the designer's darling

 

would it surprise you to find out i am talking about a plant?  the first time i saw Pilea peperomioides, i couldn't help but smile.  i liked it even more when i found out that it will create smaller plants that can be divided and shared with friends.

this little houseplant gem has interesting beginnings.  the origins were so mysterious to the kew gardens (the royal botanical gardens in UK) that they sent out messages asking for information about where the plant came from.

as it turns out, it was first acquired by a norwegian missionary living in china who brought it back to norway in 1946.  it was shared person to person all across europe, eventually making it possible to have one in my very own windowsill.