We have long been fans of Studio RoCo’s houseplant care books for their simple advice and beautiful imagery, so we couldn’t wait to hear more about their latest offering, Into Green.
Into Green book cover. Illustrations by Georgie McAusland
The book is a beautiful and practical invitation to truly engage with nature regardless of where you live; from growing plants out of food waste to be displayed on a sunny shelf, to foraging urban environments for edible flowers. At every turn the book helps us to appreciate and explore the nature that is often just in front of us.
Excerpt from Into Green
Much of Authors’ Rose and Caro’s work involves bringing greenery indoors, so it’s no surprise that they are huge advocates of the mental and wellbeing benefits that being around nature brings; a driving force for writing Into Green. Cleverly, the book also reminds us to think about other positive aspects that engaging with nature creates, not only for the sense of peace but also for feelings of hope, bravery, wonder and a sense of belonging. Something we could all benefit from we’re sure!
We love nothing more than getting away from our screens and immersing ourselves in a creative project, and Into Green has a lovely lot of projects to chose from. We were curious to know which mini-project author Rose is most looking forward to carrying out over these next few Autumnal weeks…
“As the evenings draw in, I'm looking forward to spending more time on self-care and experimenting with the 'Aromatherapy cleanses' project. Studies show that our sense of smell is closely linked to memory, and by tapping into experiences in nature which we remember bringing us a sense of nostalgia, energy or joy, you can transport yourself, at home, to the time when you felt this emotion.
In this project, we guide you through the steps to create your own room spray or aromatherapy bath, either with one of our scent memories or with the encouragement to create your own. One of my favourites from the book, which I use to spray just before meditating, is called 'After the rain'. It's a combination of grounding woody cypress and sandalwood, cooling sage and refreshing juniper berry; all smells which reminded me of the smell of walking through dense, mossy woodland just after a heavy storm.”
When it comes to the natural world, there’s always something new to learn. For us, that’s a major reason why we love having plants in our lives. The book is packed with facts, wonders and science that sparks intrigue, so we quizzed author Caro whether there was anything she had learnt about nature during her research for the book that surprised her…
“Soil, it's the unsung hero of the plant world and is essential in keeping the natural ecosystem that is underneath our feet in balance. Soil stores carbon, filters water and provides anchorage for roots, not to mention nutrients and oxygen. It is so vitally biodiverse that in one teaspoon you might find billions of microorganisms. The dazzling squadron of unsung heroes in soil is endless, taking in worms, invertebrates, microbes, larvae, algae, tardigrades, vast webs of fungal threads called mycelia… and they each play a role in plant growth and nutrient cycling. In certain parts of the world, you can encounter soil that is billions of years old.
The quality and type of soil in which we grow our plants is directly linked to their health; when selecting compost we always look for peat-free products. Peat comes from the decomposed remains of a valuable species of moss called sphagnum moss, and is one of the world's most important carbon stores. Peat is mined from bogs for use in the gardening industry and is not a renewable resource since it takes centuries to form, so we try to avoid it whenever possible. There are UK growers now, such as 'Harriet's Plants', that are actively choosing to grow in peat free soils, which we see as an invaluable step to the industry becoming more sustainable.”
We couldn’t agree more. In fact, we caught up with Harriet of Harriet’s Plants for a tour of her wonderful peat-free nursery back in August 2020, you can have a watch here or read our interview here.
Into Green is part of a new range of books that are a collaboration with one of our absolute faves, Bloom, a beautiful magazine of both education and inspiration for indoor and outdoor gardeners.
How to buy Into Green
The book can be pre-ordered until the 16th Nov when it will be available for general release. One to add to our Christmas list!
The UK stockists for both pre-order and general release are Waterstones, Foyles, Book Depository, Books Etc., Bookshop, The Margate Bookshop and Amazon.
For more botanical reading inspiration, visit our blogs on The Green Indoors by Maddie and Alice Bailey, Little Book, Big Plants by Emma Sibley, Cut and Dry, The Modern Guide to Dried Flowers from Growing to Styling by Carolyn Dunster and Everlastings How to grow, harvest and create with dried flowers by Bex Partridge.