Succulents, Cactuses & Air Plants, Oh My… Grey is the new Black

The world is turning green, well my world anyway, ever so slightly. Like many, many others before me I have fallen in love, with plants. Not just any plants, the type that are difficult to kill, the kind you can forget about for a couple of week’s guilt free, the kind that will outlive you, basically. The humble cactus.

I may have managed to keep two human boys alive for several years now (my own btw) but the common houseplant has eluded me. Cheese-plants, Spider-plants, Bonsai, a couple of Orchids, you name it, I’ve killed it. I don’t know what it is I do, or don’t do (I like to think I kill them with kindness) all I do know is they come to me and then they die.

My Dad has a greenhouse AND vegetable patch and year after year produces amazing vegetables. My Mum has a beautiful garden full of colourful flowers and carefully pruned climbing thingies. Green fingers, it would seem, are not hereditary. Or so I thought…

I have neglected, ignored, forgotten about, dropped (and picked up again, ouch) several cactuses (cacti?) over the past 12 months and unbelievably they are still going strong. One even flowered! (photographic evidence included).

What I am saying is; if, like me you love plants but your presence is toxic to them, hop on the cactus bandwagon! They are everywhere at the moment, and I love them, they are cute, the kids like them (because they are sadists) they are on trend (which is the only reason I am writing this). If prickly isn’t your thing there are succulents aplenty (which I like to think are bald cactuses).

Another pretender to the throne is the cheeky air plant, it literally lives on light and air (like some woman I saw on TV years ago). What’s more, you can encase them in stylish glass containers called terrariums and voila! You are instantly middle class!

On top of that, the humble cactus/succulent/air plant is generally affordable, particularly if you’re a sucker for anything miniature!  For more information about caring for the aforementioned please go to The British Cactus and Succulent Society website as I am the last person you should listen to.

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