the sill: the houseplant has arrived

In a tiny apartment, and just about anywhere, having a little greenery to liven up your home goes an incredibly long way. In these dark days post-storm and post-daylight savings time, I’m especially feeling the need for a little brightening inside these four walls. The Sill is a Manhattan-based operation and the expert when it comes to understanding the power of a beautifully appointed houseplant. In their online shop, they stock a line of sturdy houseplants specially selected for easy care and adaptability to life in the big city.
The Sill’s lineup arrives in style, hand-delivered to neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and housed in one-of-a-kind vessels made by local artists. The planters are so lovely they very nearly outshine their leafy tenants.
In case you weren’t blessed with a green thumb of your own, The Sill’s website can help you determine which plant might be best suited to your particular space (or, for the generous among us, which plant would be best suited to a friend’s space) and their Plant Hunter blog supplies additional bits of wisdom and musings for the botanically curious. Never fear: every plant comes with a magnetic card offering reminders for how to care for your new charge.
The Marianne II was just launched yesterday (along with the bitty Eley in black), and it’s the new darling in this tiny apartment. Its modest size makes it just right for a perch on our own sill. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that artist Judy Jackson had designed the matte white planter just for me.
We’re also positively tickled with our low-light-loving Zenas Dane. Don’t let the photograph fool you, this corner is positively gloomy during the day, but this little lady is still going strong. We’re guessing it’s all the sunny yellow coming from the planter down below.

Bottom line: The Sill is the kind of small company that I’m honored to support. If you’re thinking of making a plant purchase in the near future, act now. During the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, The Sill had to temporarily relocate their offices due to power outages in their Lower East Side headquarters, but they’re back in action and ready to liven up this city’s apartments.  Now through Thanksgiving (November 22, 2012), The Sill is offering a portion of profits to folks who have been hurt by the storm–20% of profits will go directly to The Mayor’s Fund for hurricane relief. I hope you might be able to support them.