If there’s one fast growing trend in plant arrangements, it’s the world of succulent gardens. Getting as popular as the present trend in miniature fairy gardens, we’ll be examining how to grow succulents, how to plant succulents and then give some beautiful examples of succulent arrangements.
Where once a succulent garden was rarely seen, and that as a special cactus arrangement to the side of a ranch-style home, succulent arrangements are today found just about anywhere: indoors patios, office environments, office buildings, by a pool side, front-walk entrances, outdoor patios and even inside homes.
Why their rise in popularity? Well, for one thing, they’re immensely easy to grow and maintain. Frankly speaking, they’re especially attractive to working, career women who have little time to spend on plants, maintaining them and/or regenerating their prized greenery.
Moreover, they are almost impossible to kill. Many people have already named them the “camel” of greenery. Being tolerant of low water levels, they can thrive in dry environments, and they don’t require hardly any water at all. In addition, they are simply beautiful and lend themselves to whatever shape, style or arrangement you may have in mind.
Succulent Gardens 101 and Everything Else In Between
How To Plant Cactus-Like Plants
Planting succulents is easier than you may think; the most important thing of all is getting a fast-draining soil that does well in a container or in a succulent garden bed. Quality, healthy plants are typically found at your local garden center and are normally labeled as such: “for use in planting cactus.”
That said, root-rot may develop; however, having a fast-draining soil helps in preventing the root-rot from taking hold. Typically, the fertilization process when planting succulents should be undertaken during summer months and come to a full stop during the winter.
How To Grow Cactus-Like Plants
Basically, growing succulents is just as simple as planting them: watering these cactus-like plants during the summer months is more than adequate if done on twice a week basis. During the winter, cut-backs are recommended. Basically, give the plants a good water soaking, and then wait until the succulent plant dries out completely.
Succulent Displays
Having a little knowledge of the many varieties commonly found in succulent gardens that come in so many diverse styles, sizes, colors and even succulent flowers, is vitally important. You’ll need that knowledge when deciding what you want to create before planting your succulent garden. Today, via the dynamics of the Internet, you can readily and conveniently see which particular specie is for you and which would work best for whatever your creative urges dictate.
Naturally knowing where you’re going to put your succulent garden arrangements, and what is their intended purpose, helps a great deal in determining the final outcome and visual appeal of their arrangement.
Let’s see now some 50 wonderful examples of succulent displays that will be sure to give you a newly discovered or rediscovered passion for having these particular plants in and around your house.
1. Desert Ice Wonderland
Perfect for an outdoor spot in any season of the year, this succulent design centers on an enchanting floral presentation that highlights giving various shades of blue to help accent a cool, inspiring arrangement. Comprised mainly of blue-tinged Echeveria peacockii plants, this alluring display can best be realized as it’s placed in upward spiraling two-tier fountain dish structure when growing plants in a succulent garden setting.
Multi-colored, this collection of succulent plants becomes the perfect stage for the many shapes, sizes and species of plants readily found in one place. Moreover, a focal point may be just what is needed to help create an interesting, yet high impact center for your garden setting.
2. Highway To Heaven
If you have a tree trunk in your yard, then it behooves you to put it to good use as a showcase for your succulent plant of whatever kind and color. While you are of course free to use whatever specie and size succulent you wish, keeping them small may be the best way to go. In fact, having various color schemes will give the illusion of motion, ever reaching towards heaven on a very natural wooden ladder.
If no tree is available, then leaning a single piece of tree trunk, or bark, against a solid wall structure will just as easily serve the purpose of creating the tranquil effect you so desire.
3. Living Waters
One imaginative use of large or medium-sized clay planters is this design giving the illusion of cascading water flowing out of the planter’s entrance. Perfect for an outdoor, ranch-like desert setting, this display arrangement can be easily created by having just one kind of succulent plant. When the entire display is carefully placed within another garden bed, the effect is even more enchanting as you could almost swear the succulent display has come to life in streams of living waters. While a multi-color pattern is of course possible, one color scheme may be best to convey streams of waters flowing out of the terracotta container.
4. Over Finnian’s Rainbow
A virtual three dimensional effect with a myriad of color schemes can be easily designed and planted in a garden bed or a large container. An enchanting concept in plant decoration, vibrant succulents are augmented with other broad leaf plants surrounding the succulent array. You can let your imagination run with this pleasing aesthetic design with virtually no limitation as to where you can place it in your home or outside in your garden. Especially appropriate for garden events or Ladies Club meetings, this is one display that’ll receive compliments galore as you proudly display the arrangement.
5. Rolling Along With My Wheelbarrow
Here’s one project you can really sink your teeth into, so to speak. Almost any backyard, or shed, has an old wheelbarrow lying around somewhere just gathering dust or rusting away. Why not put it to good use as you make a colorful garden center made up of cacti plants and a little bit of everything else? All you’ll really need are the following supplies: one old wheelbarrow, some medium-size pea gravel or river stones, a piece of screen or mesh material that fits right into the bottom of the wheelbarrow and some cactus soil. If you have some miniature furniture and a really small succulent or two, you then have the makings of a unique and charming miniature garden.
6. By The Wayside
A truly creative way to put a side border to good use is this side succulent display presentation. There’s no watering needed here, but a ground cover of smooth stones or coral rock will do just fine. Pleasing to the sight and a practical way to use up space along a garden or house wall, your selection of various plants is dictated only by your taste in size and colors. This design particularly lends itself to either a multi-colored approach or a single color scheme design.
7. A Florentine Delight
Having an old fountain dish on a pedestal can be the makings of an antique Florentine floral arrangement. Adding to it just a few succulent plants, hanging plants and some vividly colored cacti will give it a distinctive look found no where else in your garden. Perfect for an afternoon tea, this is one piece that looks distinctly from another era; moreover, it is so inviting. A pink, blue and silver rosebud succulent placed strategically throughout the fountain dish adds a charming, elegant touch.
8. Caged But Wonderfully Free
This is one unusual display that catches one’s imagination in an enchanting manner. A bird cage, or any cage-like wire work, hanging succulent plants and even dried succulent flowers all serve to compliment each other in this delightful outdoor or indoor decor accessory. The cage lends itself to being painted in metallic or rustic colors or just left as is. For an enchanting side touch, place a tiny sensor-driven bird mounted on its swing. It’ll be sure to catch anyone’s attention as they walk on by your caged, but wonderfully free succulent garden display.
9. Cinder Block Garden
If you’re like most homeowners, then you might have some old concrete cinder blocks in your backyard. Left untouched, they can be an eye-sore. However, using a little imagination with your succulent planting endeavors, you’ll create something that’ll become the talk of the town among your lady friends for sure. Placing the blocks several tiers deep, add soil and place your cactus or succulent on a one per cinder block hole basis. Surround the blocks with small growing aloes, and don’t forget to get some plants that’ll hang down for a better visual effect. For even better results, try painting the blocks with glitter spray paint before setting up your choice succulent garden arrangement.
10. By The Old Water Trough
When you look for a rustic, natural setting, consider using wood. Inexpensive, visually pleasing and great for outdoor projects, you’ll especially appreciate their low-maintenance features when coupled with your selection of succulent flowers and plants of almost any style and color. In addition, using an old tree trunk or wooden board with cacti plants inserted in the soil inside guarantees a long, healthy life for your many plants.
11. My Hanging Garden
Vertical gardens are now coming of age and their versatility is well appreciated in balcony areas, walled areas and basically anywhere there’s a wall to hang this design. When hung from a painted wall backdrop, and planted with contrasting colored cacti plants, you’ll be the talk of your neighborhood as others grab hold of this innovative concept in both cactus gardens and vertical gardens.
In short, you’ve created a pallet frame that’s today become a growing trend in practical interior designs. Be sure to stock up with succulent plants that’ll fit well within the vertical garden frame, and use other variations of hanging plants that give your frame a beautiful cascading effect as well .
12. A Desert Sphere
An old chain link, either painted or left rustic in appearance, a round, wired shape that’ll hold as much peat moss as you can put inside and miniature succulent plants galore are all you’ll need to give a distinctively unique look to your backyard fence or anywhere else from which you can hang this beautiful design. If you can add some cactus planting soil, then by all means do so; it’ll help you in growing succulents to maturity so much faster and better.
13. Rosebuds In The Desert
Surrounding desert palms, or any other vertical plants, with a large-sized succulent give an amazing effect to your garden arrangement. The long, vertical-growing San Pedro Cactus and Zanzibar Gem provide an elegant backdrop for your growing, swirling Rosetta succulents encircling their upright vertical plant neighbors. For a stunning effect, you can choose any one of several blue-silver shadings, or give it a multi-color approach using your selection of cacti plants planted in their garden bed.
14. By The Beautiful Sea
A trip to your local beach is bound to yield an abundance of treasures such as beautiful, naturally sculpted seashells. Using a glue gun, glue these flat, uniform size shells to a terracotta pot leaving no spot undone. If need be, paint the pots beforehand to cover any exposed terracotta pot areas with the matching seashell color. Then, fill the pots with potting soil and voila! A most unique and beautiful pot, or pots, for your growing succulents. For smaller planter pots, insert only a single, small succulent. For larger pots, you may try several sizes of plants.
