air plants

I know you have seen these around lately, they have burst out into the design scene, especially in terrariums. They are back from the 70's.

Tillandsia or commonly known as air plants. They need no soil because their water and nutrients are absorbed through their leaves. No soil = no watering= hard to kill, therefore making their creative possibilities endless!

Air plants are found in the desert and mountains of Central and South America, Mexico and the desert areas of the Southern United States. Being a native north eastern girl myself, I would love to see them thriving in their natural habitat. These plants are in the family bromeliad (a common plant found in many malls) but not all bromeliads are air plants, many bromiliad plant varieties need soil to thrive.

one of mine sprouted a beautiful flower!

Interesting facts: They are used as an main ingredient in Allerplex, an herbal remedy to treat seasonal pollen allergies. The common spanish moss used in floral and plant design is also a tillandsia.

Flores del sol DIY Project:

a tillandsia centerpiece

What you'll need:
-a few varieties of tillandsia- they are relatively cheap and found all over the internet like tortoise loves donkey on etsy. I got mine from airplantcity, but be sure to ask for them wrapped carefully, mine were rolling around in the box.
-beans- I used Great Northern beans, I liked the contrast of the white.
-a long wooden planter

No mess, no soil, no hot glue: Poor the beans into the planter and nestle your tillandsia into place. Enjoy and soak your tillandsia in luke warm water for an hour once every two weeks or more. They are very forgiving if you are a little forgetful.