Spring Greening: The Easiest Way To Create An Apartment Garden
After a long weekend of spring cleaning, you've finally put away the mop, donated clothing you haven’t worn in years, and are ready to show off your spic-and-span digs. But, before you dust off the cocktail glasses, we’re here to tell you that nothing complements a clean house like a DIY apartment garden. To hook you up (should you, like us, have no clue how to get that started) we tracked down plant sculptress and L.A. Native Emilie Waterhouse to give us the how-to.
Forage Your Plants
First things first, get some succulents and cacti — not only are they indigenous to L.A., but they are also much harder to kill than your average houseplant. You can buy 'em at any plant shop, but you could actually just scope them out around town, too. “Succulents and cacti are everywhere in Los Angeles, and easy to forage,” Waterhouse told us. “Take a walk and look for succulents that seem to be full and happy. Look at the plant and break a piece of it off at the joint. You want to take this piece from a spot where no one will miss it.”
Once you have your clippings, place them in a sunny, dry spot like a windowsill, or hanging in a room with good light, for three days. Why three days? “Your new cutting needs to heal just like a large wound needs to be kept dry so it can form a scab. Once it's dry, it is ready to plant,” Waterhouse explains.
Gather the Rest of Your Supplies
To create your own indoor secret garden, you’ll need a few things beyond plants. First stop: the plant store, where you will need to buy charcoal, soil, and rocks. Next, you’ll need to find pretty planters that have no holes in the bottom — you don’t want any water leaking through and destroying your floor or furniture, do you? The planters are where you can get creative. Waterhouse recommends going to the thrift store — basically anything that you can find that is non-porous will work.
Photo: Via Etsy
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