1. Don’t know how to grow a cabbage by yourself? Don’t worry!
The first important thing to remember is that this plant is very easy to look after! Its very characteristic fleshy appearance is due to the fact that its leaves are actually full of water: watering it too much could be fatal – a cactus only needs watered once a week in summer, and not at all in winter!
2. The cactus is a design icon
Secondly, did you know that, being so small and inexpensive, the cactus has become a design icon?! In fact, in 1972, Italian designers and partners Guido Drocco and Franco Mello designed and created a ‘cactus’ coat rack, sold by Gufram.
Perfectly sculpted, the object measures 1.70m and is made with a steel structure covered with decorated polyurethane foam. But the design doesn’t take itself too seriously: with its pop-style look which seems to have been taken straight out of an American-style cartoon, it quickly becomes symbolic of an era that likes to shake up conventions in many different areas, especially decors.
3. A beautiful, inspiring plant
The innate artwork of the much loved plant has therefore made it an ally of the most elaborate interiors designs. We love to place it in a group with its chunky, fat, long-limbed or miniature counterparts to play around with a collection of them, placing them in almost artistic compositions.
The Danish concept store, Kaktus København, in Copenhagen which was opened by three childhood friends truly in awe of the beauty of the plant species, offers inspiring designs, elevating the status of cacti and giving them a cheery and aesthetically-pleasing look of little characters which we will quickly want to buy !
4. The greenery helps us breathe
Finally, as we already mentioned in the introduction, the cactus is part of this trend that takes us travelling without needing to go anywhere: they mentally take us to a tropical location, New Mexico, or even iconic botanical gardens such as the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech and the Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, California, which have many different species of cacti. Cacti have become part of a quest for exoticism which have also taken over most European homes. We also like to place them in areas with a warm décors which, this season, has given fashionable Terracotta shades pride of place. With its sumptuous green tones, a cactus will provide a perfect contrast to the burgundy, wine sediments and other bright red colours of the rooms, giving a Bohemian look that suits a living room particularly well. In shower rooms, where there are generally duller or more pristine colours, the plant also naturally brings a breath of freshness and brightness.
5. It’s not exclusive
Whilst a cactus, as part of a group of cacti or on its own, is enough to add an exotic or unique feel to a house, it can also live in perfect harmony alongside the other leading decorative plants. Those of us who have green fingers love to grow a lush indoor garden with plenty of cacti, succulents, philodendron, and other ficus plants. A successful mix and match of plants from many different places is a bit of a risk, but can be pretty effective. Above all, this amazing mix of plants can be a welcome breath of fresh air from having to deal with all that pollution!
