Bring A Desert-Chic Vibe To Your Home With This Layered Cactus Vase Display

The desert-chic aesthetic offers a natural and calming atmosphere that borrows from the color palettes and motifs of the Arabian desert, the Sahara, and the Southwestern United States. There are plenty of creative ways to give your home a desert-chic vibe. You can pick out rugs, curtains, and couches with earthy colors, or fill the space with common objects associated with the desert, including terracotta pots, horse shoes, or sand-blasted steer skulls. But if you want to breathe life into a room with decor ideas that add a touch of desert style, try planting a cactus display in a glass vase.

Before you get started, it's important to have an idea of the final product. Your vase will have multiple layers of stone and moss. The stones should be different colors, so the layers will be distinct. Your cactus will grow in a top layer of potting soil. Most of the supplies will be available at your local garden store, and the project should only take a few minutes to complete once you have gathered the proper materials. You'll need a bag of large and small stones, pebbles, moss, potting soil, and horticultural charcoal. Choose porous rocks, like pumice and zeolite, to allow proper drainage. Then pick a cactus. Some unique cacti that will be perfect for your indoor space include the star cactus, moon cactus, and old man cactus. Lastly, you'll need a glass vase. Preferably, the vase should be cylindrical, but you can also use something different, like a fish bowl.

The first step is to rinse your stones using a strainer; otherwise, the dirt on your stones may cloud the inside of your vase. The first layer should be made up of your largest stones (or even seashells). Then spread a layer of moss to prevent your next layer of small stones from mixing with the larger rocks. Also sprinkle some charcoal to prevent fungal and bacterial growth. After your third layer of stones, spread some additional moss and then add a few inches of potting soil. The depth of each stone layer depends on the size of your vase, but there should be roughly equal parts stone and soil.

When you plant your cactus, it is best to wear gloves or move the plant with a pair of silicone tongs. Gently lift the cactus out of its container, place the root bulb on top of at least 3 inches of soil, and fill dirt around the plant. Then dampen the soil with a bit of water to complete the display. Add a little more character to your vase by putting down patches of moss and pebbles on top of the soil. If you have more space, your cactus can also grow alongside succulents. There are plenty of stunning succulents that make statement piece houseplants, including pebbled tiger jaws, flapjacks, and white velvet.