The luscious look of some greenery scattered around the house, placed strategically on furniture pieces or in corners, is appealing to the eye—and we know it. But, let’s face it: you often forget to water your plants. No need to be ashamed: we’ve all been there at some point in our lives.
Plants for forgetful gardeners
If you are one of those people who never knows when you last watered your plants yet at the same time want green in your life here are some simple suggestions for beginner’s gardeners:
Silver Jade
Silver Jade, Chinese Jade or Beestebul is what in botany is called a “succulent”. If you’re not familiar to the concept, it means that this family of plants have thick leaves or stems, with a “fleshy” look, because the plant is able to store water in their leaves and are native to arid climates with poor soils.
To keep your Beestebul fresh and healthy you should not overwater it: never let the Jade sit in a saucer of water, this could be fatal to your plant. Also when the time arrives, around spring, your Silver Jade will grow beautiful star-like soft pink toned flowers on its branches.
Crassula arborescens— yes, that’s their scientific name—are very easy to grow but you might need to keep an eye on them to avoid mealy bugs and fungal diseases, but it’s not much work really, specially if you want it as an indoor plant. Sounds like the perfect match for a busy schedule, right?
Cast iron plant
Also known as Aspidistra Elatior, this an extremely hardy houseplant. We could say Cast iron is the perfect partner for those who have very little time but still want to keep it green at home. Native to Japan and Taiwan it’s widely cultivated as a house plant because of its high tolerance to our unintended neglect. Requiting little light and not being fussy about regular water are two of its most renowned qualities.
Cast iron’s hardiness is a real thing: it accepts both indoor and outdoor gardening and grows beautiful, big dark green leaves with whitened tips. If you are looking for an indoor green buddy who will accept your forgetful mind and still grow big and nice, Cast iron is a must have.
Golden Barrel Cactus
This all-rounded cactus is very popular for gardening in places with warm winters and it’s also perfect if kept indoors. This cactus, as many other succulent plants of its kind, is not very finicky about water but demands sitting in a bright place to enjoy as many hours of sunlight as possible. It has buds that typically begin blossoming near April with bright yellow or orange flowers.
Golden Barrel Cactus are very reliable and resistant kind of plants: they can live up to 100 years, which makes them quite difficult to kill, even if you’re a gardening beginner.
Ghost Plant
This one is also a succulent and you might be thinking at this point that this is all about cacti, but Ghost Plant it’s a different kind of plant. It presents a silvery foliage that can have a soft blue coloration, which not only adds a different ambiance to the room, but also it’s very beautiful to look at.
This plant has been labeled as a true survivor: it can live with damaged stems, very little to no water and even resist cold temperatures without hesitation. Ghost plants are also among the easiest succulents to propagate: when leaves reach the floor they start growing into the ground, rooting, and when established you’ll have a second Ghost Plant in your pot or garden. Easy peasy and perfect for beginners.
Potos
This appears to be the perfect beginning for forgetful gardeners. Potos, also known as Epipremnum aureum, are one of the most common houseplants around because they are undemanding and very easy to grow. Potos do well in very different light conditions: they enjoy bright indirect light as well as low light, reason why they sit in many offices around the world.
If this sounds like an advantage to you, hear this: they grow as well in dry soils and vases of water. At any time you can grow another Potos using a cutting from the mother plant and letting it root in water. After a while you’ll be able to place it in a pot and voilà: your brand new plant.
Adding an extra pinch of nature to your apartment will brighten it up, as well as your mood. Choosing natural materials and adding them to your decoration is not only a statement but a nice way to reflect your personality in your home. Go gardeners!
