This post is also available in ITALIANO
I met Valeria [Bottega Botanica] a year ago, thanks to Paola [We Make a Pair], who has the natural gift of making people meet and create relationships.
Since that moment, we’ve been taking coffees and teas at Cafè Lumière, almost once a month.
Each time the aim was to find a way of collaborating, to build something together. And that’s what we made!
Well, in August we thought it would have been oversimplificated to keep our collaboration offline, so we decided to launch a new column, starting from November. She’ll bring her interior plants here on Unprogetto!
There will be tips and words by Valeria and some pictures by Davide.
For example, this one has been shot during our first meeting. The plants are by Yougardener, the cushions are by l’Opificio, which has hosted us in its Turinese showroom and the accessories are by Epoca Spa.
You’ll see everything in the next posts 🙂
Back to us, let me introduce you to Valeria, or better she introduces herself.
Interview to Valeria, alias Bottega Botanica
Who are you?
I’m Valeria, a freelance florist with the obsession for the interior plants.
How did you turn into Bottega Botanica?
BB represents my return in Italy, it was the way of starting again, getting together what I learned in the last few years. It’s a project I had been having in mind for a lot of time, and, if I look back, I have the impression I’ve always cultivated it.
BB puts together my love for plants and my formation of florist and anthropologist. It’s my attempt of improving everyday-life through plants.
Describe your favourite plant to a person who can’t see it.
It has a soft a velvety touch, but you can also fell the subtle grains. Leaves are bordeaux on the lower side, while on the upper side it has evident red grains, reminding of tribal masks. At night, leaves close like praying hands, to open again when the sun rises.
Did you guess what it is?
It’s Maranta Leuconeura – Prayer plant
Black thumb doesn’t exist. Seriously? Could you give three piece of advice to our readers?
Of course, the black thumb doesn’t exist! Like stichy people, it doesn’t exist. It’s jus a question of training and sensitivity.
Not having success with plants doesn’t mean not beaing able with them. Maybe we just bought the wrong one for our spaces or for our pace of life.
3 suggestions?
- Do not get scared of insuccess, but learn from mistakes. Like every relationship, it takes dedication, empathy and courage to keep going by attempts and errors.
- Observe your plants daily, even for few seconds, it will help you to know them better.
- Keep them close and enjoy their presence. They’re not knick-knacks, but precious living things
Describe a detail of your house you love
Of my home I love the warm light of the living room, when in the evening, when everything is silent and we are all at home. I sit on the sofa and I enjoy my plants.
Future projects?
A lot… There are online consultancies to learn how to furnishing with plants; workshops I’m trying to organize on the basis of requests, needs and messages received; a space full of people and plants; and then, many new collaborations which are always a great incentive.
Among my favourite, there is the ine with Unprogetto, because like good things, it is born on Saturday at breakfast.
Well, I’m happy. I’m happy because it’s not easy to find people, who love creating new projects on Saturday at breakfast; and I’m happy because I love learning and I know Valeria has a lot of thing to teach me.
To end, this picture that makes me laugh.
Davide: “pretend to be like plants”
Valeria and I:
Leave A Comment