If you are a student, you might find your home is far from the kind of residence that appears on daytime TV property programmes. 

However, whether it is a first year hall of residence or a less than entirely salubrious shared home with a mouldy patch that’s been there a thousand years and unwashed socks that have spawned new life forms, there is always room for some nice plants to brighten it up.

However, before you head down to a Brighton plant shop to invest in some greenery, it is worth giving some thought to the issue of plant care. Unless you are studying a course in Botany or similar, plants are not going to be your central interest and it is possible that you may not have the widest array of skills in looking after them, whether watering or giving them correct amounts of sunlight.

This is one reason you might want to try a virtually unkillable plant like a prickly pear cactus. It is one of the most hard-wearing of plants and will survive all sorts of trials, such as not being watered for ages (like when you forget to take it home at the end of term). This is because its fleshy leaves can store water very efficiently.

It can also deal with being in cold - indeed, it should be kept in a cool spot in winter - as well as being exposed to heat. After all, it is a desert-dweller by nature. It should ideally be given lots of sun exposure, although it can handle a bit of shade. It will come potted in well-draining soil and will only occasionally need any extra fertiliser when kept indoors.

This plant is not just there to prove that even the most slack plant owner cannot bump off every specimen; it will also provide an attractive feature in your home and produce some attractive yellow flowers, occasionally containing some red and orange elements. As a plant for beginners, this could be just the thing.