Here in Colorado it has been WET. Normally we celebrate Mother’s Day by planting our outdoor flowers but not this year; this year we spent Mother’s Day inside the house watching the rain pour down. So…we figured we’d wait and do our planting over Memorial weekend. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t cooperate with that plan either. So since at this rate it might be September before we get to do any outdoor planting, I decided to take matters into my own hands and create my own indoor succulent garden. It was SO easy (the hardest part was picking out my plants) and I LOVE the way it turned out.
If you’d like to create your own succulent garden–it’s easy and it doesn’t cost much to create something truly beautiful. Just follow these simple instructions and you’ll have a gorgeous tabletop garden of your own in no time.
Gather Your Materials: For this project you’ll need…1.) a container for your garden 2.) succulent plants (these can be found at most garden centers/greenhouses but I found mine at Walmart) 3.) fresh, damp garden soil 4.) river pebbles, rocks, glass pebbles or gravel 5.) sand (optional) 6.) husband to carry around your plants while you try to decide which ones are prettiest–okay, this final item is probably optional–but helpful nonetheless.
Prepare Your Container: Fill about 1/3 of your container with pebbles, rocks or gravel. I would suggest using larger rocks because they will help to drain water away from your succulent plant roots thus preventing the likelihood of root rot.
Mix Your Soil: Adding sand to your soil is not required however, adding a bit of sand will provide a more natural environment for your succulents. Sand also provides a good consistency for your plant roots and will assist with water drainage. Your soil mixture should be light and crumbly with lots of oxygen mixed in. Put the soil mixture into your container on top of the rocks/pebbles/gravel.
Prepare Your Plants: Take your first succulent out of its original container and “tickle” its roots to help stimulate them. Plant your succulent in your soil and firmly pat down the soil around your plant. Repeat this process with your remaining plants.
Add Decorative Stones: Add any decorative sand/river pebbles/glass pebbles/rocks that you like. This step isn’t essential however, decorative rocks can be useful in helping to control soil erosion due to over watering. These stones can also add beautiful contrasting color and texture to your garden.
Water Your Garden: Water your succulents on to the leaves/petals. Do not water directly onto the stem or soil as this may cause soil erosion around the root system. Always water your garden from the top onto the leaves/petals or alternatively, spray the whole plant that is above ground with a spray bottle. Water your garden enough that the soil under the plant is wet but not saturated. The soil should absorb the water well–if it doesn’t, the soil needs to be crumbled and mixed with sand.
Enjoy Your Garden: I absolutely love how my garden turned out and can’t wait to make another one. I also think that these indoor gardens would make great gifts for friends. They are so simple and yet look so elegant when completed. I hope that you enjoy making yours as much as I enjoyed making mine.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.