Hello there boys and girls! Today we have a special treat! A how-to for succulent centerpieces!
Lets face it, succulents are HOT right now. It only takes two minutes on Pinterest to prove my point. They are freak’n EVERYWHERE. So, if you have a wedding, birthday, open house, bar/bat-mitzvah etc; and want to be like all the cool kids… you better hop on this trend before it has gone the way of the tamagotchi (actually, we have recently been informed by our resident 7 year-old; that tamagotchis are on their way back “in”).
Any-dang-way, the best part about these succulents, is that their unique look (and fairly recent mainstream use), makes it incredibly easy to impress ANYONE. Seriously folks… You can’t mess this up! We personally guarantee that even your most snootiest of Aunty Margarets will be all “Oh my, succulents! And you did this yourself? You must be incredibly talented and creative! Here is a $20!” (Your mileage may vary)
Excited? Ok. Sweet. Lets get you started!
What you will need:
- Succulents (duh). The more variety the better. You can get these from most local garden
centers- we recommend you stick to your local indie shops.
- Small Rocks/Gravel. Style to taste. We were using neon blue/green in this example to match the colors of the event they were for.
- Dirt (I know right?! Who would’a thunk it?)
- Containers (In this example we used small glass containers. We have seen lots of other cool options; tin cans, small pots, shoes. Well, ok… we have never actually seen shoes.. but now I’m thinkingthat would be a really coo
l idea. Please somebody do this and send us a picture!) Just remember: if your container does not have proper drainage… you will need to be VERY careful with the amount of water you give your plants if you plan on keeping them in that type of a container long term. Your vessel of choice will also need to be at least the size of the current grow pot your succulents are in (if you plan on keeping them in there long term, if not… all rules go out the window).
centers- we recommend you stick to your local indie shops.
l idea. Please somebody do this and send us a picture!) Just remember: if your container does not have proper drainage… you will need to be VERY careful with the amount of water you give your plants if you plan on keeping them in that type of a container long term. Your vessel of choice will also need to be at least the size of the current grow pot your succulents are in (if you plan on keeping them in there long term, if not… all rules go out the window).
Again, its gonna be pretty much impossible to mess this up. The best part about these bad boys is they are harrrrrrdddddyyyy. So, don’t worry about getting everything PERFECT. Even if you set your plant up in a bad growing environment… it will still look AWEsome for your event (just get them back to bright indirect light shortly after the event).
Ok, now that you have everything, LET’S GET DIRTY!
FIRST! Place a thin layer of rock (or gravel) at the base of your container. Lets not get too caught up on the details on this step. Again, if you are just using them as temporary centerpieces this is more for looks. Just make sure you leave enough room for the plants full root ball!
SECOND! Carefully remove your succulent from it’s grow pot. Gently remove the excess dirt from the roots and slightly breakup the root ball to loosen the root and stimulate growth.
THIRD! Add fresh dirt to your container; filling in the gaps around the root ball. Take your finger and gently press the dirt to slightly compact it in and fill in spaces. Add more dirt and repeat until the container is evenly filled to the base of the plant/ top of the root ball.
FORTH! Place another thin layer of rock on the top of your container. This is actually totttallyyy optional. If its not the look you are going for.. you don’t need it. We just personally feel it gives the centerpiece a “finished” look.
FIFTH! Repeat for each succulent & container. And just to be crazy… why dont you try a few containers with multible plants in each?! (again, don’t be scared… ya can’t go wrong)
SIXTH! Gloat. Thats right. You did it! And see how pretty it looks?! Did you think you could do it? I knew you could. We believe in you! “You is smart. You is kind.”
So, if you are like me, and learn visually while watching pretty people and listening to dance music… then hot dern… we have JUST the video for you! Just try not to get distracted by the handsome man and groovy tunes.
//h/ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl_GWc1WnWw
Once your done, upload your pics to our Facebook page! We would love to see what you make!
Good luck! But most of all have fun! Oh.. and just be sure not to tell your guests how easy it was. 😀
