Tag: plants

Like all too many Ikea purchases, it was an impulse buy. I’ve used the tea cups and saucers as mini serving dishes , but the latte mugs (which look a lot more like ceramic ice cream cones) have remained dormant in my kitchen cabinets… until today!  I now have three lovely plants resting on my bedroom windowsill.  Here they are basking in the sun.

Repotting these plants took less than a half hour and here’s how to do it.

• A small container to be used as a planter. Miniature tea set items in this case.  You could also use an empty spice container, jelly jar, espresso mug, etc.
• Small stones for drainage.  I used plastic pearl beads that were laying around my apartment. (see instruction #2 below)
• Plants.  I chose indoor house plants with shallow roots that do not require a lot of soil.

1. Gently remove the plant from its original pot.  Cacti and other succulents are your best bet since their roots are shallow.  For cacti, use a pot just large enough to fit the plant. For other succulents, use a pot just slightly larger than the root ball.  You can look up “container gardening” to find the right plant for you and endless information on plant care.
2. Fill the bottom quarter of the planter with small stones.  This will allow excess water to drain from the soil.  I improvised with plastic beads, but a true gardener would not approve.  Ideally you want a pot with a drainage hole, or if you are able to, drill a hole in the bottom of the container.
3. Fill the planter with soil.  I used the soil from the original pot.  Since I wasn’t repotting the plant into a larger container, I didn’t need extra potting soil.  Adjust the amount of soil so that the plant is at the same level as it was in the old pot.
4. Position the plant, firm the soil around the roots, and water.

Good luck!