I love flowers and greenery, but year after year I kill off my plants. I generally start off being super excited about them, but after a week or two the poor little things begin to be neglected.
By mid-summer my pots and planters no longer hold pretty flowers in a variety of vibrant colors. Instead they hold their scorched remains.
I’m sure that’s why I’m really attracted to succulents lately. These camel-like plants can survive in the driest of desserts. They’ve got to be hardy enough to survive my black thumb!
I really like the idea of using them as decor around the house. Not only does it add a little bit of greenery to your life, but they’re a really unique decorative touch—and you can get the look for really cheap if you’re willing to do a little work.
There are lots of places on the web where you can find tutorials on making your very own terrarium. I love the DIY idea, especially since you can reuse old things that you otherwise would have gotten rid of. Design*Sponge recently featured a before and after post where someone turned a big old paneled chandelier into one (below right).
The process seems pretty simple:
- Find a cool glass container. I love the way apothecary jars look. I’ve also seen some pretty cool light bulb versions.
- Fill the bottom with some rocks (for drainage), a layer of horticulture charcoal (to avoid a funky stench) and a layer of potting soil. You can also use Spanish moss between the charcoal and the soil to keep the soil from sinking down into the rocks.
- Next you need some plants in a pretty arrangement. Try to find different shades of green and plants with different shapes to create visual interest.
- Put in a bit more potting soil in to secure the plants.
- Water with a spray bottle when necessary.
Sounds pretty simple, no? I think even I can handle this one!