TaoBrowser: Put a Little Spring In Your Balcony's Step

Original Zeus Zou theBeijinger

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Where can you buy that? You already know the answer: Taobao. But navigating China’s biggest e-commerce platform can be a nightmare for foreigners, so we’re helping out by rounding up useful stores to browse in our column, TaoBrowser.

Note: Click "Read more" at the bottom of this post to find links to all the stores listed in this article.

We're only a couple of days into the Year of the Ox, and if you've been a good little Beijinger, then all sorts of auspicious red decorations should be adorning your home. Part and parcel of those New Year traditions, however, is the attendant Spring Festival celebrations. So now that you've decked out your interior with holiday cheer, it's time to turn your bleak-ass balcony into a lavish garden befitting the new season. For those of you lacking in the green thumb department, Taobao's got all the flora you could possibly want, from fresh cut flowers to potted plants, and even some cute little bonsais to spruce up your space.

Fresh Cut Flowers

Technically, you don’t need to be a gardener to keep these flowers in full bloom throughout the holiday. With the help of some nutritional solutions and protective packaging (Taobao is nothing if not great at providing protective packaging), these fragile beauties can survive the trip from Yunnan to Beijing and still look gorgeous as ever. Simply sink the stalk in a bit of water after unpacking to let the flower rehydrate and watch as it comes to life.

Quite a few stores on Taobao stream regularly in the evening for you to have a better understanding of the shape, color, and size of the various flowers you may be interested in. South Flower Valley (南花谷 nán huāgǔ) promises the freshest cut flowers, which they never grow in water after harvesting to ensure the longest blossom period once it reaches the customer. They also carry some rarer species from time to time.

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Potted Plants

Freshly cut flowers are good enough to light up your living room during Spring Festival, however, no matter the amount of care you put into them, they are doomed to wither away after a few weeks. A potted plant, on the other hand, can accompany you for months or even years.

If your room is on the smaller side, then cyclamen, narcissus, or holly are a great way to boost your holiday vibe. For people who are lucky enough to have a spacious balcony or even a yard in Beijing, you can give potted monstera or even vine plants a try. Others like mint, rosemary, and basil will not only brighten the colors in your room but also add a bit of zest to your cooking.

Hongyue Flagship Store (虹越旗舰店 hóngyuè qíjiàn diàn) carries all of the above and offer plenty of gardening tips on their streaming channels.

Bonsai

Bonsai are as good for their aesthetic value as they are for occupying your time, given that trimming and shaping them is a meditative practice in and of itself. Compared to other houseplants, these little treasures are more akin to a work of installation art with customized vases, porcelain or wooden decorations, and in some cases, sophisticated water circulation systems like mini-waterfalls. Not to mention, with proper care and attention, most bonsai plants can have a long and healthy life.

Ancient Chinese also believed that keeping a bonsai at home would build character since it requires you to take time to observe the finest details as you constantly pursue the optimal conditions for your plant while maintaining internal peace. For beginners, it may be a good idea to choose from a selection of miniscapes that have been fostered by the professionals like Huipai Gardening徽派园艺 (huīpài yuányì) then start to add your personal flourishes from there.