Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Tillandsias, known as air plants, are year-round plants with a fascinating feature: They don’t require soil. Outdoors, in tropical climates, they attach themselves to the branches of trees, absorbing nutrients through the water and sun that make their way to their leaves. Indoors, they’re low-maintenance alternatives to traditional houseplants. “Because you don’t need soil in a pot, you can be creative about where you put an air plant,” says Bowood’s Katherine McPheeters.
Step 1: Get crafty.
Gather several air plants—prices range from $3.50 to $30—and glue them together at their bases to form an interesting cluster with a spray of leaves facing outward. McPheeters recommends using waterproof E6000 craft glue, which will hold up through weekly waterings.
Step 2: Anchor it.
In this case, McPheeters has elected to work with a deer skull as the base in a nod to the arid Southwestern landscape. She drapes air plants around the deer head like a headpiece or wreath and uses wire or jute to secure them at the top of the skull. Antlers and a papier-mâché mounted animal head, available at Bowood, each provide the same effect.
Step 3: Create a montage.
McPheeters likes to display found objects and treasures from her travels on a gallery wall. “Air plants can easily be incorporated as a three-dimensional living element that enhances this theme,” she says. Keep in mind that the plants do best when they are placed away from direct or intense sun.
Step 4: Accent your centerpiece.
Place a single air plant on a table in a shallow dish surrounded by decorative rocks. Add other favorite objects like a picture, candle, or books. “Some air plants are so dramatic on their own that the simpler the styling, the better,” says McPheeters.
Step 5: Maintain with rain.
Once or twice a week, take your air plants to the sink, hold them upside down, and spray them with water until they are saturated. Allow the plants to dry completely before returning them to their displays. Air plants produce a single bloom once a year that lasts for several weeks; the plants themselves will last for several years.
Bowood Farms
4605 Olive
314-454-6868
