Creative containers

A timeless way to display succulents, especially the low-growing rosette-forming kinds, is in a wide, shallow bowl. They soon cover the surface to make a patchwork cushion of colour, or can be arranged to make a bullseye pattern of concentric rings. Or, try these more unusual ideas...

BITS & PIECES

Broken terracotta pots can be transformed into a crevice garden for small sempervivums. Huddle broken shards in upright layers inside another pot and fill the spaces between with gritty compost to make planting gaps for small succulents. Or, for simplicity itself, heap gritty compost in a broken pot on its side and plant succulents straight in – just make sure water has an easy drainage route out.

RAISE THE GAME

Traditional pots can be given an attractive twist by displaying them in groups. Raise individual potted succulents up on ladders and shelves to display them as the treasured collectibles they often are!

THINK IN/OUT SIDE THE BOX

Repurposed and recycled household objects provide added quirk. With drainage holes drilled into the base, almost any object from a suitcase to a kettle can become a container for rosetteforming or trailing succulents. They are relatively slow growing, so can stay put for a couple of years. Give wooden crates or drawers a coat of waterproof paint and line the inside with an old plastic compost bag to help protect the wood. Metal containers such as old toolboxes warm up in the sun, but succulents can withstand, even thrive in, the heat.

PRETTY AS A PICTURE

Planted picture frames have quickly become an ideal way to show off succulents while making use of vertical space. The glass and back of the frame are removed and replaced with chicken wire and a shallow box respectively. The shallow box is filled with perlite and compost, succulents are planted through the wire and gaps between are filled with moss. The whole needs several weeks to knit together before it’s hung up.