and sometimes they simply aren’t doing well. I see a lot of life itself reflected in this – we are always in a cycle of growth, through good times and bad. Plants are such a gentle reminder of this ‘obvious truth’, which we tend to forget in today’s fast-paced digital world.

Plants and interior design are always a bit of a mixed bag – you get everything from extreme examples where the room is merely a backdrop for a lush collection of plants, right through to spaces that use plants specifically as decorative elements within an overall interior design concept. For me, the truth lies somewhere in between – and I believe the trend is moving in this direction too. People are choosing more consciously which plants suit them, whilst also using them to create specific visual focal points within the interior. Usually, these are beautiful, striking plants at an advanced stage of growth, serving as a visual anchor in the room rather than a multitude of small plant pots.

I have a very small balcony in Berlin and, unfortunately, not much space for plants. However, the plants I choose every spring are ones that always bring a bit of colour and cheer to the balcony, but primarily serve as a food source for pollinators. For me, the focus is usually on flowering herbs, lavender, spurge and splashes of colour such as cornflowers or marigolds.

I think a lot has happened in this area in recent years and numerous solutions for balcony gardening have been brought to market – from smart vertical vegetable gardens and modular beds to plant pockets. Unfortunately, nothing has really suited me so far; my balcony is really tiny and south-facing – so it’s always sunny and hot.

I’d love to see smart solutions for very small city balconies. My balcony is tiny – there’s barely enough room for two chairs. I also have no water or electricity supply, and I don’t have anywhere to hang anything either. That leaves only the old-fashioned system of window boxes. I’d love to see a smart system that offers solutions for these conditions without compromising on the space available for relaxing on the balcony, and which also provides smart watering solutions, even for south-facing balconies that are constantly sunny and hot. That would be a dream solution!