If you like plants, it is possible that on some occasion you have come across air carnations. They are also known as tillandsias or air plants, and there are thousands of different species. If you have, you will know that it is best to hang them to decorate. But how to hang the carnation in the air so that it looks beautiful?
Now, We are going to give you some ideas that you can do in your own home or that will not cost you too much money to enjoy a carnation from the air (or several). Shall we start?
Why should the carnation be hung in the air?
As we have told you before, the air carnation is also known as tillandsias and these are characterized by not needing a pot to live but they hardly develop roots and can maintain themselves well only living on the air and humidity in the environment. However, there is a fundamental element that they need to develop correctly: light.
We are not saying that they need direct sun, but rather they need lighting to be able to feed on it. And the problem is that, when you have it in a container, it can happen that it only gets light from one part, but if you don't dedicate yourself to changing it or turning it around, it will always be like that.
Therefore, the best option is to hang them because in this way the light would reach all corners (Even when you hang it in one area, you can always change it to give light to the entire plant).
But, how do we hang it to decorate? If we take into account that they have no roots, no stem, and are just leaves, it can be difficult to do. Therefore, we propose some options.
with wire
Imagine that you have a tillandsia that is a little bulge from which many long leaves grow. You can perfectly put it in one place, lying down or standing, but when hanging, it is possible that, whatever you do, it falls.
Unless you use wire. The objective is that the plant is well taken, and what many air carnation experts do is surround the entire plant with the wire in such a way that it is well attached and at the same time we have a support where to hang it. In fact, a kind of "bed" is made in the lower part of the plant, a base to deposit the plant inside and then, with that same wire, it is twisted (not too small together) to house the plant, at least enough to give it consistency.
It is true that this can take away some of the beauty of the plant, for this reason it is recommended to use a wire of a color similar to that of the plant. By default, it is green. In this way you get to blend in some way with the greenery of the plant.
With wool
Another option you have to hang the carnation in the air is with wool. It is possible that you have it at home, or you buy it because it is not too expensive. Of course, we recommend that it be somewhat thick and of a color similar to that of tillandsia.
The way of working with the wool can be the same as that we have seen with the wire, but also, and depending on the tillandsia, you could cover part of the plant with it (for example, in the case that we gave you before, wrapping part of that package) that seems to have a kind of "wool pot" and tying some strips of the same wool to this part, you could safely hang it to go to waste. fall out.
In fact, it's quite original, and it's rarely done that way, but the result is quite curious and somehow you protect the plant while allowing light to pass through the wool fibers.
Of course, only for some because not all can be like that.
using egg cups
Tillandsias have the ability to adapt wherever you put them. And the truth is that they do not need specific fasteners for them. So one that occurs to us (and that we have put into practice) is to buy egg cups. Yes, those that are made of wire and that leave space between the lines.
Hanging a carnation from the air with this technique is not difficult. To get started, take the egg cup and, with wire, wool, thread or whatever you can think of, make a kind of swing where the egg cup is the seat and the rest the ropes that you will tie on a branch or wherever you want.
Now, place the tillandsia. If you see that it moves or does not have much consistency, you could try putting more wire (making a kind of cage) in such a way that, even if it moves, it will stay in that place.
This allows you to play around with color a bit. because you could put the ropes or wires with the color of the flowers of that tillandsia in such a way that, when it blooms, everything will blend in and it will really seem suspended in the air.
Using glass containers
If you have glass containers, these will be ideal for smaller tillandsias or those that are more difficult to tie.
For example, those type moss or bush.
How would it be done? First you must clean the glass container well. Make sure that you have removed the labels if you were wearing them so that the light enters the entire area. Now, you can use some silicone on the outside and glue a rope to tie the container, or, if it has a handle, do it more easily around there.
Don't be scared that it stays on one side, in fact it's better and it looks prettier than if you put the boat straight with the opening facing up.
The only thing that would remain is to put the air carnation inside and hang it.
Being inside a crystal, the light will be reflected and that will cause it to receive all the points.
on an old branch
If you have an old branch, trunk or something similar, considering that these plants are epiphytes, you could place them and wire them to it making them look like they grew from that branch or trunk.
Of course, keep in mind that it's going to weigh quite a bit more with that item, so you may need to hang it with strong rope or thick wire, the wool would surely break.
As you can see, there are many ways to decorate with air carnations. It will depend on you how you want to put it. But I'm sure it will be great. Can you think of more ideas to make them look pretty?