Add character to your living space with succulents

Various+succulents+and+other+plants+line+the+walls+of+the+Plant+Mode+store+in+Champaign+on+Oct.+30.+Succulents+are+a+great+way+to+liven+your+space.

Mark Capapas

Various succulents and other plants line the walls of the Plant Mode store in Champaign on Oct. 30. Succulents are a great way to liven your space.

By Bella Keys, Staff Writer

There are many cute ways to spice up your living situation and one of those would be buying some plants! Plants are cute little creatures that can make any dull living situation cute. But, there is some care involved in taking care of these cute companions. Some suggestions for this would be buying low-care plants to start. These plants would be succulents and cacti. Both succulents and cacti are low care plants that need barely any water and a lot of sunlight. In my opinion and current experience, I water my succulents every three weeks and water them very thoroughly. It is also important to make sure they are getting enough light and a pot that drains properly otherwise you’ll risk the plant developing root rot. If you do want to move it up a notch, you could get an anthurium or aloe plant. These plants need to be watered every time the soil is dried out. So, to check this, stick your finger in the soil about one inch to test if it’s dry, if the soil is very dry then the plant needs to be watered! 

Another good idea if your plant is struggling is to buy special soil for it. I have special succulent soil that has really saved the lives of my plants before. In fact now they are growing like crazy! You can check if your plant is growing by seeing if there is anywhere that’s lighter green on it and you know that it’s making progress. I find joy in seeing that I’m caring correctly for my plant when I see it growing. Here’s a small tip for finding plants, you could always look at the sale rack at some stores to see which ones you can save for very cheap. I’ve gotten many great plants for a low cost.

Now for some  places in your apartment or dorm to put your plants! You could put them on your window sill to give your room an earthy touch. These plants could be put in pots that you can find on Amazon. In fact, I search plant pots cute in the search bar on Amazon and find all kinds of adorable pots! For example, I have some pots shaped like a swan or one that looks like a face with big eyelashes; these were all inexpensive.

Another good idea is to buy a larger plant that can act as good decor in any room. You could place the plant in a large pot near the window or next to your couch. It’s also a great way to take care of something and practice responsibility while still staying fashionable. Additionally, a low light plant and place, somewhere where it isn’t directly facing the light, but close enough to get sunlight. Finally, to make arrangements with your plants, you can go to Walgreens, Lowes or Home Depot and pick out two or three plants and plant them together. This is a great way to make a larger arrangement and house them in a bigger pot that can be a staple in any room. 

Happy decorating and I hope you find joy in saving the lives of adorable little plants!

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Bella is a junior in LAS.

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