New Plant Book Helps Foster Your Inner Green Thumb
A local plant whisperer shares her secrets in a new growing guide
By Chelsea Lin January 4, 2019
This article originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the January 2019 issue. Click here to subscribe.
“Plants make people happy!” says local greenery evangelist Jen Stearns. There’s some truth to that: According to her new book, The Inspired Houseplant (Sasquatch, January 29, $24.95), studies show that indoor plants filter our air, increase office productivity and give us a dopamine boost. All great news, unless you’re the sort who manages to kill off anything green that crosses your threshold.
But as Stearns points out in The Inspired House Plant, “There is no magic to good plant care, just basic science and simple rules.” Her book is a treasure trove of educational information and also includes some projects—terrariums, hanging gardens—perfect for crafting on long winter evenings.
If you still have questions after reading the book, visit Stearns at her plant-centric boutique, Urban Sprouts (Renton, 724 S Third St.; 206.789.0710). “My goal is that my business becomes that friend who knows all about plants and is always willing to help,” she says. “This book is just another amazing opportunity for me to [make] plant care in our homes approachable and beautiful.”
Follow Us
Your Land, Your Legacy: A New Way to Build at Suncadia
For those who believe that where you live should reflect how you live and how you’ll be remembered Suncadia invites a deeper kind of ownership. It’s an opportunity to create a home that is entirely your own, on some of the most desirable homesites in the Cascades, while benefiting from the ease, support, and long-term…
Settling In, Not Just Moving In: How Seattle Newcomers Find Their Footing
Photos courtesy of Royalty Moving & Storage Seattle. Explore: Seattle Relocation Resources Moving to Seattle is rarely just about transporting belongings from one address to another. For many newcomers, it marks the beginning of learning a city that operates on its own terms, shaped by distinct neighborhoods, changing weather, and an unspoken culture that locals…
Coasting Into Calm
After purchasing a weather-worn, ant-infested cabin on an Oregon beach, a Seattle couple hires a regional team to transform it into a stylish weekend retreat.
When architect Andrew Montgomery first pulled up to his clients’ house in Arch Cape, Oregon, there were logs in the driveway, courtesy of the sizable swells that come with the coast’s king tides. At just 28 feet above sea level and as close as you can get to the water without being on the beach,…
Blueprints for Building Community
After tragedy struck a local restaurateur family, one of their daughters stepped in to complete the design for her brother’s unfinished home.
Although he was just 35 when a heart attack took his life, Khoa Pham’s imprint on Seattle’s international district was such that the city quickly designated April 21 as a memorial day in his honor. With his rescue pitbull, Pinky, by his side, Pham cut a colorful figure through Little Saigon and became well known…