Coming soon! A post on the benefit of indoor plants. Until then, pick up a couple beauties at Trader Joe's. A pretty little succulent in a ceramic pot might set you back a pretty penny at the popular garden shops in Los Feliz. At TJ's you can choose from several species and colors for $3.99 each. I placed this little group of three on my office desk. It gives the bland fluorescent space a slightly zen garden feel.

Succulents (like cactus but cuter) are very easy to care for. Look for hearty leaves and stalks that can withstand most lighting conditions and don't take much water. If they're spending their life inside, water only when the soil has completely dried out. Make sure you take them out of their lovely ceramic pots and run water through the plastic pots, which definitely need to have holes for drainage. A good drain will feed all the nutrients through the plant. A desert plant, these babies do love the sun. If you're not lucky enough to have a window office (like me) give them exposure whenever possible. I'm lugging mine home over the weekend where they vacation on my front porch. If they don't last I'll just head back to the grocery stand and replace them. They'll at least have a longer shelf life than cut flowers.

Labels: DIY, environmental, shopping