Tale of a Lazy Houseplant Gardener

I don't know about you, but I’m a bit lazy when it comes to maintaining houseplants. I prefer to just help Mother Nature along, not do her work for her. Watering an array of houseplants is not a task I want to add to an already full list of to-dos. To compensate, I have figured out some low maintenance ways to bring nature inside that are easy to incorporate into your own home.

Preserved boxwoods are a great care-free way to get the look of a live plant and, because they start out live, you can avoid the shiny-plastic-fake-houseplant look. I found these at Marshalls and dressed them up with Guy Wolff pots.

An alternative to preserved boxwood is moss. Crate and Barrel is one place I know of that sells it. Put it in a glass apothecary jar and you’re done.

A way to make it easier to care for a living houseplant is to keep it near a sink on a kitchen counter or in a bathroom. You just need to give it a quick run under the faucet every now and then.

While birch logs are not actually green, they still convey a natural feeling and add visual texture to a space. I happened to find mine at the local grocery store. They were being sold as a firewood bundle. I cringe at the thought of actually burning these. They are so beautiful!

These are just a few of many ways to simplify or eliminate the care of houseplants without forgoing them. If your room is sunny, select an arrangement of succulents or cacti. In low light rooms, putting plants in a terrarium will reduce the frequency of watering. To eliminate watering altogether, you can search the local craft store for dried and preserved branches. There is an option for every situation.