Tag: succulent containers

Spring Mantel with Sensational Succulents #LowesCreator

Written by Jenna on March 25, 2013. Posted in Uncategorized. 5 Comments on Spring Mantel with Sensational Succulents #LowesCreator

Happy Monday! Yes, it’s Spring, but sadly it doesn’t feel like it (at least here in NY).

I am so ready for the warmer days ahead and am yearning for the array of colorful flowers, the endless chirping of birds, and the sounds of outdoor laughter. I know it’ll be here soon, but I am just ready for winter (and the endless snow) to be over.

In my search for all things Spring, I decided this years seasonal mantel had to include elements of the outdoors. Last Friday when perusing the aisles of Lowe’s, specifically the outdoor section, I saw a huge display of succulents. I immediately knew they’d be the ideal addition for my Spring mantel!

While in the gardening section, I gathered a variety of succulents in different sizes and styles, along with a new bag of potting mix. I wasn’t going to dare dig through the garage in search of leftover soil from last year, plus I saw this soil that is fast draining and made for cactus type plants. I thought I’d give it a try, since I don’t have a great track record with keeping greenery alive. Yes, I admit, I don’t have a green thumb…

Once home, I collected a bunch of glass vases, dishes, and bowls that I had laying around the house. A few I picked up last week at TJ Maxx, but most I’ve had for a long time stored in the closet.

Then it was time to transplant these beauties into their new homes.

Choosing the right size bowl / vase for the size of the succulent is important. One rule of thumb that I always try to follow is to be sure that the plant isn’t too big for the pot (or bowl / vase in my case) so it has room to grow. The teeny size succulents (which I bought for $2.98/each) went in the smaller bowls and the larger styles ($3.98/each) went into the clear glass vases (which are my favorite because you can see the soil and plant roots – so interesting).

Once the right size “home” was chosen, I loosened up the roots and made the transfer. A few minutes later, all my succulents were planted and ready to add to the mantel.

Gardening in the kitchen isn’t something I would suggest, but with 30 degree temps, I wasn’t going to dare be outdoors longer than I had to. A little mess wasn’t too bad to clean up…

Then the fun started and here’s the result of my natural Spring mantel using sensational succulents…

It’s a beautiful collection of natural elements mixed in with colorful favorites.

Any style bowl, vase, cup, or container will make for the perfect holder to display succulents. My collection includes a clear glass round vase, a similar square style, a plain white double dish, a decorative ceramic bowl, and a white milk glass cup.

Choosing succulents of varying sizes allows for an interesting mantel composition.

Despite the frigid temps, the Lowe’s gardening section is already stocking up on their summer displays including an array of flowers, plants, and a large selection of outdoor furniture.

To gather even more unique, fun, and creative ideas for your indoor and outdoor Spring decor, I would definitely suggest downloading the Lowe’s Creative Ideas app on the iphone and ipad. I’m always checking out the FREE app for great inspiration. Consider following Lowe’s on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram as well.

Disclosure: I am part of the Loweâ€™s Creative Team and was provided with a Loweâ€™s gift card to purchase items for my project. I was also compensated for my time to use the products. No one told me what to create, what to buy, how to use the product, or what to write. All opinions are 100% mine!

I link my projects to some of these parties: Skip to My Lou, Dittle Dattle, Between Naps on the Porch, Todayâ€™s Creative Blog, Stories of A to Z, All Things Heart & Home, House of Hepworths, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, Thrifty Decor Chick, Tip Junkie

Create Your Own Succulent Arrangement

Written by Jenna on May 25, 2012. Posted in DIY. 10 Comments on Create Your Own Succulent Arrangement

I’m a sucker for succulents, but have always been hesitant to get them because I don’t have a green thumb and most arrangements are pretty pricey (keep on reading and you’ll see)!

Recently, on my quest to bring the outdoors in, I finally got the courage and set out on search for a pretty succulent arrangement, and couldn’t believe how much they cost. Similar to terrarium arrangements, most are $30+ and that’s certainly not in my budget, especially since I haven’t had success in the past with keeping plants living for long.

If you remember back not too long ago, my gal blogger pal, Brittany of Pretty Handy Girl, shared a tutorial on how to make your own terrarium and save big bucks, and now I’ll show you How-To Make Your Own Succulent Arrangement for less than $15.

Let’s get started…

Thanks to my FB community for pointing me in the right direction, I purchased my succulents at Lowe’s (I didn’t even realize that they carried succulents). I looked for succulents that paired well together giving some variation in height and color. I also got one larger succulent to “anchor” the arrangement.

For the box, I used a wood planter that the Mister actually made a few weeks ago using pallet planks. If anyone’s interested, I’ll share a tutorial on that soon – let me know.

Knowing the size of the box, I chose four different succulent plants and placed them in the box to see how best they should be arranged before adding the soil.

Once I figured out the best layout, I removed the succulents from the box and lined the box with a plastic garbage bag. If you are making a similar arrangement, lining the planter isn’t a must, but since this pallet box is made of wood and wasn’t perfect at the corners, I felt it best to line the interior so water and soil wouldn’t seep out the corners.

I left about 2″ of exposed wood at the top, so once the soil was added it would thoroughly cover the liner. I wanted to see my pretty flowers, not the liner 🙂

I then added the soil leaving about 1″ of exposed wood at the top.

Next came the beautiful succulents, which I recommend starting with the largest one first. Like with all plants, I was sure to gently separate the roots before planting.

The arrangement looked alittle messy once it was complete… but just wait!

It was time to add the small rocks which are almost always seen in those pricey succulent arrangements. I picked these up for about $3 and only used half the bag.

I carefully placed a thin layer on top of the soil so only the succulents would show through.

Once the rocks were put in place, the succulent arrange was complete…

…And sits beautifully on my front porch.

Want to learn more on caring for a succulent? Check out this awesome article on growing healthy succulents. I learned quite a few good tips to keep my new succulent arrangement strong and healthy!

Let’s break it down to see how much I saved…

(4) succulent plants were: $2.98 each

(1) Bag of rocks that I used half of: $3.00 /2 (for half) = $1.50

Wood Planter Box: Free – made from an old pallet

So the grand total to create this beautiful Succulent Arrangement was around $13. Not bad, right?!

Check out this arrangement that I just found online for $68. I like mine way better! What do you think? Make it or Buy it??

Succulent arrangements are fun to make any time of year, but since they truly love the sun, Spring and Summer is a great time of year to create one of your own.

Do you have succulents in your home? Have you ever made your own succulent arrangement? Would you rather make (and save) or buy?