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5 Keys to Success with Decorative Succulents
One of the most popular decorating styles these days is using succulents to give your home some life. It is easy to find succulents at your neighborhood Home Depots, but you can also create your own decor pieces by using succulent plants from your local farmers markets. Succulents, known for being drought-resistant, a value for southern California, are easy to grow and clean to maintain. When making your own succulent masterpiece, there are 5 simple things to keep in mind!
1. Decide what kind of succulent you want.
There are many different types of succulents, from those that are flat and short to tall and lean. Some of the most popular types of succulents include Echeveria, Crassula, and Graptopetalum. These beautiful little plants can be arranged in a variety of ways that can best fit with your home. Keep in mind that if you are going to make a succulent arrangement, as tempting as it may be to include cactus since it is also drought-resistant, it can be more aesthetically pleasing to keep the two separated. A cool thing about succulents is that they propagate, meaning you can cut off the leaves and start them yourself. That $4 succulent from your local farmer can over time grant you $20 worth of plants- if you take the time yourself to grow them. The propagation process is an easy one too: make a clean cut to the leaf of the plant, and put that leaf into it’s own soil and add a small amount of water to start your new plant.
2. Evaluating the plant itself.
Succulents come in different colors, ranging from green to purple or red. Perhaps you have a piece of purple coral: this can become a nice accent to a succulent with a purple tone. Perhaps your house has much of the interior painted a scarlet color- the subtle green of succulents can be the contrast that makes a home welcoming. Some types of succulents may have wide leaves that would make a nice accent with wooden living room furniture. Make sure that you are choosing healthy plants for the best creations.
3. Pots
Pots can be large factors to the success in the creation itself! Terra cotta pots can contribute to the desert-scape of San Diego, and are easy to maintain and can be placed indoors or outdoors. However, “pots” don’t need to be the only things you can plant succulents in. Perhaps you find a large shell- it can easily became a home to a combination of succulents. A popular decorative method is using mason jars, where the clearness of the jar allows for the roots to be seen from the plants. You can be creative and add river rock to the bottom of the jar to be seen, or perhaps accent it with a sand-dollar on the inside of the clear jar. Another method can be using hanging pots, or tin pails. A light tin pail can serve as the basis to your succulent creation, allowing the color of the plants to stand out. A unique idea could include growing a large succulent plant in a woven basket rather than a traditional pot.
4. Placement of your succulents.
Placement of your succulents is vital in creating the best compilation. If the pot they are growing in is flat, you may want to place the taller of the succulents in the back, or in the center of the pot. If you wanted to place an accent piece in your small succulent pot, choose smaller succulents to put in front of it. An appealing way to arrange your succulents is to make sure that no dirt is showing, which you can guarantee by adding multiple succulents or adding an extra decoration. If you prefer the dirt to show to make your creation look more earthen, that's okay too!
5. Extra decorations
You can use decorative pieces to accent your succulents. For example, a large piece of coral can give your succulent combination a nice ocean theme, or a small sun statue can give your plants outside a desert theme. You can choose to place many succulents together, or have one large one with a decoration- perhaps add something like a piece of sea-glass. There are endless possibilities with this.
