It’s either
Crunchy. Kaput. Dry as a bone.
or
Drenched. Sloshing around ankles deep. Root rot.
These seem to be the two types of descriptions that follow the “I can’t keep houseplants alive.”
It takes a little bit of practice to get the balance right between under watering and overwatering.
And since what we call a houseplant nowadays has once been an outdoor plant growing in its own microclimate, there’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to a watering schedule. The plant wants what the plant wants, and most of the time we don’t get the memo until it’s too late.
I once came back home from vacation to a swarm of fruit flies happily buzzing around the carcass of a peace lily that had reigned supreme over a corner of my living room. My overwatering had claimed another victim. It was not a pretty sight.
What the apex of my short-lived career as an over-waterer taught me was to seek help in my sloshy ways before another one of my green friends bit the dust.
And until you learn your plants’ dos and dont’s for hydration, a little help is more than welcome.
In this case, a little help means letting your plant regulate its water intake by placing it in a self-watering container like the one from Sbam Design. Livana is a self-irrigating container made out of a ceramic planter and a glass vase for water storage. The glass base can hold enough water for 12 to 16 days.
So once your most precious plant is settled in a Livana, you’re free to go on vacation.
Sbam Design, a showroom collective based in Italy, was born out of the desire to bring together art, design, fashion and generally all things creative made by young people. They bring all of these things together through their showroom and event venue in Busto Arsizio, a city steeped in textile industry, and only 34 kilometres away from Milano.
Photos via Sbam Design and Maison Objet.
For more plant hangers, have a look at the links below:
+ Sculptural air plant hangers from Fuxigold
+ Botanical hanger inspired by nature and Gaudi
+ The lamp-terrarium ecosystem
+ Shinai, the minimalist oak hanger that grows with your plant
+ Modular planter from Portuguese design studio Dedal
+ Shinai, the minimalist hanger that grows with your plant
