DIY :: Succulent Dish Garden

While out with Corey a few weeks ago, buying construction supplies at Home Depot, I found mini-succulent offerings and thought they would work in a dish garden. A dish garden is basically like a mini-landscape with a variety of small houseplants. Succulents are especially satisfying in this type of design. And with each being only $1.98, it was worth the experiment.

You'll need a dish or bowl, some potting soil (mix it with some sand if you are planting succulents) and what-ever little treasures you plan on planting. Varying textures and heights can add to the intrigue. Pot 'em up and fill potting soil in around the plants.

Succulents like to be in a southern- or western-facing window and need very little water. Repeat this over and over to yourself, whenever you are tempted to water them. They will love you for the neglect. Go figure.

The Heat Got Your Garden Down? Plant a Succulent.

I was lucky enough to be asked by a friend to help brainstorm gift planter ideas for a dinner party her school group was throwing. We needed something that would be low maintenance - as we did not want to give the party-goers a frustrating gardening albatross. Succulents saved the day.

Succulents retain water, in the same way a cactus does. So you don't need to throw much H-two-O their way. If you can, purchase cactus potting soil. It is a good investment and gives them the drainage that they need to thrive. They need lots of sun.

We opted to spring for extra-beautiful terracotta pots from Guy Wolff and they complimented the colors of the different succulents just the way we had hoped . . .

These are from a local nursery, The Garden Spot. Their sweet staff was so helpful and their succulent offerings were inspiring. My friend treated me to one of the chartreuse varieties - Spring Beauty - as a thank you. A good plant for a new mom. It will be ignored. And under those hapless of gardening circumstances, it will thrive.

Succulents - "They Keep Pulling Me Back In"

Ack. I've done it again. I breezily visited the gardening section at a local home improvement store while Corey was looking at house construction materials. And came across these. One of my Achilles' Heels of the garden world. Succulents. Including a living stone (!) - top right.

suc-cu-lent (suk'yoo lent) - adj. Bot. - having thick, fleshy tissues for storing water.

I have my cactus potting soil. I have a perfect indirect light spot in our kitchen. And I will vow to only water them when they are bone dry (remember the storing water bit). I will also offer up my prayers for the lives of these succulents. I mean well. I truly do.

Warts and All

I think it is important, as a gardener, to share the failures/life-lessons-through-mistakes aspect of growing and nurturing green things.

Look-y at what I did to some of the most beautiful succulents I have ever seen. They were pale greens and pale greenish-blues. They brought me so much joy, I tell you.

When they died, they did it up in a right-dramatic fashion. Originally set on my office desk, I had to turn the container around the other way - so I wouldn't have to look at them all day. As you can see, I am in a state of denial and unable to throw them into the compost pile.

I figured the jade plant would keep going, since it is almost un-killable (insert guffaw *here*). It has started to drop leaves. Harrumph. I suck.

Note to self: Succulents need a TON of light and very little water. They basically thrive on benign neglect. Stop hovering, flitting and clucking around them. They'll still love you back, just let them free to be the succulents that they are . . .

Tomorrow I will know better. At least, a smidgen better.