Succulents are some of the most striking and uniquely beautiful plants out there.
The plants themselves are stunning, even without a flower. They’re perfect for containers and patio gardens and can easily be used to create centerpieces, wreaths, and arrangements. To top it all off, they’re easy to grow and maintain. No wonder they’re all the rage!
Container gardens are great for small spaces and are super versatile. They make the perfect accent to a patio set or bench, they’re beautiful clustered on the front stoop for a welcoming decor touch, and can even be used as a centerpiece for gatherings and dinner parties.
I’ve been inspired by some of the low-profile pots and planters I’ve seen recently, and decided to create a succulent container garden to use on my patio table as a centerpiece. A garden on a tabletop? What a conversation piece. Yes please!
Styling + Creating a Succulent Centerpiece
Step 1 | Find a planter
Find a planter or low-profile dish that’s the size and shape you prefer. Succulent plants are so bold and gorgeous. To allow the plants room to shine, try going with a planter that’s neutral in color. Neutral tones are also easy to work into any decor style. I found this low-profile wooden vessel at Home Goods. I couldn’t resist the organic texture and form of the wood. Gorgeous, neutral, earthy, and perfectly suited to my style and taste.
Love!
Step 2 | Gather plants
Local to the Raleigh/Cary/Durham area? I found loads of gorgeous succulent beauties at both Logan’s and Fairview Garden Center. Hard to decide which plants I ‘needed’ so badly for this project. They were all so gorgeous. And to be honest, I have so many plants already. Maybe too many. But this project was a good excuse for new ones.
I ended up going with some echeveria, sedum, and an aloe.
{Tip} When selecting plants for any arrangement or container, try to find something with some height, something trailing, and then some shorter, ground-hugging plants to fill in. Keep your plant selection to three to five varieties, depending on the size of your planter.
Aloe ferox or ‘Fierce Aloe’
Echeveria ‘Lola’
‘Blue Spruce’ sedum
Echeveria pulidonis
Step 3 | Drainage
If the planter you’ve selected doesn’t have drainage holes, put some gravel (easily found at your local garden center) in the bottom of the planter. This helps the soil drain properly, and prevents the roots of your plants from sitting in pools of water.
Step 4 | The dirt
When planting succulents, go for a potting soil designed specifically for these plants. They like soil that drains and dries quickly. Miracle-Gro has a great option that I use for all of my succulent plants. Once selected, add the dirt to your planter. Fill it about 3/4 full, and save some to add after the plants are arranged.
Step 5 | Plant
The fun part! Try different things and see what you like best! For an aesthetically pleasing arrangement, I place tall plants in the center or back of the planter, trailing plants toward the front or spilling over the edges, and then fill in with smaller plants.
After arranging your plants, gently add more soil around the base of the plant stems, and pack the soil around the base of each plant. And as a rule of thumb, always water any new planting to settle the soil in around the roots of your plants.
And voila!
A beautiful succulent container garden, perfect as a patio table centerpiece.
Xo!
Anna
Images and Content by: Arrow+Sage
