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Making small changes to your home or workplace can make a massive difference. It could be a new desk, freshly painted walls in your favorite color, an aquarium – the possibilities are endless. They all serve the same purpose – adding beauty to your environment so you and your visitors can always feel comfortable. One of the best ways to achieve this is by adding a lovely collection of indoor house plants which are easily accessible even online.
Some people shy away from gardening as they lack experience and know-how. They’d rather place a few plastic substitutes here and there and call it a day. They don’t even need watering, do they? Sure, it’s perfectly understandable if you have a full timetable and can’t give your plants the care and attention they deserve. But the appeal of nature is irreplaceable, and that’s precisely why house plants are only getting more popular by the day. Click here for more.
Succulents
These are perennial favorites among plant-lovers, and it’s easy to see why. Basically, you can think of succulents as the camels of botany – they can store water, making them very tough and steadfast. People usually think of a cactus when they hear the word succulent, to the point where they have become virtually synonymous. However, not all succulents are cacti – they’re just the most widespread species.
Since we’re talking about potted plants, it’s good to have a few things in mind when choosing the pot and soil. Gardeners will usually recommend combining different soil types, such as sand and organic matter, for example. Also, it’s essential to use a pot with fast drainage, and you’re all set. Cacti come in different sizes and colors, so you get a lot of variety.
For all their endurance, succulents require some extra care during the winter. Warm weather is never an issue, of course, but winter’s low temperatures could be problematic for your green, purple, or turquoise darlings. The solution is to try and keep them reasonably warm and not let the temperature drop below 4°C. Compared to other potted plants, succulents are true warriors, and once you provide basic maintenance, they pretty much take care of themselves.
What about Design?
Creating your mini-garden is incredibly fun if you approach it the right way. We’re talking color combinations, different pot shapes and sizes, blossoms in all the colors of the rainbow – it’s a long and highly gratifying experience. It’s enough to spend only a few minutes looking up online images of people achieve throughout the globe to get inspired. They manage to turn gardening into art, giving them a whole new dimension.
A good strategy is to combine focal points with filler plants. While each pot deserves attention, some plants are more visually appealing than others. Potted agaves, for instance, perform beautifully on their own, and it’s even better to surround them with some nice-looking foliage, and voila! You already have a corner that everyone will enjoy looking at. Learn more on https://www.ajc.com/life/aging-in-atlanta/gardening-can-offer-older-adults-surprising-benefits/5WOBRW4KCJE5LP6GYRKVTB4F2A/.
If you’re a fan of larger plants, maybe shrubs would be ideal for you. The red twig dogwood is an excellent choice for a focal point (or thriller) in your gardening arrangement. Its stems, leaves, and berries catch the eye immediately, plus they’re not too demanding: they adapt successfully to harsh conditions but don’t thrive well in scorching and humid weather. Other popular choices include andromeda, abutilon, azalea, and many others.
A flowerpot is more than just a container: it complements the plant, especially if it’s ornate. Nothing wrong with simple pots, of course: but ornamentation plays a key role in the design of your garden, and pots with more than one plant (maybe a combination of trailers and tall plants, plus fillers) usually do an outstanding job. Achieving good balance and contrast is a worthy goal for gardening, and everyone present will surely notice it.
Choosing the Pot
There are several options when picking the right pot for your plant. Each is a little different, depending on the material. The most popular choices are glazed pots, plastic pots, and ceramic or terracotta pots. Let’s take a brief look at what makes each unique.
Glazed clay pots are always a favorite. Looks aside, these containers are incredibly durable and usually a bit more expensive than raw clay pots. Their ability to contain water makes them ideal for plants that need plenty of moisture, like baby’s tears, elephant’s ear, Boston fern, etc.
On the other hand, terracotta pots are more porous, allowing air and water to pass through. This reduces the danger of overwatering your plants, which can easily happen if you’re not careful. If you decide to shop for ceramic pots, they are very affordable. They are best combined with succulents and other plants that don’t need too much watering.
Finally, there’s the plastic container: cheap, durable, and excellent with plants that require damp soil to thrive (think tomatoes and various herbs). It’s the least porous of the three, so all the water will remain inside, preventing the plant from withering away. Plastic is the way to go for those with tight schedules and not much time for plant care.
A Worthwhile Experience
The process is just as important as the results when it comes to gardening. It should never feel like a chore, like something you have to get over with. Plants are alive: they need love, care, and nurturing. Enthusiasm, combined with some basic gardening skills, can do wonders.
