So Summer is long gone (sob sob) and while we’re still trying to adapt to the new season without getting stuck in a rut, there are ways to make the transition less depressing and painful. It’s the perfect time to make decorating changes in the house, and getting our home ready for colder and darker days ahead can be so much fun.

One of my top tips with dealing with the seasonal change is bringing the outdoors inside. While we may no longer enjoy summer nights in the garden, or dining al fresco, it’s the perfect excuse to bring some botanical inspiration into our homes and making it that little bit cosier. Plants are perfect for this and thinking of clever ways to incorporate them into our decorating schemes is always a fun challenge. If real plants are too much of a commitment, then faux ones can look pretty damn good!

For Ideas and inspiration for indoor gardens, I highly recommend the book, The House Gardner by Isabelle palmer. Totally inspirational and packed with amazing projects for the house. Here I’m sharing two of my favourites from the book…

Hanging Vine

How wonderful to wake up to the sight of pretty leaves tumbling over the edges of a suspended glass container.

Hanging baskets can seem staid and fussy, with too many plants crowded into a small, often ugly basket. This beautiful metallic container breaks the rule, however, as it’s both handsome and simple – great for a stylish bedroom or perhaps displayed at the top of a flight of stairs. The delicate, glossy leaves of the plant fall over the edge of the container, making for an easy, uncluttered look. In this display, I used Pellaea rotundifolia, which is commonly known as the button fern. A small, low-growing fern, it is easy to grow and creates a unique look with its small rounded leaflets.

Hanging Treasure

The metallic beauty of this bathroom container allows the variegated ivy to be shown in all its glory.

Bathrooms are ideal spots for indoor plants, as there is sometimes ample space for an attractive display. Unfortunately, people often place dull artificial plants in a bathroom. However, if you think about it, the bathroom can be the most suitable room in the home for growing an indoor plant. In fact, the warm – often humid- conditions in a bright well lit bathroom are perfect for growing plants, even tropical ones.

Here, the lovely copper hanging container, which contains Hedera helix (common ivy) underplanted with moss, creates a striking focal point in a relaxing bathroom. The ivy leaves peeking over the edge of the container are glossy and green, and look particularly bright against the natural hues of the bathroom. If you are keeping plants in your bathroom, it’s important to avoid spraying them with aerosols or dusting them with talcum powder or other bathroom products, as this can stop photosynthesis

Extract taken from THE HOUSE GARDENER by ISABELLE PALMER, published by CICO Books (£25), Photos © HELEN CATHCART.