SAY IT WITH SUCCULENTS

Succulents are having their moment. The coolest florists and gardeners around love them for their robustness and for the amazing patterns their fleshy leaves create.

They are a great way to add texture to a forgotten corner of your home or patio. Most succulents live anywhere and in anything. That means there are a heap of creative things you can do with them to turn them in to original and lovely gifts. From simply planting them in to something gorgeous, right through to transforming them in to technicolour wonders - the options are endless. Here are a few ideas to start you off...    

Plant me anywhere

Transform anything you can find into a home for succulents. They are plucky little plants that need just a handful of gravel and soil to survive. So long as they don't get too waterlogged, they will thrive pretty much anywhere indoors or out. So here's your chance to go to town and make something truly unique. We've seen them in everything from old watering cans to vintage Hovis bread tins. These boots say it all. Once your succulents take root, they'll make a place their own and live happily ever after.

Image from feinar.tumblr.com  

Table decorations with flair

Succulents come in all types of shapes and sizes including dinky. Pop them in to a teacup or a silver teapot and dot them around your coffee or dining table to add instant texture and interest. We love them in these old silver serving dishes. Imagine five or six of them dotted the length of a beautifully set dining table. See what you can find in your local antique or bric a brac shop that fits the bill and have a play.

Image & idea from the brilliant inspiredbycharm.com  

Make your own terrarium

Sometimes being slow-growing is a real advantage. It means that you can spend a bit of time creating something from scratch and know that it will last for ages. These classy looking terrariums are easy as pie to make and look fab, especially in pairs as shown here. They make a lovely gifts and there's a huge range of glass houses to choose from. Urban Outfitters have a great selection in store. To make your own terrarium you'll need to start with a layer of small pebbles, then add a layer of charcoal before topping with your potting compost. Add your plants and if you fancy, a final layer of decorative stones.  Simple huh?

Image by floralverde.com       

Colour me beautiful

How accommodating are these little natural wonders? They'll even adapt to fit your colour scheme. If you want to play with colour then water your succulents with food colouring and watch as they turn technicolour over time. Just mix together a cupful of food colour with a cupful of water, soak the soil and wait 24hrs for the colour to develop. Repeat if you want the colour to be a little more intense. We think they look kind of pretty in purple.

  Idea & image from jardimdaterra.blogspot.com via pinterest  

Succulents are easy peasy to care for and to propagate. Read these tips on how to care for them from the mothersniche.com website.

Happy planting