The Absolute No-Fail Houseplant for Your Kitchen Windowsill — And It Promises to Bloom All Year Long

published May 8, 2022
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Jade plant
Credit: Barb Elkin/Shutterstock

Spring has sprung, and I’ve been itching to find a pretty houseplant to perch on my kitchen windowsill to celebrate the season. Nothing too fancy, and certainly nothing that actually requires a green thumb. (I’ve been known to totally space on any kind of watering schedule.)

Luckily, I found a pretty good solution. And it’s a bit quirky. See, instead of heading to my nearest gardening center, I made a run to the toy store. Yes, you read that right. It turns out LEGO, the Danish toy company, has been launching their own botanical collection — in the form of building blocks. Starting this month, LEGO has released two new sets, including a planter of succulents and a gorgeous orchid. I had to see them for myself.

Credit: Kai Iwamoto
That's 608 pieces in there!

Among the boxes of popular Star Wars and Harry Potter sets was a section specifically aimed at adults — at least, those who apparently appreciate flowers but don’t want to risk killing them. LEGO promotes it as a way for grown-ups to destress because playing helps people relax. “We wanted to create a set that offers a relaxing and mindful building experience to help adults switch off from their busy lives and to most importantly re-focus on something they enjoy,” says Anderson Ward Grubb, senior designer at The Lego Group.

Credit: Kai Iwamoto
A masterpiece waiting to be built: The set comes with four packs of Lego bricks and a book of instructions.

LEGO now has a total of five botanical choices, including a delicate bonsai, stately bird of paradise, and a brick-made, flower bouquet. But the pink and white orchid, reminiscent of the real ones my Grandma would grow, called to me. As LEGO describes it, “This new set features six large flowers and two newly opened flowers which can be customized to create a flawless arrangement for any space, without the worry about how often to water it.” No watering? I picked up the black box and rattled it around.

Credit: Kai Iwamoto
Almost there! It just needs petals.

That was the shuffling sound of 608 very tiny pieces that would transform into a potted flower! If anything, I figured it would be something fun to do and definitely a statement piece. Or maybe if it turned out to be that spectacular, I’d gift it to my mom. (Hi, Mom!) I texted a friend who happens to be a self-proclaimed expert LEGO-builder (he assured me he’s loaded with years of experience as a child), and we got to work.

Credit: Kai Iwamoto
Ta da! Brick blossoms in bloom.

In less than two quick hours, I had a beautiful, blue fluted planter filled with life-sized pink and white orchids. I perched it on my kitchen windowsill to admire — and from afar, you can’t even tell it’s not real.

How do you decorate your kitchen windowsill? Tell us in the comments below.