Looking for something to spruce up your room? The succulent is the perfect addition to the Grinnell College student’s shelf.
This past Wednesday, March 6, Rose Hall Community Advisors (CAs) Fabio Montilla `24 and Ian Feld `25 hosted a community gardening event where students selected a succulent of their choice, packed it firm with dirt and seeds and painted the outside of the pot to their liking.
Drawing inspiration from the little things in life when brainstorming the event, Feld said he enjoys gardening at home, while Montilla began to develop his love for plants at college.
Montilla said, “Gardening is fun. It brings the community together and it’s something you don’t need a lot of skill for.”
The event united residents around a straightforward, collaborative activity. Feld said, “It’s springtime. It’s the natural thing to do.”
Both Montilla and Feld find that succulents, particularly cacti, reflect their respective vibes. Montilla said, “Like a succulent, I am prickly.” While Montilla said he represents the hard exterior of many cacti, Feld described himself as “low maintenance.”
Montilla and Feld shared that while succulents are low maintenance, the circle of life is inevitable. Feld said, “The only succulents I have had have died but … ” Montilla added, “I have so many succulents in my room. Are they alive? You don’t need to know that.”
Montilla’s number one tip for taking care of succulents is to keep the watering to once a month. Montilla said, “You don’t do a chorrito. You dunk it into water. Make sure to clean up afterward but fill up the sink with water and waterboard the succulent.”
Be sure to keep your succulents comfortably warm. According to HGTV, their ideal temperature is between 70 and 90 degrees, making your windowsill the perfect spot for them to flourish and welcome in the spring sun.
