Succulent arrangement

This was my most challenging attempt in putting together a succulent arrangement yet. We got a wire basket from Western Massachusetts that I layered with sphagnum moss and filled with potting soil. Then I carefully inserted tiny cuttings of Graptopetalums and small Aeoniums into the sides through the small spaces. Some of them made it, others just fell off without much support. But overall, I was pretty pleased with the way it somehow came together. Over the main opening, what I call the 'well', I potted the larger cuttings and plants such as Crassulas and Echeverias together to add some height to the arrangement. And finally, some lovely Senecios and Sedums that would cascade over the borders over time. I'm hoping this would stay healthy, at least as long as the wire basket stays intact!

Succulent arrangement

This was a more unusual and somewhat challenging succulent arrangement because it's in a wicker basket that I re-purposed from a gift hamper. I first made an inner lining with double-layers of plastic to keep the basket water-proof. Then, I filled the bottom with about one half-inch of river stones. The highlight is the mysterious-looking Echeveria 'Black Prince' with burgundy tips and a luminous green center. It sits in its own 4-inch container which I buried in the basket to keep the roots separate in case I have to move it at some stage. Next, I planted a ring of Sempervivum arachnoideum around it, followed by other Sempervivums, Sedums burrito, Senecio rowleyanus, and Crassula perforata in opposing diagonals. 

With all the plants in place, I trimmed off the excess around the plastic lining as close to the edge of the basket as possible, and tucked the plastic into the basket. Finally, to hide the plastic lining and give it a finished look, the arrangement is dressed with some white gravel and given a little (just a little) water to help the roots settle in. This makes a wonderful, low-maintenance, dining table decorative arrangement that can be reused for multiple occasions. In between events, just leave in a sunny spot outdoors or near a window and keep it happy and lovely.   

Succulent arrangement

Here's a new succulent arrangement I put together recently. The focus here is on the lovely Echeveria Tippy in the front. It has the tiniest red-tinged tips as if a manicurist had carefully painted on some nail polish. An assortment of Echeveria, Sedum burrito, and Haworthia serve as the supporting cast in this arrangement in a light brown glazed bonsai pot. The sandy topping and smooth pebbles complete the picture.

Succulent arrangement

After being inspired by a book on succulent container gardens by Debra Baldwin, and also receiving a batch of lovely Sempervivums this weekend, I decided to compose a small succulent arrangement for our patio. One tip from Baldwin was to include a focus plant and place it off-center in the container. In this case, I picked a medium-sized Crassula ovata as the focus. Next, I grouped triplets of each variety of the Sempervivums with the larger ones further back in the arrangement, followed by smaller ones in the foreground. As for the gaps in between these, I also placed small cuttings of various Sedum, hoping they will eventually trail over the edge of the container and add some blue-green shades to the arrangement. What I found tricky was filling in the spaces between each plant with the potting soil without getting it all over the foliage. I'll need to get a soft brush to get the debris off more easily. The whole affair took about 30 to 40 minutes, including cleaning up. Hope these babies grow up beautifully!