My Style. Living With Plants.

It has been a while that I have been posting hear any new stuff. What to blame? Well, there is few facts that has been going lately. Number one is COVID19. I don’t see anything interesting on the streets because I don’t move around as much as before. Number two is plants. The moment that Spring arrives starts the hustle with plants.

When I come Home or Office the first thing is to hang around plants. There is always someone who needs a little water, a little shower, some pest control, or, is growing new leave, new flower or new baby plant by the side. In the spring all of this is accentuated as the amount of light increases. Immediately the plants respond to it. With some 100 plants there is always something to do. And I love it!

This aspargus has come to me as tiny little plant from my mother-in-law, who didn’t cope with it. I like how it is like a green cloud. In the spring, it grows long new offshoots that I wrap around the rest of the plant. It gets bigger every year.

If I can’t go to the woods, I still have the variety of calming green around. Especially in wintertime a lot of plants is a precious source of energy. 

Have you ever thought what would be the only colour if you could have only one? As you can see in this image, Me and My blue. What about you?

I don’t know when there will be next post. I’m off to summer holiday. Domestic tourism on countryside is on target in the age of coronavirus. Have a nice summertime!

On the Street. Walking on Baana, Helsinki.

I met this gentleman in Baana Helsinki. Baana is a passage in Helsinki. It is build on an old unused rail passage. Now the passage serves as a road for pedestrians and cycliststs. There is also a place to play basketball and ping-pong, sitting and taking easy as well as nice green planting. The stone wall is home to a diverse array of nature plants. Baana offers easy relaxed access to city center from Ruoholahti direction.

The first impression was sound, shoe heels clack. Then I saw this self assure man in his black and white outfit. White hair and black narrow moustache. White shirt and pants with black coat and high heel cowboy boots. With a clack.

It was a very quick moment to make a note to mind. I drove bicycle, just few seconds. This image is the picture that is left from that moment.

Unfortunately a city never stops developing. Right now there is plans in Helsinki to cover the whole Baana and build buildings on top of it. Personally I am not a fangirl of this idea. It would ruin the harmony that is on the area right now. A city needs the places where people can breathe without the hectic presence of traffic. But if this place is covered and made underground, the impression will not be the same at all.

There is an address that opposes this unfortunate Urbaana-project. I have taken part of it. If you live in Helsinki area, you can do the same.
https://www.adressit.com/ei_urbaanaa_kampin-etu-toolon_alue_pelastettava

On the Street. Shades of Brown, Lauttasaari Helsinki

Bye bye Summer. You were very dry in terms of Street style. Frankly, I didn’t see anything special since last post. I spent time in Spain, in Helsinki, in Woods and Seashore but saw nothing special in terms of Street style. Many other inspiring things though. Marvellous plants and nature. But since this blog is not about nature nor plants and flowers, there has been a little silence around here. Let’s hope that autumn will change everything.

At least I saw this guy in local grocery store. Fancy thing was, that everything was toned in brown. Even the plant pattern in his shirt was drawn with brown. Different Shades of Brown from the suede chelsea boot toe to top curly ponytail. I wonder. Is Brown new Black this autumn?

For fun. Remedies Towards Dark Season.

In Finland in this moment Autumn days get shorter and darker towards the end of the year. Outside there is cold, rain, snow. At this point of the year it is great to have some inspiring sources of light and green energy indoors. Aquarium – cube of light and house plants make the perfect surrounding. When you add a pot of tea and a good book you are alright whatever is the weather outside.

This is my submission for Doodlers Addicts meet Adobe Stock challenge. This time the topic is Home Sweet Home. Do you share my love and remedies towards dark season?

If you like to see what other illustrators have in mind on Home Sweet Home in Doodlers Addicts, go for it.
https://www.doodleaddicts.com/drawing-challenges/home-sweet-home-drawing-challenge/ >>
You can also pick your favorites and vote!

For Fun. Taking Care of Houseplants.

I know, I know. Lately, it’s been quite silent here in Flash For Zonzon. Let me explain.

Too much everything in life. One thing of this bundle of everything is houseplants. I have hopelessly lost my mind and soul to houseplants. The increasing amount of plant pots causes the increasing need of care of these green friends. The number of species is growing and the size of my darlings is getting bigger. It is a chain reaction that causes the need to repot plants to bigger pots. All this hassle takes time from other free time activities, like drawing.

I joined a Finnish Facebook group of House Plants. Boom, the amount of knowledge in the group thrilled my brain. I have learned about the different types of breeding grounds. Before it was just a regular sac of soil carried from grocery store. Well, nowadays my plants have different mixtures of coconut fiber, perlite, vermiculite, pine bark, rough sand, leca substrate, moler clay. Every plant type has its own typical need for ground and light.

I have realized that there is point on finding out the care instructions of different plant types. Plants thank you by growing beautifully. And that is the magic!

Also, how it’s said, knowledge increases pain. Before I was totally ignorant of the enemies of houseplants. Species of insects like harmful mites are many who love to consume the wonderful greenery. Just in a concrete way. Now and then there is need to use some power against pests. Anyway, I like to use natural methods.

This image is made for Doodlers Addicts drawing challenge. The topic was Mother Nature. As much as I love to wander in woods I decided to illustrate my plant friends. We in Finland has this long dark period called winter. Especially in those dark days it is precious to have the green vital plants at home and workplace. It really gives energy.

The effect of living plants at home is sure more effective when you live in the weather zone where half of the year there is no leaves on trees. When I visited Spain, I felt myself become fools seeing all the plants we care so tenderly indoors, growing wild and happy outdoors. A ten-meter-high ficus compared to my meter-high-ficus elastica.

All the plants in this image live with me. But these are just part of them. Maybe I’ll illustrate them all later… Good idea!?

Many of the plants has been years with me, like twenty or more. We grow together. This money tree is one of them. And Euphorbia leuconeura, Madagascar jewel, has lived with me as long as I can remember. This or the children of the original plant. I keep on growing new little Madagascar jewels and give them forward to human friends.