L′Orangerie du Château de Versailles

This morning I'm feeling inspired by the amazing orangery, built by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1684 and 1686, at the gardens of Versailles.  With more than 1,000 perfectly kept potted plants, this garden is without a doubt the world's most famous showcase of citrus trees indoor and out.  So being that I'm a bit of a Fracophile this got me thinking....maybe I should grow my own citrus?  Sure I may not have Louis XIV's sprawling outdoor setup but I do have an apartment with sprawling 10 foot windows and if the plants at Versailles can survive indoors between November and April I figure they can live indoors at my place, right?

I did a little searching and found these cute kumquat, lemon and lime topiaries at Viva Terra.  These citrus trees may be small but they grow full-sized fruit year-round...what a wonderful way to beat the winter blues!

Lush Leaves (Part II)

In case you prefer real fig leaves over fabric fig leaves, today I bring you my favorite indoor plant, the beautiful Fiddle Leaf Fig tree.  I know they have been blogged about everywhere, but I never tire of seeing this plant in a room.  I thought that buying my parents one for Christmas would satisfy my desire to own one but it hasn't.  My apartment has floor to ceiling windows and I loved how my Christmas tree filled out the space in front of them making the living room feel cozy.  I feel like a home is just not complete without at least one (real) plant so I'm thinking this lean species is just the thing I need to warm up my living room and add a bit of height.  Want to take bets on how long it lives?

What's your favorite indoor plant?  

1 Fiddle Leaf Fig / 2 Seagrass Basket / 3 Reindeer Moss   

Gorgeous Greenery

Recently while looking for ways to Summerize my apartment I came across this beautiful kitchen over at Traditional Home.  I love the idea of having plants perched up on the kitchen counter.  I don't have much of a green thumb but I've always to learn how to garden (aka not kill every plant I buy) so I can one day grow my own produce.  So for now, I'll start simple and buy a bunch of my favorite fresh herbs potted in terracotta planters and display them in a cluster on my kitchen counter.  If all goes well, they'll look good, smell good, and safe me a little money at the grocery store!  Terrain has a gorgeous selection of indoor plants and accessories, below are some of my favorites:

Rosemary  | Herb Seed Collection | Blackboard Labels | Lavender Topiary | Plant Mister | Mediteranian Trio | Herb Snips