Obaz

Living in an apartment we’re always looking for new ways to bring the outdoors in.  Flowers are great but expensive…enter the indoor desert oasis of the mini cactus garden.  It’s adorable, right?  The textures and colors make this perfect for adding visual interest to the flat lines of your kitchen or bathroom and it’s easy to do.

A Beautiful Mess

via HGTV

Materials Needed:

• shallow planting bowl
• pebbles
• cacti soil
• sand
• newspaper

• spoon
• heavy-duty gloves
• watering can
• miniature cacti; this selection includes: silver torch cactus, Mammillaria, elephant-ear pricklypear and Rebutia

Before You Start

Cacti famously survive on little water, but if you want them to grow and flower they should actually be watered regularly during the growing season. Giving them a thorough watering before planting will help the roots make good contact with the new soil, and they should grow very well.

HGTV

Aid Drainage

All cacti hate to sit in water, so make sure it will run freely through the growing medium, and out of the bottom of the pot. The container should have lots of drainage holes, covered by a layer of pebbles, to prevent the soil from clogging up the holes.

HGTV

Set Out the Plants

Put on your protective gloves and start arranging your plants. If you have chosen the position for each of your cacti before you start, planting will be easier and you are more likely to end up with a good overall effect. It makes sense to put smaller ones at the front and larger ones at the back, but also consider planting those with different habits, textures and flower color next to each other.

HGTV

Planting Tips

Wrap a folded strip of newspaper around the top of the plant. This will help you slide it out of its pot and maneuver it into the larger planter without getting spines or fine hairs in your fingers. It also protects the plant.

HGTV

Fill in the Gaps

Once the plants are in position, use a spoon to carefully fill the gaps between them with a cacti soil. Add small amounts of soil at a time and keep firming it down with the back of a spoon to ensure that there are no air holes left around the plant roots.

HGTV

Brush Off Soil

No matter how careful you are, some soil will inevitably get caught in the cactus spines and hairs. Use a soft brush to remove it and to keep the plants looking clean and neat.

HGTV

Water the Plants

Water all the plants in well. In summer, they can be watered whenever the surface of the soil dries out. In winter, they should be left dry; start watering again sparingly when you see signs of growth in spring.

HGTV

Apply a Sand Mulch

Use the spoon to spread fine sand around the surface of the planter. This helps water quickly drain away from the surface, preventing rot, and gives the planter an authentic desertlike appearance. Set your arrangement in a bright, sunny position.

HGTV

Top Tip: Watering Crowded Pots

Cacti are often sold when the plants are almost overflowing the sides of their pots, making it tricky to water them properly before planting. Sit these in a container of water until the root ball is damp.

HGTV

Lauren Conrad

Most days I have a million different thoughts running through my head; what to make for dinner, what bills need to be paid, Dr.’s appointments, birthday parties, work…there’s no room left for inspiration.  No time to set goals and focus on accomplishing them!

Enter the vision board.  It’s like Pinterest with a little elbow grease.  The purpose of this practice is to set in front of you long-term goals that are easily forgotten in the grind of day-to-day life.  They’re not magic; they don’t make things happen but they remind you that you want to make things happen.  For instance, your creating your vision board and you paste up a picture of a beautiful plate of food; you want to learn to cook.  You pass by this picture everyday and the next time you get an invite or a flyer in the mail for a cooking class your inspired and sign up!  Having a visual reminder of your goals and desires give those goals priority and help you focus your energy on accomplishing them.

Pret-a-Portea

There are lots of techniques for assembling a vision board and several ideas on what the purpose of your vision board should be.  One of best articles I’ve read is ‘What the Heck’s a Vision Board – And How Can it Change Your Life?’ by Martha Beck.  Here are a few things that you’ll definitely need and the basics of putting your board together.

#1.  Get some magazines…lot’s of them!  Tear out any pictures, headlines or captions that speak to you and set them aside.  Have fun with it; don’t focus on collecting anything specifically just go with what you’re passionate about.

#2.  Sort your collection into groups.  If you’ve found yourself gravitating towards words and pictures that promote a healthier lifestyle consider dedicating a portion of your vision board to that goal and so on.

#3.  Get a cork board and start pinning!  Once you’ve determined what you’re passionate about and what your goals are start pinning up your pictures.  With pins and a cork board your vision board can grow and change with your goals.

#4.  Display your board in an obvious place – one that you’ll see often throughout the day.

*If you have a vision board or have any tips for putting one together I would love to hear from you!