Succulent Chandelier!

I have a huge love for succulents, so you can imagine my excitement when I found {this}! I can't wait for the day that I have a backyard to enjoy a DIY creation of my own like this :)

Kiikku Planters by Unison

I am LOVING the {Kiikku planter} by {Unison}! This tiered system allows for interchangeable porcelain pots that rest on a leaning walnut ladder. This is a great solution for indoor plants an does not require it's own table or basket to hang from.

DIY Cinder Block Planter!

I love coming across DIY projects that are pretty simple but look so nice! This modern cinder block planter idea is perfect, with supplies that are easy to come by and putting it together is just as simple. They are filled with easy to grow beautiful succulents - the inspiration comes from Annette at {Pot-ted}, a nursery and patioscaping company. Here's how she did it:

- The wall was built with 12" cinder blocks
- Liquid nails were used to hold them together so there wouldn't be grout lines and would also allow for flexibility.
- The planting is new and as it fills in and starts trailing, it is going to look even better.
- The use of cinder blocks allows for many different iterations you could make depending on how much space you have.
- They are also really cheap and can be painted if you want to match them to your decor.

The coolest part is that they have a chair in their patio like the one I {found} at {The Gardener} in Berkeley!

"The Gardener" Berkeley, CA

Last weekend I went up north to the Bay Area where my family lives and had a wonderful time - reminding me of how much I miss living there. We spent one of the days in Berkeley - walking around and exploring the shops in the 4th Street shopping district. Though it was a pretty small strip of stores, there were quite a few gems! One of these was {The Gardener}. The Gardener was opened by Alta Tingle in 1984 in Berkeley, CA. In 1987 they moved to the current location, into a space nearly triple the size. The second store was opened in Healdsburg, CA in 1998 in a barn surrounded by a large garden. The third store opened in the new Ferry Building in 2003. I was so happy to have stumbled upon such a great store! They had everything from beautiful garden and outdoor furniture and supplies, seeds to plant fruits and vegetables, and even great interior design and kitchen/dining ware.

Alta is a former garden designer and lecturer on landscape design. She is an avid gardener and photographer as well. "The Gardener is a collection of all the things that Alta, through her talents and interests, has learned to enjoy and appreciate in her life - a great pair of Japanese scissors for cutting flowers, the purest bar of lavender soap, a big ceramic bowl for the kitchen to hold the season's offerings - things that before had required trips to nurseries, hardware and specialty stores."

When it first opened in 1984, the collection at The Gardener was the first to recognized that even the most avid gardener lives indoors. They specialize in carrying accessories and furnishings for indoors and out. Each location offers merchandise specific to that location. It is Alta's lifelong affinity for texture and minimal design that has guided her buying. She is influenced by the season, which has always guided the product selection.

I took some photos of a few favorites as I walked through the store and recommend that if you are ever in the Berkeley area, that you stop by and take a look for yourself! One small detail that I thought was really cool were the {Ceramic Easel Placecards} used with one of the table settings

Flowering Chives

Am I the only one that didn't know that chives flowered? I was pleasantly surprised when I saw {this} and wanted to share for anyone who was in the same boat and me.

Rain Gutter Planters!

What a great idea! Mounting rain gutters on the sides of your house for a {layered garden}!