Clockwise from top left: necklace by Ceca Georgieva; mini terrarium necklace by Poppy Art; terrarium necklace by Warm Country Meadows; living necklace by Paula Hayes; Grass necklace by Danielle Allatta; Plant Ring by Cbijoux.

Banner pic: Moss ring by Adorn Jewellery

Not gardening-related in the strictest sense, but I had to link to this article I came across on Ecoterre. It’s about the next step in eco-jewellery: statement pieces with a living component. The extracting, manipulating, refining, weaving and dying processes involved in textile production are foregone in favour of natural materials in their raw state: picture long blades of vibrant grass, dense little pockets of moss and sturdy, paper-like foliage. The look is nouveau pagan – a celebration of nature in its small beauty rather than abundance.

The loopy, ribbon-style leaf necklace by Ceca Georgieva is a beauty. I love the idea that you could take some banana leaves, fold and knot them, wear as a neckpiece and then pop in the composter at the end of the night. Another artist who does wonderful work that emphasises the life cycle of her natural materials is Paula Hayes. I’m a huge fan of her sprouting necklaces. They have a natural, earthy appearance – the key to this look is subtle manipulation, letting the greenery speak for itself. There is something symbolic and lovely in her use of epiphytes – plants that grow on other plants, non-parasitc but relying on the structural support of their host. In Hayes’ vision, human bodies are also gardens.

Danielle Allatta’s grass necklace is a sculptural piece using individual blades of sharp, angular grass and wire coils. The seemingly haphazard arrangement suggests that this tangle of grass has not been worked over by human hands. It’s an eco-centric vision of design, one in which there is a harmonious relationship between living adornment and host, in which the delicacy and beauty of the former is held up for admiration and protection.

Most statement pieces are pretty unsustainable, prone to wilt and wither with age. As Paula Hayes acknowledges, they exist in the realm of art because they are conceptual, rather than practical. But terrarium necklaces present more possibility for longevity, and they’re popular on Etsy at the moment. Take a look at sellers Warm Country Meadows and Poppy Art. I love the Plant Ring by Cbijoux, a chunky terrarium-style appendage with a vibrant green plant in its centre. These are personal pieces of jewellery that will grow and change as they are worn. Perhaps the terrarium pendant is the newest expression of truly eco-conscious style – precious, sustainable and enduring.