Juana Garcia/The Cougar
Moving away from home and into a dorm or apartment can be stressful, especially in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, but things can feel a little more cheery when introducing plants into a room.
Managing plants is not an easy task for busy college students. Many students try to keep the wrong plants and may not be able to give their full attention towards the plant or have never considered the idea.
Some students who reside in dorms already grow plants and find that it creates a certain aesthetic.
“I love the pops of color plants bring, the inspiration to my art they provide and the supposed fact that they create higher air quality,” said political science freshman Aimee Karger.
Not all plants are difficult to take care of as some are low maintenance and can be cared for by watering once a month.
Starting with Aloe Vera, this plant has healing qualities. The plant is considered a succulent and can be kept indoors in a terracotta pot with proper drainage holes, good sunlight and watered every three weeks.
Pothos, also known as Devil’s Ivy, is a common house plant which is a decorative plant. This plant is a vine and can grow several inches in a short time frame. Grow this in a pot with several drainage holes and water it when the soil looks dry.
Students use potted plants to decorate their dorm or apartment space. | Shivani Parmar/The Cougar
“I have five plants in my dorm room currently, a pilea peperomioides, a epiphyllum anguliger cactus, cuttings from a pothos ivy, another variation of ivy I forgot the name of and cuttings from a Creeping Jane plant,” Karger said.
Other students found that accessorizing their apartment with plants was a cheaper alternative to buying actual decorations.
“Moving into my first apartment, I really wanted to liven up my space and decorate with my personal taste but I couldn’t afford expensive decor,” said public relations senior Jennifer Truong. “So I first got plants to decorate my apartment. but now it’s just really nice to have things you can take care of and watch grow.”
Truong works at a gardening shop and is open to giving advice about how to handle plants in dorms or apartments.
“Come visit me at The Flora Culture to talk more plants,” Truong said. “I can go on all day.”
