Dorm Decorating, Part 2 - Aeriums
Big Impact - Small Space!
Aeriums are great solutions for decorating the college dorm. Aeriums create a great habitat for air plants, their featured plant material.
Air plants are epiphytic, meaning they live on other plants, and don’t require any soil to anchor them to the earth. Neither do they require the (typically frequent) watering schedule of other terrestrials. These two low maintenance features open up endless possibilities for decorating your home.
Air plants can live perfectly well just sitting on a book shelf. But they are most at home in the partial enclosure of a glass container in which other material such as sand, pebbles, sea glass or shells can be added for visual interest. Together, this assemblage makes up the aerium.
Air plants take nearly all of their nutrients from the air. The ultra-fine “hairs” on their leaf surfaces act as a magnet for airborne microorganisms which they ingest, cleansing the air. Generally, these sensitive hairs also draw moisture from the air, so their watering requirements are about as minimal as you can imagine (see below for care instructions). The beautiful glass enclosures tend to trap moisture, creating a humid environment in which air plants such as tillandsia can readily take in moisture as needed.
Terry Furuta Designs offers beautifully crafted glass interiorscapes with aeriums for any taste. Is your college freshman a beach baby at heart? We have tillandsia in miniature coastal gardens to evoke the feel of summer through every semester. Or is your scholar a mountain man at the core? What about a pebble and preserved moss garden to complement the beautiful form of the tillandsia? Or is yours a spirit kid? A miniature mascot or colored ribbons can celebrate the school team.
In our companion blog (Dorm Decorating Part 1 – Terrariums) we talk about the many benefits of having plants in the interior spaces we occupy. Please check out that blog. But to summarize here, in addition to the aesthetic qualities plants provide we can also benefit in other important ways as well – like cleaner air, an improved sense of optimism and stress reduction. These are all great reasons to take plants to college. Because space is at a premium in the typical college dorm room, aeriums are a great choice since they, like terrariums, are big on impact and small on footprint!
Low maintenance – Aeriums have minimal requirements to stay healthy and beautiful. Place aeriums in any light except direct sun (avoid windowsills or bright lamps. Air plants require no fertilizer and very little water. Once a month, remove airplants from the aerium and submerge in water for half an hour. Then remove and dry completely before returning them to their glass home. Alternately, aeriums can be lightly misted weekly (especially practical if your plants are larger than the opening to the glass container).
Beautiful, calming, uplifting and easy to maintain – aeriums are A+ options for the decorating the college dorm. So visit our store or shop Terry Furuta Designs to choose an aerium for the college dorm this fall semester.
