To say I lack a green thumb is an understatement. But I do love the vibe of fresh plants indoors. So when designing my apartment, I went with the easiest plants to keep alive: succulents. To be honest, I was still nervous about keeping my cactus arrangements alive. But I’m proud to say it’s been four months and they’re just as beautiful now as they were when they first entered my home.

My friend Sara, of Desert Rose, created all the succulents in my home. And she gave me the easiest tips on how to water succulent arrangements to keep them alive forever.  The trick, she taught me, is keeping them thirsty:

So how often do I water my succulents?

Every three weeks.

How much do I water my succulents?

One shot glass of water.

It’s that easy! I simply set a recurring reminder in my Google calendar and I get to enjoy fresh plant life in my apartment.

I also have a faux succulent terrarium that I received as a gift. I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know it was fake for a month! It looks so much like the real thing that even when I learned the truth I still kept it amongst the real plants. I rounded up some below if you prefer to go faux:

Photos by Michelle Kyle

Sweater: Wilfox
Nail polish: Essie Gel Couture “At the Barre”
Rings: Gorjana