How to take care of the air plant
February 26, 2013
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Remember when I blogged about that fun vintage mart here near Indy? Well, while there I found something I had been looking for forever – air plants. I’ve seen these cool little plants for a year or so now and they’ve always intrigued me.
I’m a little plant crazy overall lately – since Christmas I think I’ve added quite a few new plants to our house, which I’ll share with you soon. They are all doing great, shockingly. Who knew I could keep them alive all the sudden? Not me.
Anyhoo, I found a booth at that mart that had hundreds of these little air plants and I was SO stinkin’ exited. I grabbed up a couple of them to try out. A few weeks ago I shared them on Instagram:
The guys at the booth told me to soak them in water a couple times a week and that’s all the care they really needed. Right up my alley baby!
Although when I posted this on Instagram a reader mentioned that she only soaks hers every few weeks so I decided to try that out myself. Actually I just totally forgot to soak them again for a while, but at least her advice made me feel better about it. ;)
Turns out she’s right – they are THRIVING and I’ve only soaked them a couple times in four weeks. These little plants are the coolest!! You can’t really tell how much they’ve grown from the photos, but it’s just crazy.
The light wispy one started developing a little surprise a couple weeks ago:
Just beautiful! Isn’t that amazing? No soil, hardly any watering. It really boggles my mind.
I’ve had them sitting on the window sill by the sink and they seem to love all the light. This one has grown a ton too, they sprout new plants at the base:
So I was at lunch near the fancy mall in town the other day and decided to stop in West Elm, and I walked out with these precious little bowls:
If you follow me on Facebook you may remember these. ;) I saw them a couple months ago and passed them up because I didn’t have a plan for them -- but now I did. So darn cute!
I found air plants there too, so if you are looking for some check out West Elm. This one was cheaper than what I paid at the vintage mart:
I pulled out some filler, which is actually shell stuff from the pet store I picked up a while back just because I thought it was pretty:
I poured a little in each bowl, just enough to give the plants something to settle into, and then lined them up on the window sill above the kitchen sink:
I just love them all!
The flowering one is my favorite though – so delicate and pretty. I call this one my tiny dancer:
I didn’t realize till I got the bowls home how well they work with the drapes on that window – the blue, green and yellow tie in perfectly!:
They’ve done great in this spot so far, hopefully they’ll continue to flourish.
They join the little fern that could by the sink and I love the life they bring to this spot:
Have you tried these little plants? Succeeded or no? The cool thing is you can place them just about anywhere – mine were just sitting out on the windowsill for weeks and did great. Like I said, they seem to love sun, but I think they’d do OK in less light as well. So fun!
P.S. The technical term for air plants is Tillandsia – you may be able to find them under that name too. I’ve seen them sold on Etsy!
These are just the CUTEST little things! I've never heard of them. Wonder if I can find them in central TX somewhere? Going to have to go on a hunt! Thanks, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteSo are those basically called "Air Plants"? I've seen them featured in magazines and I've been dying to get a few. The Opryland Hotel gardens are filled with them. (large ones) Low maintenance is the name of the game.
ReplyDeleteKim @ Sand & Sisal
How do you keep your cat from eating your plants? I would love to have some fresh plants in the house but every time I get flowers my cats are jumping up on the counter trying to knaw on them!
ReplyDeleteSuper cute! :)
ReplyDeleteHaven't purchased any for myself yet, but I love them. I love succulents too...so little care needed. Love the little bowls you got at West Elm.
ReplyDeleteYES!!!!! =) I'm so glad you love your air plants! And that you see how fun it is when they bloom! My co-workers think I'm crazy and that air plants are weird...but I'm with you. They're my kind of plant! Especially because you don't have to worry about them too much. (Honestly, I haven't soaked mine in months...I just dunk it in water every couple weeks.) So easy and carefree! =)
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you don't feel good! It is yucky rainy here today too!
ReplyDeleteYour plants are too cute!
Kayla
www.lovelucygirl.com
Back in the '70s I had air plants and terrariums everywhere. West Elm has it all again. Next we will be making macramé plant hangers again. I've never seen an air plant bloom though....so pretty! Love the way they look on your windowsill.
ReplyDeleteSuper cute addition. You gotta love a plant that's hard to kill.
ReplyDeleteI need to find some of those plants they're so cute!!
ReplyDeleteWest elm bowls are the best!
ReplyDeletePoo that you are feeling bad, hope you kick the poo out fast, the plants I have to find some of those that is my idea ....and maybe I could even put some on the outside....I have a shelf that runs along my back deck and it needs a little green
ReplyDeleteHow about some info on those cute curtains?!
ReplyDeleteThe plants are cute, and I LOVE the bowls!
ReplyDeleteJenny
http://simcoestreet.blogspot.ca/
I am going to have to get some for my daughter who kills every plants he has been given lol
ReplyDeleteLove your blog - seashells make a great container for the tilandsias. I have mine on my windowsills also and they have thrived for the past 3 years - minimal care...
ReplyDeleteMy coworker has some hanging in her office, and I think they are so cool! I've never seen or heard of them anywhere else until your post. I'm a notorious plant killer, so these would be perfect for me!
ReplyDeleteHalleluja....I was just looking at those plants at Wegmans today and thinking how cool they were....you gave me an idea Thrifty.....
ReplyDeleteLove your blog
Bryn
Love these! I saw some on etsy that I thought about buying. I'm definitely buying them now!!! They look great in your kitchen window!
ReplyDeleteLove these! I saw some on etsy that I thought about buying. I'm definitely buying them now!!! They look great in your kitchen window!
ReplyDeleteHow cute are those?! Definitely going to be looking for some! Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteI love love love those curtains. What's the scoop?????
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post. I really love the little bowls, tiny plants and everything else about this post. Thanks.
I think they are known as Air Plants. I love those. I love the one with the bloom. YOU always bring it with some COOL stuff girl . I just love your spirit and your blog........Keep it coming sister.............HUGS ..Sherry @ The Rusty Pearl
ReplyDeleteI truly didn't know they bloomed. Amazing! Love them...now I am on the hunt in Oklahoma for some "air plants"....Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI recently purchased air plants on Ebay. Just 7 for $13 which included shipping. Most of them are already blooming. The instructions that came with mine said to use distilled water, rain water, or aquarium water only to water them - to never use tap water. They are the cutest, and I love the little bowls you found. Wish we had a West Elm in my area.
ReplyDeleteOH these are the greatest! I am back on a plant kick again as well!! When we moved to Alaska 8 years ago I had to give away all of the plants we had collected over the course of 15 years.... :( While in Alaska I began a new collection only to give it up 5 years later. Since we've been here I've had a single plant... well NO MORE! I found BIG plants at Aldi for less than $9!! Seriously!! Got a hug sword plant with multiple plants in the pot. My mom gave me money for my birthday so I'll definitely be heading down to Indy to West Elm!!! Thanks for the heads up!!
ReplyDeleteI love them! LOL I had to laugh because when you first showed the bowls they looked like they were the size of sushi bowls. Then the shot of them on the back of the sink made them look the size of mixing bowls. I did a double take! LOL Then the last show pulled back from the sink showed their real size and I had to laugh and laugh! So sweet! Those camera angles are something else! ;)
ReplyDeleteKaren
I adore air plants! I recently purchased my first set of air plants along with some great hanging glass containers for them. So far, they look great and have been really easy to care for.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh I love those little bowls and the air plants look sooo good on your window sill!
ReplyDeleteI might have to get those bowls....
Have not tried these but have done air ferns before. A great plant for college dorm rooms.
ReplyDeleteThese are cool!
So pretty! I've had an air plant before, but it never bloomed like yours. Absolutely love the bowls on the kitchen window sill. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteHere in Florida you can see these
ReplyDeletelittle air plants high in the trees
and I have several along
with orchids on my large Oak
tree out front.. I've tried them in
the house but they love 'out' more.
Yours are so pretty
Sandy
I'm so happy to see this post! I have wanted to buy some of these for about 6 months, I saw them online a while back. I'm glad to hear they are growing and easy to care for, I LOVE the one that is flowering how awesome I never knew they flowered!
ReplyDeleteLadies you can find more info on the window treatments here -- love that fabric!
ReplyDeletehttp://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/04/covering-nekked-windows.html
JRUMC I have been using tap water and so far they are flourishing, interesting they told you no tap! Mine will have to make due with it I'm afraid. ;)
ReplyDeleteI am in love with those plants! I have to find one (or two or three). I am going to copy your bowl idea. I found a delicious pink bowl marked down at Ross and I snatched it up! I can't wait to find an air plant to put in it!
ReplyDeleteWhole foods has them here in Portland, Or.
ReplyDeleteI just read a post from July wherein you were debating the open cabinet option. Wondering if you went for it. I did. Hate the visual clutter. Changing to regular cabinets asap. There's too much to look at and the decor/small touches get lost. Most of what I have showing is same color but it's still too much. Also the DUST! sucks.
ReplyDelete