Succulent arrangement

This little arrangement in a glazed ceramic bowl has been doing pretty well since I planted it in the summer. I got this lovely bowl at an arts fair featuring Penn students' work. The bowl has no drainage so minimal watering is necessary. The highlight of the arrangement is the striated aloe placed slightly off-center. Two different types of senecio provide some height for the arrangement. And tucked in the foreground are tiny sempervivums. Finally, the top is covered with fine sand and some decorative pebbles and seashells. Voilà!

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.