Plant Inspiration at Wild Leaf

I'm absolutely useless with plants. Not being blessed with the most patient of dispositions, I don't put much store in following instructions or reading manuals, and when it comes to gardening or placing greenery around the home, I tend to just focus on my immediate aesthetic requirements rather than considering things like soil suitability or positioning. 

While I might like to think of myself as the 'nurturing' type, healthy, lustrous plants and flowers wither under my supervision and pots that started life as a colourful riot of blooms become lifeless seemingly overnight. In short, green fingered I am definitely not. 

As it happens, I don't have much of a garden to experiment with anyway. But things don't tend to work out any better indoors, either. I've killed pretty much every form of plant life that has ever crossed the threshold of our home, from beautiful orchids to death-defying spider plants. Thing is, though, I adore plants and flowers. And when I'm feeling a little blue, there a few things I find more comforting than wandering around a garden centre or plant shop. 

Filled with life-giving greenery, they provide the perfect counterpoint to all that noise and stuff that fills up daily life. And while I might not be good at looking after plants myself, I find a great sense of inner calm when I'm surrounded by greenery. 

So I was delighted to discover a tiny haven of green stuff just off the Gloucester Road called Wild Leaf. Open since August, this bijou plant shop is filled with gorgeous plants and has a remit to help even the least gifted of plant owners create interesting green spaces in their homes - I think they call it 'plantscaping'. And if there's one thing I've wanted to do recently, fuelled by countless beautiful pictures on Instagram, it's 'plantscape' my home.

Stocked with truly unusual plants and succulents, Wild Leaf is a true treat for the senses. There's so much to feast your eyes on - over 80 plant species to be exact. From covetable succulent pots to decades-old, towering cacti, the shop's counters and shelves are filled with unusual greenery.

A beautifully merchandised space, Wild Leaf is the sort of place that makes you want to go straight home, strip your space of all clutter and fill it instead with cascading baskets of String of Coins, light-loving Tradescantia and pots of lustrous Zebra Basket Vine. If you're a plant killer like me, the owner, Tya, can offer all the advice you need on correct care and placement for your plants. 

Turns out the wonderfully named Mother-in-Law's Tongue (or 'Sanseveria') might be a good one for my light-filled kitchen. And given its hardy nature and need for only weekly watering (yes, I do tend to forget about watering my plants too) it might even defy my poor plant care track record. 

As well as plants, Wild Leaf stocks gorgeous ceramics, pots and baskets, as well as a wonderful array of potted succulents for less than the price of a coffee. For more serious plant collectors blessed with nurturing hands, there are some really special 'heritage' plants amongst the collection - I definitely couldn't be trusted with a 135-year-old Mammillaria Geminispina (£295) though...

Located at 63 Overton Road, Wild Leaf is a lovely place for some plant inspiration, whatever your plant aspirations and abilities. Visit their Instagram page here to take a look.

Made in Bristol: Wildsource Apothecary

As any blogger will tell you, it is really very nice getting to trial interesting new products. One of my blogging highlights (or indeed life highlights) was receiving a box the size of a small house filled with Burts Crisps in the post. Turns out researching new crisp flavours is really rather fun...but it wouldn't be great for me to get boxes of crisps in the post too often. 

Last week a less calorific but equally exciting package turned up in the shape of a box filled with products from new Bristol-based skincare brand Wildsource Apothecary, a brand I've been following on Instagram for a while. Made in small batches, each of the products in the collection is organic, vegan and ethical, and are crafted from locally sourced botanicals and herbs. Nestling in my beautifully packaged box were some hero products from the range: a Baobab & Calendula Hot Cloth Cleanser, a Wild Flower Facial Tonic, a Radiance Pink Clay Mask and the Miracle Skin Oil with Rosehip & Thistle.

I'd had a consultation about my particular skin needs via email and was assured the products in the selection would suit my skin (sometimes reactive and hormonal, currently in need of some serious TLC.) While I'm not obsessive about choosing only organic products for my skin, I do prefer to use botanical-based cleansers and creams wherever possible - I don't like to see a huge list of ingredients in the small print and I'm a big fan of brands that take a more natural approach, such as Liz Earle and REN. That said, however, I do want things to actually work and am aware that the efficacy of certain nature-led products doesn't always win against scientific formulations. 

Basically, what I'm looking for is ease, efficiency and suitability. I want a cleanser that takes every last grain of dirt of my skin without making it dry, a serum that helps me feel several years younger, a moisturiser that plumps me up and an oil that makes my skin as soft of as a baby's while lulling me towards sleep at the end of a busy day...I know, perhaps quite a big ask.

Having got big into oils when I finally realised they won't bring you out in a mass of boils, I stared off using the Miracle Skin Oil before bed, my favourite time to apply an oil (though this can be used under make-up too.) I wish smell-o-vision was a thing because I can't do justice in writing to how gorgeous this product smells. Filled with other goodies - vitamin E, grapeseed oil and ylang ylang and rose geranium essential oils) this oil is a total pleasure to use. It goes on like a dream, absorbs easily and definitely made my skin feel softer the next day. 

Next morning I replaced my usual Liz Earle Cleanser with the collection's Baobab & Calendula Hot Cloth Cleanser, another gorgeously scented product also containing sweet almond, jojoba oil and wild neroli. Perfect for mornings when you haven't got to shift make-up from your skin, this is a really calming oil cleanser that you massage into your skin and then remove with a soft cloth. I did try it in the evening too but felt it might be a bit light for dealing with makeup, though it worked well as part of the double cleanse routine I sometimes follow if I can be bothered and have the time.

The pink clay mask was really fun - I had a friend staying for the weekend when my box arrived, so naturally we disappeared off with wine to give ourselves a pamper (we'd been looking after four rather wild and excitable boys that day, so it was pretty necessary.) The mask comes in powder form that you mix with either the Wild Flower Facial Tonic or water to create a paste that you then apply to your skin. Ideally you should use a brush to do this which perhaps would make application a bit less messy. Once on, you look a bit of a fright (it was quite fun pretending to our boys that their high jinx all day had brought us out in a stress-related skin rash) but it's well worth it - after 20 minutes we rinsed our masks off to reveal baby-soft, calm skin. My friend, who lives in London, has already been badgering me to get my hands on some more.

If you love a facial mist, the Wild Flower Facial Tonic is a nice addition to your routine - we spritzed this on after our masks and before using the oil but you can also use it post cleansing. I don't normally use facial mists but with a holiday in Ibiza coming up, I can see this being a nice little product to keep in my beach bag.

It's lovely to be able to support a local business, but as I mentioned earlier, I don't want to spend money on things purely because I feel I should - I'm on a relatively tight budget and need things to offer value for money. So it's great to stumble upon a brand that is bringing good quality, ethical products to the market that - in my opinion - do really work. The products haven't launched online yet, but if you're a fan of natural skincare and would like to support a fab new range made in Bristol, keep an eye on the Instagram and website pages. 

Several days on from using my samples, my skin (previously quite stressed, suffering from PMT) feels soft, smooth and calm. The Miracle Oil in particular impressed me and I can see this becoming one of beauty staples. I can't wait to get my hands on some more...

Win a Print With Peskimo!

Wall art is my thing. I can spend hours online looking at prints, pictures, maps, photos - basically, any form of decorative adornment for walls. Testament to my obsession is an incriminating trail of holes that pepper most of the walls in our house - my love of moving pictures around but lack of skill with a hammer doesn't make me very popular with the other half.  But there's nothing I find more relaxing than pottering about with a cup of tea in hand, rearranging my gallery of photos and pictures.

Luckily for me (though my husband might disagree) there is a wealth of shops in Bristol to feed my obsession for screen prints and lino cuts - you'd don't have to travel far to stumble upon a window filled with gorgeous pieces for your home, whether you're looking for something Banksy-inspired and urban or a prints with a more illustrative aesthetic. 

There are some great shops on Gloucester Road (Room 212 is one of my favourites) and Stokes Croft, while Clifton is home to another of my must-go places, the Soma Gallery on Boyces Avenue.

The latter stocks one of my favourite local print-makers, Peskimo, a husband and wife team I've got to know through working at Aardman (Jodie and David regularly lend their creative talents to a variety of Aardman projects). Their gorgeous pieces combine all the things I love - bright colours, retro styling and cats (amongst other animals.) I have several of their pieces in my home and now you can be the proud owner of a Peskimo print by taking part in my competition over on Instagram!

I have two lovely Panda Riso prints (pictured above) to give away - here's how to take part:

1. Visit my Instagram page at @luisa_m_sanders*
2. Like my competition post and follow both myself and Peskimo (they are tagged in the post)
3. Tag a friend in the comments box too!
4. Competition closes at 7pm BST on Saturday 10th June 2017

Winners will be announced in the comments box on the Instagram post. Good luck! 

*Please note this competition is not affiliated with Instagram. Terms & Conditions: Two individual winners will be picked from all entrants who meet competition criteria; no cash equivalent; competition winners will be announced by Saturday 17th June 2017

South Bristol Arts Trail

There are lots of things Bristol does well - green spaces, independent shops, cool bridges - but when it comes to creativity, the city is a veritable powerhouse of interesting people doing interesting stuff, from street art (Bristol hosts Europe's largest graffiti festival, Upfest, each summer) to screen printing and every conceivable artistic discipline in between. 

I'll admit that when I started working at Aardman, I was pretty overwhelmed by the wealth of creative talent housed in just one building; and in between doing their creative day jobs, my colleagues somehow find time to pursue other interesting side projects too (whereas I usually just go home and do the ironing...)

Through working at Aardman I've had the great pleasure of being introduced to not only some lovely people, but also the interesting projects they work on around their day jobs. Take Jodie, for example, one half of Bristol-based design duo Peskimo. 

By day, Jodie does a variety of freelance jobs at Aardman but in between she creates the most gorgeous illustrations with her husband David. Appearing on colourful prints and quirky accessories, I was instantly drawn to Peskimo's retro-inspired aesthetic and have a few of their pieces now hanging in my home. 

It was also through Jodie that I got to hear about the South Bristol Arts Trail, an annual event that has become one of the biggest and most popular arts trails in the city. I've pottered around the trail a couple of times now and this year promises to be another fab event, with over 45 homes and public spaces opening their doors in the Southville, Bedminster and Ashton areas. 

On my first visit a few years' back, I really enjoyed exploring less familiar city streets, with the added bonus of having a snoop in some seriously arty houses and taking in the talents of some of Bristol's most inspiring illustrators, screen printers, ceramicists and jewellery makers. 

There's something really lovely about grabbing a coffee and wandering from street to street, popping into artists' homes, having a chat and perhaps picking up something a bit unique for your home - so much nicer than filling your walls with mass produced pieces from Ikea. I've always found prices to be very accessible too - you should find something that brings a little joy into your life without breaking the bank.

But what if you have kids in tow - surely, dragging them from house to house to 'look at art' isn't the most child-friendly activity to fill a Saturday afternoon? Aside from the obvious risk attached to errant toddlers let loose in houses filled with artworks, your little ones are well catered for at this year's event with children's workshops taking place at a variety of venues during the weekend. Make an animal shadow puppet, mask, or head over to the Tobacco Factory for a special Bricolage workshop with the Let's Make Art team and get stuck into an exciting sculpture project.

If your kids love getting creative in the kitchen too, there's the chance to try their hand at some Indian cookery with The Thali Cafe. While you tuck into some lunch, your kids can learn how to make chapattis and lassis, as well as designing and decorating their placemats and colouring in a special limited-edition ice cream bowl, which they can take away as a souvenir. 

And don't miss Roy Gallop's Wonky House workshop, featuring mechanical toys for children of all ages and a human juke-box...that's right, a HUMAN JUKE BOX. If that doesn't sell this event to you, I'm not sure what will. 

Oh, and did I mention that you get all of this eclectic entertainment for free? You can also drop into the Tobacco Factory for music, St Francis Church for choral entertainment and Trika Yoga for some free stretching and mindfulness. 

If that sounds like an eclectic mix of weekend entertainment you can get on board with, you can find out full details about the South Bristol Arts Trail on the website here.

My Bristol

So, my home city has been named the best place to live in the UK by the Sunday Times. This comes off the back of a fair bit of publicity for the city in recent years - it seems Bristol has steadily built a reputation for being something a bit special and lately it seems like every other publication is singing its praises.

As someone who was raised in the city and came back here after I become a parent, I've seen it undergo a whole lotta changes over the years; most of them good, though I have to say that I'm less happy about Bristol becoming a bit of a London satellite - just try buying a family home in a good catchment area if you want evidence of the impact of London-Bristol migration.

I also have my own personal gripes - rubbish public transport, poor secondary school provision and a pretty bad litter problem - and I do think some stuff that has been written about the city is slightly romanticised. Yes, people from Bristol may seem physically compelled to thank every bus driver for every bus journey they ever make...but that does rather depend on whether you can actually get a bus in the first place.

And, like any city, for every affluent suburban street and graceful Georgian square, Bristol has its fair share of neglected, depressed areas that don't quite fit the rosy picture displayed in the broadsheets. It isn't really accurate to portray Bristol as some sort of utopia, despite its proud heritage of inclusiveness and political agitation, and it would be remiss to glaze over the fact that many of the city's best offerings are the preserve of its wealthier residents. BUT...that's a whole different conversation.

Instead, as someone who does truly love my home city - despite taking some of the plaudits with a pinch of salt - I've collected my favourite places in Bristol and the surrounding environs. They're not the big name attractions that you'll probably already be aware of, but rather places that, if I was visiting the city for a weekend, I'd be very happy to stumble upon...

Clifton Wood

Central Clifton - with the Suspension Bridge, Georgian architecture and an abundance of chi chi cafes - is an obvious addition to any tour of Bristol, but equally enchanting is Clifton Wood, a hotch-potch of quiet little roads and steep hills lined with pastel-coloured houses. You can enjoy fantastic views over the docks from up here, plus there's a cute little pub, The Lion, to fulfill your refreshment requirements. There's a distinctly Bohemian vibe in this part of the city - it's the sort of place people make mosaics for their walls and prettify electricity boxes with painted pictures.

You'll eventually wind up either down by the docks or back in Clifton; if you hit the latter, take your pick from a variety of photogenic attractions: Royal York Crescent, the Observatory, Clifton Arcade and Birdcage Walk, to name just a few.

The Lido

Staying with the upmarket side of Bristol, there's something very charming about this place. Brought back to life in 2008, the Lido retains the character of a 1920s bathing club, with its functional swimming pool lined with retro-style curtained changing rooms. Opposite the changing rooms is a lovely restaurant - enjoying a lazy, post-swim brunch in the sunshine can almost make you feel like you're on holiday. And to be able to get that feeling in the middle of a city is no bad thing. Visit the website for more info.

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

A proper old school museum - the sort I love. With only small concessions to the modern, interactive way of displaying information, this museum hasn't really changed much since I used to come here as a child. 

Housed in a beautiful neo-classical building, this free museum has a whiff of old school exploration, with its collections of stuffed animals, Egyptian mummies and rocks and minerals. I particularly like the gallery, a tranquil space hung with some impressive artworks, including pieces by Seurat and Renoir. Visit the website for more info.

Gloucester Road

No prizes for naming this legendary high street as a Bristolian must-see. Often referenced as the last great high street in the UK, there's still a defiantly independent feel to Gloucester Road, despite the presence of a couple of chains. But if you were, say, wanting to visit the street art of Stokes Croft or indulge in some retail therapy at Cabot Circus, you could swap catching the bus for a wander down this quirky, interesting road, the kind of place where you can lay your hands on pretty much anything and everything. 

Traditional hardware shops rub shoulders with San Fran-style cafes, while you can have a rummage in a multitude of amazing charity shops or browse pretty homewares and clothing in some super-cute boutiques. I couldn't live without the traditional toy shop Totally Toys (a lifesaver for last-minute presents) plus I love a nose in the pound shop and brilliant health food store Scoop Away. 

Just before the junction with Cheltenham Road hook a right up to Zetland Road and you'll come across a real culinary gem - Green's Dining Room is, in my opinion - one of the best and most consistent restaurants in the city; it's a lovely, unpretentious little place serving some of the most delicious food I've ever had in Bristol.

Botanic Garden

A relatively recent discovery, this is a really lovely place to enjoy a break from the city noise. Owned by the university, the gardens are located just off Durdham Downs on Stoke Park Road (follow the brown signs) and feature collections of unusual plants and trees. It's all very calm and civilised beyond the garden threshold - the perfect place for an undisturbed wander on a sunny day. There's a cafe on site, plus the gardens often have interesting exhibitions on show - the last time I visited the plants were decorated with pretty glass sculptures. Visit the website for more info.

Clevedon

I bloody love Clevedon. Home to my two best friends when I was a teenager, I spent a lot of time mooching around in Clevedon in my youth. Having smartened up in recent years, Clevedon now has a beautifully restored Victorian Pier and a refurbished outdoor swimming pool, as well as a pretty pebble beach backed by elegant houses and cafes. There's a smart parade of shops at Hill Road, while Poets Walk offers gorgeous views across the water. 

And while said water might be a tad brown - the Bristol Channel isn't the most photogenic of waterways - Clevedon is a very convenient place to get to when you're looking for a bit of sea air. Just 20 minutes by car from Bristol, it's a lovely spot to sit in the sun eating fish and chips or a proper Italian ice cream from Forte's.

More Bristol Recommendations

I wrote a piece for HelloBRSTL on recommendations for things to do and where to eat in Bristol - take a look here.

Photos courtesy of Lido Bristol, Visit Bristol and Bristol Botanic Gardens.

A Ride on the Strawberry Line

If there was ever a name to conjure up images of gentle, bucolic loveliness, the 'Strawberry Line' is it. A beautiful stretch of tranquil cycling path, reaching from Yatton to Cheddar, this is a must-try if your family likes cycling but you're a bit over sharing space with the hordes that often clog up other popular routes near Bristol.

It's perfect for children. Not only is the route flat and off road in most places but it's usually pretty quiet - you won't meet too many other cycling pros or pedestrians, making it a much less stressful experience than, say, the Bristol to Bath towpath which can get pretty hairy at times if you're cycling with children. 

We've experienced impatience to the odd cross word from more serious cyclists who seem to view some routes as their sole preserve, but the Strawberry Line has (on the occasions we've ridden it) been much more accommodating of families pootling along at less than Tour de France-style speeds.

There's plenty of parking at Yatton Station, and you can also pick up refreshments at the small station cafe and use the loo. Just a short distance along the route you'll see signs on the right to a fishing lake and cafe. This is a lovely spot to enjoy a cuppa before you continue - it's really tranquil and enjoys nice views across the water.

Further along things get rather continental as you pass the Thatcher's Cider orchards - the path cuts a wide avenue through the apple trees, making you feel as if you've been deposited in a field in France. 

The next place to look out for is the old station at Sandford, a beautifully restored building, decorated with vintage railway posters and memorabilia. There's an old-fashioned train permanently stationed here, which will delight the younger cyclists in your family. 

The small shop sells refreshments if your little people are flagging. This makes a great end point if going any further might not be feasible, coming in at about an hour and a bit from Yatton (perhaps a bit longer with very young cyclists.)

Continuing on older kids will enjoy cycling through the eerie Shute Shelve Tunnel, a satisfyingly dark and dank stretch, bringing you out into the light to enjoy (after crossing the busy A38) amazing views across the Cheddar Valley. 

I love this cycle route - on a sunny day I can't think of a better way to get some gentle exercise and immerse yourself in the pretty Somerset countryside that lies right on Bristol's doorstep.

Visit the Strawberry Line website for more information, and read a helpful guide on The Guardian website also.