Less is more

One singular sensation: a window box of plumbago in Rome

If you’ve ever stared into an overflowing wardrobe and thought, “I haven’t got a thing to wear!”, you’ll know what I mean by “decision fatigue”. There really is such a thing as too much choice.

Life is full of decisions, from what dish to order on a menu to what career path to take. It’s stressful – some days, just choosing a loaf of bread can wear me down. Wouldn’t it be so much simpler if there was only one option?

A balcony for all seasons

I'm so happy to announce that the Love is growing! Balcony Love’s very first guest post comes from my mentor, the wonderful editor of Country Home Ideas magazine, Margaret Megard. She shares a magic (and homesick-inducing) moment on her Sydney balcony...

Who needs a green thumb?

Balcony inspiration, via Mykonos. Photo by the talented Sarah Farago

The inimitable Costa Georgiadis once told me, “There’s no such thing as a green thumb”, and his words came back to me with a resounding thud this week. The thing is, I killed a basil plant. I over-watered it and it promptly curled up and died. Distraught, I was going to blame a lack of green-coloured digits when I remembered Costa’s matter-of-fact comment. Gardening skills aren’t born, they’re learned.

While my little blunder won’t stop me rushing out to buy a replacement, it's the sort of thing that could discourage others who are less confident in the plant department. Like my former flatmate, for example. She inherited my Sydney balcony when I left and recently went to her local garden centre with the best of intentions, only to return empty handed and completely overwhelmed. Yes, the garden centre is an intimidating place, especially if you’ve never done so much as murder a pot of basil. Worse, I promised her months ago that I would send her step-by-step instructions on what to buy and how to care for it, and I never did.

So, here it is: the Balcony Love guide to starting from scratch, whatever your colour your thumbs.