The dorms at Poly are nothing special to look at and most of the apartments second years live in are white walled. Posters, tapestries, pictures and glow lights are all great ways to make the space you are living in more of your own. One thing that may make your room even a little more home-like is a plant. In the dorms, I had the aforementioned items as well as a window-sill full of plants. There are tons of plants that you can have, but let’s focus on these five.
1. Echeveria succulents
These are arguably my favorite succulent because of their gorgeous colors and how appealing their shape is. They almost look like little roses! Succulents are the perfect plant for the lazy gardener because they don’t require constant watering; perfect for the busy college student! They need full sun, preferably afternoon sun, and don’t like to be moved around a lot. As for watering, water them if when you stick your finger a good way into the soil and it is dry. A pot that drains is extremely important for any plant but especially for this succulent to avoid root rot. Echeverias also “pup”, or produce baby plants. These can be clipped off and planted to continue to grow on their own!
2. Moon Cactus
Now many don’t know that cacti are technically succulents, but let’s not get into the science of that. The moon cactus, as it is commonly called, is a fun and colorful little guy. It is called a moon cactus because of the small little spheres that grow, or orbit, around the larger one. I have about three of them and adore them! These cacti can go for very long periods without water. I hadn’t watered one of mine for about a month and a half and it was doing just fine. Moon cacti require indirect sunlight so they can be sitting on your desk in the dorms and get the light when your window blinds are open! Plus with beautiful sunset shades of pink, red, yellow and orange, you can add splashes of color to your room!
3. Aeonium Succulents
Ok this is the last succulent, I swear. I just adore succulents. Aeoniums love bright sunlight so these are best for windows that get a lot of direct sun. These succulents are greatly impacted by stress, which can occur from the bright sunlight. Now to us college students, stress is a bad thing. But for certain succulents, like these, stressing can be a good thing. For example, ‘Kiwi’ aeonium are a solid green when unstressed. However, when stressed, their leaves are rimmed with a lovely pink color. The only thing with stressing is that you have to be careful not to let your succulents get sunburned (yes it can happen to plants too). These succulents also pup so you can either clip them or let them grow alongside the mother plant!
4. Ferns
If you love a leafy green plant, ferns are the perfect match for you. Ferns have long fronds that almost seem like feathers that sweep down from the stem of the plant. These plants like an environment with a constant temperature and prefer shade to sunlight. Keeping this plant’s soil moist is a must. So oppositely of the succulents, watering a small amount of a daily basis would be a good idea for the green beauties. Ferns have many different variations in the species so you have just have to find which one appeals to you for your new green roommate!
5. Air plants
Now these little guys are probably my newest obsession, plant-wise. The premise of them seems so absurd, which makes them all the more interesting! Air plants have the ability to live without being planted in soil. However, this does not mean they can also go without water or sunlight. Air plants should get as much bright, indirect light as possible. As far as watering goes, air plants should be misted on all surfaces 3 to 7 times a week. Putting your air plant in a shallow dish of water that comes about halfway up the plant for an hour or two once a week is a great way to rehydrate it as well. These little guys are super fun because they come in lots of different varieties, each with their own personalities. Another neat thing is they can be put in things like shells or driftwood while they are growing! They can be plant art!
Plants, whether those mentioned above or others, are a great way to add a bit of the outdoors into the otherwise nature less atmosphere of the dorms or your apartment. Having plants also gives you a sense of joy when you see they flourish as time goes on. And trust me, they are like potato chips! You can’t just have one!