Fiddle Leaf Figs Do Not Like Me

I love to garden.  I can't wait to dive into my backyard and get dirty.  I don't have a black thumb. 

But fiddle leaf figs do not like me. 

Actually, I think they just don't like my bay window. 

Fig #1

It faces north.  It gets little indirect light.  The semi-transparent shades that hide the neighbors' cluttered backyards don't help.

Fig #2

But the first one lasted almost a year.  So I got a 2nd one.  And then it died.

I'll spare you the sadness.

I swore off plants.  Nothing alive will live here.  Instead, I started googling other options.  Artwork.  Sculptures.  DIY something!  Nothing inspired me.

But then I remembered Modern Jane's Instagram shot of a vase filled with greenery.  No flowers.  Just green.  Yes, it's alive...but how much light could simple greenery need...???

The very next day, a West Elm coupon landed in my inbox. 

Isn't that awesome?  Such a great view through those shades.  Light be damned, I can't live without those shades. 

And I filled those vases with something tall, something ferny and something small.  I need the height in this window.  Anything short looks really awful.  Filling the space at least 3/4 high is a must.



The vases were an investment.  But the branches and greenery?  So cheap!  That bundle of branches was $15.  $15!!!!  You can guess how much those little green sprigs cost.  Less than a latte.

Cherry Blossoms

The branches are blooming.  I guess I got flowers, afterall.  She said low light would be fine, they just might not open up...but I see some!!!

I can almost ignore what's outside that window.  Almost.  Just look for little flowers.

View from the entryway

I left the price tags on the vases, just in case.  I wavered between loving the new setup and feeling like I lived in a West Elm store when I walked into my house. 

But after a few days, when Steve noticed I made the change, he gave me a thumbs up.  I think those vases are staying ;)