The Person Behind Jungle Floor Creative
Hey Friends,
I’m in my 30s, I’m well travelled and a bubbly person with a heart for justice.
I‘m a photographer, sewist, runner, yogi and I love to read.
My favourite book would be the Hobbit and I’m a massive fan of series’, including Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Pitacus Lore books.
Outside of my small business I work as a youth worker for a really awesome organisation, however, often it can be draining on my mental health. I’m also in the process of completing a Masters in Youth and Community Work.
I really loved living overseas in the Southern Hemsphire however, eventually I return to the UK and now I am pretty much settled. Whose to say though that I won’t try and go back when I can.
Favourite foods include Korean, Ramen, Mexican, soup, Turkish and a good BBQ.
Favourite plant family Alocasia
Favourite plant to prop Alocasia
Most sucessful moments in my life include:
Learning to sew | running the Taupo Marathon | doing a Masters | travelling by myself | starting a business | writing for a travel blog | learning to drive | hiking 10,000 feet | getting a BA Hons | Paragliding of a mountain |
I lived in Milan for a month until I quickly gave up and went back to the UK. I did see rather a lot of the city, particularly this building called Bosco Verticale which means vertical forest.
During my time there I worked as an au pair, trying to make money for my next trip, but I readily became homesick and so around Christmas 2018 I flew back to Standsted airport ready to see family again.
The image in the middle is on the set tour of Hobbiton in Matamata in New Zealand. I got the chance to visit there twice in the 3 years of living in New Zealand.
Photo 4 is because of my love for coffee.
Image 5 is because i really love Turkish food and I’ve visited turkey many times.
I enjoy drawing and being creative. I also love trying to make new foods that I used to love eating when i lived in Melbourne. I photograph anywhere or anything - personally I love taking pictures of funky London streets. I made that dress and make a lot of my own clothes. - Photography - eating different cuisines
Lastly because you might ask this being someone who traveled a lot, I used to have a blog on travel places and if you want I could write some of that stuff on here, Nevertheless, here’s a list of a few places: Nepal, Italy, Australia, Melbourne, Sydney, Cambridge, Sheffield, Manchester, New Zealand, London, China, France, Turkey, Spain.
Want to share one of my. favourites songs at the moment.
Adele - Hold on
Soil Ninja
“”Soil Ninja! Does what it says on the bag, Help growth into the plant so Ninja like you don’t even realise half time its happened” ”
Throughout my blog posts I am going to share with you some different recommendations and thoughts, so keep reading.
These thoughts are mainly my own however, I may ask people in the planty community for some of their thoughts and recommendations to break up my ramblings.
Soil Ninja Review
This review comes from the Soil Ninja experience including other people in the plant community.
I wanted to take the time to include other plant lovers’ opinions regarding why they would recommend soil ninja as a great shop for plant potting needs.
I’ve also gained knowledge through conversations and resources from the Soil Ninja’s website.
As I happily embark on my fourth year growing my jungle and the beginning of my second year of using soil ninja, I wanted to share my Soul Ninja ad my first recommendation.
I think it was @lockdownplantmum that first introduced me to Soil Ninja through her stories. She rated them highly even though she had only just started her planty Insta around lockdown.
“What do you like about soil Ninja?”
“it’s high quality products with stuff I wouldn’t normally bother putting in and its mixed already for you.” ”
There are main great plant sellers who are slowly creating soil that suits the plant family, however I’ve always stuck to Soil Ninja.
This, however, was just one of many planty people buzzing around how good Soil Ninja is which really encouraged me to give it a go.
As I’ve said before in other blog posts I have been dealing with plants from a young age, however I really started collecting at the end of 2018 which was when my love for plants and to create an indoor jungle began.
When my love for plants started I was using various soil mixtures, from places like Homebase and B&Q. Then in 2020 after moving house and losing a lot of my plants, this love for plants started to grow into a sense of enjoyment. My collection increased in size and I found out all the do’s and don’ts through learning - doing or failing once or twice for that matter.
Growing an indoor jungle means making sure your plants get the best care possible.
Growing the space into a jungle, I decided that I wanted to try something else when it came to the soil. I made an effort by mixing soils according to research, however, it was still not completely best practice.
I got frustrated with the moist yucky texture or completely dry mix from Homebase or B&Q - even chucking in perlite in didn’t seem enough. I still dealt with problems with root rot. The soil was lacking the right chunkiness and drainage.
In the beginning, I moved away from buying plants at garden centres and started to follow more people on Insta. Many people in the plant community seemed to keep talking about a shop for soil called Soil Ninja, so I felt that it was time to give it a go.
As much as being a person who may like a bargain, wanting to know where and what we buy is especially important if you care about something that much.
Do you want the best for your plants?
Do you want them to have the right conditions to grow in?
My first-order was small as they have small bags of soil which is great if you just want to try it out or if you’re only re-potting a few.
““What I did like about them is that they had small bags sizes so if I just needed a quick top up it was great for that, And they always have good tips in the packaging””
I began the journey using Soil Ninja with a Mantra and Alocasia, finding that they quickly thrived.
What makes Soil Ninja especially great is its quick delivery. When you’re not sure what soil to use as someone new to house plants, Soil Ninja’s mixes were greatly helpful to get you on your way.
You don’t need to build your own mix and Soil Ninja knows their stuff, doing the research on the soil mixes for each plant and what it would grow in the wild. A great starter for providing your plants with the best chance, by knowing what is best to grow them in. Soil Ninja states on the front page of their website:
“”Peat Free Soil Blends””
The website is so easy to navigate around with some info on their soil and where it comes from. They are very much about quality and working with others to make the business. There have a part of there page called Dojo with introducing different great information on various things around the soil and best ways to store it. I really love how easy it is to also add to the mixes and however and always a friendly team willing to help you in any way they can.
“I like soil ninja because it’s run by some lovely people and you always know you’re getting quality products from them! I couldn’t run my greenhouse this successfully without using their sphagnum moss! Plus my Hoyas LOVE it”
The question you may ask is, they cant have mixes for everything think, can they? Yes, there may not have the name of the plant family but they have created this awesome plant index which I’ve happened to laminate myself by adding to my door where all my soil is kept and organized into boxes. It is all laid out on a useful table, in alphabetical order of plant family. The Index is useful for showing you, Which plant family, the Common Name, Type of plant, Soil Mix, and better yet a view pointers.
Do you have to stick to their mixes? No, you don’t have to you can also buy components from Soil Ninja as well as various Ehlo Accessories, pots, and lights and there often choose to partner with designers and artists to support independence and often is possible to buy from other planty independents. “But also if you want to make your own or customise one of theirs you can get separate components.” @goodgrowing
What will it cost me? I’ve heard from few people that Soil Ninja is pricy but this isn’t for everything. They have a very large variety of eco friendly Substrates, And sauce things like the “Sphagnum Moss is sustainable from wales which is always a plus for me. And it’s living moss so it stays way more moist in my experience” @goodgrowing
“My favourite are the ready made soil mixes.. especially Anthurium and Alocasia as my plants absolutely thrive in them!” @chaotic_mum
What makes Soil Ninja your favorite? I think mainly because it’s good quality the team is helpful and friendly and it is delivered straight to your door the next day. If you have a small space to store your stuff Its a great benefit having a company like soil ninja that means you can really benefit from the bag sizes and their spag moss is such great quality!!!
“I love soil ninja because it’s quite easy, The premade mixes are all designed to be the best for those plants and I don’t need to mix them myself! My plants have been happy in the mixes and usually grow lots, I like the added worm castings for fertilisation too. Their customer service is good and they’ve been helpful when I’ve had questions.” @bexbotanical
“I’ve gotten a few soil components from soil ninja before & liked the quality” Anonymous..
“I think their components are nice and their products are good quality” Anonymous..
Even with Soil Ninja’s smaller bags they do go up to 5 litres which is great doing a bulk order is always a must the soil is chunky or less chunking depend of the mix
““Clean products, I buy mainly because its so neat and tidy, Price is fairly ok with soil ninja, benefit from bulk buying due to delivery charge. But we pay a similar price for plant delivery as well” ”
When you order your soil ninja you’ll always find someone really awesome to help you out with your order if you run into any problems as often we make the mistake of forgetting to add something to order. I’ve always known that the team is super quick to respond to your social DM or emails that you send to them. They answer questions regarding the best product to produce a help blog about pests or spotlight on their different substrates that you can buy through the shop as well as various awesome mixes relating to poplar plant families.
Soil Ninja also provides other products to help with your potting needs.. including moss poles and grow lights and they are always ready to help you either through emailing them or following them on social media.
Small bags
They also provide great customer service
lots of help if needed.
A plant index
Quality Soil Components and Mixes
great information
and it looks super designer
and they support small business.
“Aside from their social media presence and popularity amongst hobbyists, I really liked their care guides as a reference point. I also appreciated being able to purchase all the different components in addition to complete but customised substrate mixes.” @veryperlite
Soil Ninja provides prompt shipping and next day delivery just like plants
Heres some more quotes from users of Soil Ninja !!
“I love the premixed soils from soil ninja. I find it easier as I own quite alot of different types of plants, to buy the specific soil mix and know that my plants will be happy with it!”
The reason I’ve chosen to write this blog is because
1. Soil Ninja provides Soil 2. I hand sew potting mats 3. this is coming from being affiliated with soil ninja
4. being someone who recommends them highly 5. I love plants
These are just some thoughts and a review I have thrown together if you have any questions please email me or check out the SoilNinjia Website.
I hope you enjoyed my planty recommendations until next time
“KEEEP GROOWWING”
My Plant Recommendation
I’ve been potty about plants for a while now i used to be obsessed with growing sweet peas every year whilst I was in one place long enough at the right time. However, much to previous flat mates and currently family I love house plants. The varieties the rare ones and the not so rare ones the bold and beautiful the simple yet elegant I truly believe in the beauty of how they can be for your mental health. The feeling I get when you see a leaf pop up or when you experience those fuzzy roots wrapping around the soil to grasp every bit of nutrients and the way some plants will be towards the light or dance gracefully throughout the day.
I filmed this plant above for 24 hours to see what it did and I also noticed that Both moved, all my childhood dreams of toys waking up came true.
My collection of house plants has changed so much since I started and even before the real collection began I was always often seen in Feb preparing my sweet peas. When I was maybe 9/10/11 years old when I grew my first real plant in the garden this young boy who lived in the house that backed into our street their family was about to move out from the house and they had a lovely rose bush in there house and decided to cut me a rose of that bush and after the flower wilted I planted it into the ground, its ended up growing into a beautiful climbing bush. But my first two official house plants were a trusty Aloe Vera, She’s huge now and she flowered this year for the first time. It's just a shame I don’t have a picture of when she was very small and I had a pinky red Gymnocalycium Mihanovichii - Hibotan Cactus - Grafted 'Moon Cactus'. And now its grown I’ve fully lost count of how many but hands down my favourite planty family is Alocasia. This is why….
Growing Red Secret Alocasia From Corms
What I enjoy the most about my plants its being able to watch them grow especially when i grow them from the little corm like I often do with my Alocasia. The idea and the fun of watching something you grew for a small seed of Corm or Bulb and watch it grow into a beautiful baby plant makes me feel good about myself. I have a habit of looking at them often getting excited by each little moment of new growth. When the white roots start peeking out or a tiny shot shows. The lovely darling colour of the first leaf and I squeak in excitement as I think with a sense of purpose living in the moment enjoying the enjoyment of the new growth.
If you want to get yourself an alocasia as a House Plant. I’m gonna give you five tips:1. Get a self-watering pot.
2. Put them in a humid light spot. (maybe the bathroom or Kitchen)
3. Talk to your Alocasia nicely!!
4. If your Alocasia looks like it’s dying it’s often that it’s going dormant.
5. Feed them during springtime and when ther’re actively growing.
check out my house plant photography
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check out my house plant photography 〰️
Meadows, Woods, Sunshine, Love & an Engagement Shoot
Meadows, Woods, Sunshine, Love & an Engagement Shoot
I met this couple through my church I attend in Cambridge they had asked if anyone would like to do a photoshoot for them for their newly-announced engagement. I personally jumped at the chance to take photos, especially to test out my newly perchance Lumix g9. I met this lovely couple on separate occasions I met A at a coffee shop after responding to a message of requesting someone who could take their engagement photos. I lept at the chance this was something different for me buzzed as I was, it was the idea of showcasing someone special moment comes with being engaged. I was more used to doing event photography however, I loved the significance and importance of expressing someone’s story through photography. All the same, I was excited to be given the chance to showcase the announcement of this couple Engagement. We sat down in the cafe enjoying a warm cup of coffee on a wet day. We began talking about how they got together and how they met being friends beforehand. When they were in a prayer group she knew she liked him more than friends, the moment she first heard him pray. Then notify me how she waited a year until she informed him how she felt. She had such a sweet smitten smile on her face as she told me.
We then began discussing location she told me where he had proposed in a graveyard. I contemplated this idea for the shoot however it seemed like they did not feel comfortable enough to re-act their proposal. We set a date for the shoot promising to think about other locations too. I looked at the possibility of doing a shoot at the graveyard but felt that it would have limited us to thinking about the weather to much. In the end upon further discussions we decided to go a little out of the city and the location of our shoot became. Waldersbury park in Cambridge. They asked for a location that was natural lots of greens and told them to dress up in colours that were possible wedding themes. Waldersbury works out to be a great setting for the shoot, the weather for a fine summers day it was slightly on the hazy side not what I thought was ideal, however, in the end, it changed up the shoot.
We arrived at the park along with a friend of mine in tow, the car was a pay display we found a few cars in the carpark. However, I was pleased to discovered that we rarely bumped into many people along our stroll. To begin the shoot I expressed to them the need for them to feel that they can relax. I always wanted the photos to be as natural as possible helping to. bring in realness into the shoot. Who wants their portrait photos to look forced.
The Camera
Upon walking around giving space for exposure, shutter adjustments. I was using my Lumix g9 for the first shoot, I had recently purchased this camera with a 12 - 60 lens. I've regularly used Lumix before this one being a lot more professional. I find that Lumix by Panasonic is a really easy camera to use and has a lot of great features including 4 different burst shooting modes as well as 6k and 4k video images. I decided for this shot I would shot in jpeg being also aware of the constant changes in light during the couple of hours I did for he shoot.
Upon walking around giving space for exposure, shutter adjustments. I was using my Lumix g9 for the first shoot, I had recently purchased this camera with a Leica 12 - 60 lens. I've regularly used Lumix before this one being a lot more professional. I find that Lumix by Panasonic is a really easy camera to use and has a lot of great features including 4 different burst shooting modes as well as 6k and 4k video images. I decided for this shot I would shot in Raw being also aware of the constant changes in light during the couple of hours I did for the shoot.
The shoot begun in a meadow area getting a few practice photos before I became happy with what I was getting then I got them to sit on a bench close by taking some simple head shots. The light was starting to look a lot better the further around the park we walked as we came into different areas of stunning wooded areas with light creeping through the canopy of the trees giving way to beautiful soft light. The park also offers stunning tunnels of trees making epic archways introducing whispers of light. Further giving way to dense areas where barely any light crept through to a various meadows with small purple flowers and long grass. All this added a real natural rustic feel to the photos which ended up being very similar to the overall wedding look. They really expressed this when seeing the photos afterwards.
If you would like me to photograph capture or document your special day, family, product, capture you or your head shoots.
send me an email I'm based in Cambridge UK get in touch
let me tell your story
Rosie@junglefloor.co.uk