Sarah’s first word was flower, she grew up eating rock salt in the crannies of greenhouses between her mother’s variations of beautiful and rare plant life in North Carolina and she now carves out inspiring landscapes in the yards of the homes that she renovates. What I know about plants, that I haven’t gathered from shopping local nurseries, I’ve learned from her….
Oh, and you guys and your design blogs. Geez, you folks really went nuts for the Fiddle Leaf Fig huh? I had never even heard of the plant until I pinned this image to the Heffe House Board.
So, off I went with the google image searching and subsequently Craigslist searching. If you’re already familiar with the home decor niche’s love for this plant, you’ve likely seen the same pictures that I found. Lots of Peter Dunham designs…. Get yourself some more Fiddle Leaf Fig eye candy on this Pinterest board here.
Meanwhile – let me start fresh with my own picture of the Heffe House living room. Meet the Fiddly.
He lived outside in Fullerton, CA for most of his life, until I spotted him for sale for $85 on Craigslist. He is twelve years old and stood around 10+ feet tall until I trimmed his top. He also had a wicked lean. He is now standing tall with two trunks that I wrapped together to give him more of a single stalk topiaried appearance. You’re seeing a side of him now that Heffe and I won’t see much of for a little while. I’m turning his weak side toward the light source, in hopes that his leaves will even out a bit and his trunk will strengthen up on that side. He’ll get some regular top trimming to encourage that. He really needs to get healthy.
It does occur to me that it will take a LONG time to notice any strengthening, This plant lived under a pergola for a LONG time. Some of his edges are singed from the direct sunlight and he doesn’t have that deep green shiny leaf that he should.
It has also occurred to me though, that I might let him loose and that leany branch could stretch and stretch toward the windows until he looks like this. How is that not tipping over?
Betsy Moyer
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Ha! I may or may not answer questions about the rock salt–in defense of my weirdness I was left to my own devices in rural NC where 9 greenhouses was my playground, we didn’t go to the park, have arts & crafts or playdates.
I wish my parents would’ve kept the biz, I would’ve made my own little Terrain down here.
Love those Fiddle Leafs, I have 3. Just bought them last summer but they are much younger than yours. I think the tree in Dunham’s design isn’t leaning because its in a pretty heavy concrete planter. They likely staged that and it may spend most of its time braced on something outside. Make sure yours gets ample sunlight and doesn’t defoliate like mine! Don’t overwater.
Definitely staged…. as here it is in the same room, but turned to branch out over the bookcase.
The other side of the planter is hidden in both images. I’m picturing some guy in an all black suit, like a prop handler for the theater…. he’s crouching behind the chair, holding it down!