My Bit of Outdoors, Indoors

 

I live in a flat on the second floor, so unfortunately do not have a garden, or a balcony. My dream is to own a small house with my own garden. In the meantime I am making the most of my indoor space. 

Mainly windowsills.

Bathroom

There are more than 300 species of Aloe, of which I have two. I love cactus plants, partly because they are so easy to care for. My mother gave me a cutting from an aloe vera plant many years ago and since then mine has grown and produced many babies. She still has the original plant. If I hadn't cut the aloe leaves, for medicinal purposes, the plant in the tall jug would have been enormous. All my other aloes come from this plant. The ones in the smaller pot are of a different variety and where babies from my brother's plant, which had actually flowered. Hopefuly mine will flower too one day.

Kitchen

My mum gave me this jasmine plant many years ago. I've almost killed it many times over, it's a wonder it is still alive. The giant begonia is a beautiful looking plant, again from my mum. The leaves are dark green with a red back, which looks absolutely beautiful in the sunlight. I'm also growing a variety of salads from seed.

The nasturtiums and tomatoes are from seeds. Last year I managed to get a small crop of very tasty tomatoes, so hopefully I will be as successful this year.

I've started repotting my aloes in tea cups after seeing a lovely post by 'a pair & a spare'

Outside the front door 

I've had the Yucca plant for seventeen years. It was my first houseplant. Sadly two stems fell off the following year, from the smaller trunk, when I accidently over watered it at the end of the summer season. It eventually started to take over my flat, so I had to be put outside.The spider plant, next to the yucca, was given to me about seven years ago, as a tiny cutting. All my other spider plants have come from this one and I've also given away many babies. The geranium, yet again from my mum, have somehow survived years of neglect. I plan to buy it a bigger pot soon.

 Through the Living Room Window

I've had a bird feeder at my window for about five years, which brings me even closer to the outdoors. I love watching the birds come to feed throughout the day. In the Spring it is just wonderful watching the juvenile tits and finches being fed in the silver birch tree outside my window. It can be quite comical when the young ones first try to use the feeder.

So there you have it, my bit of outdoors, indoors.