I have a confession. I love my husband, but for the past few years I’ve been harboring an infatuation for someone else. And that someone else is a plant. The lovely and easy to grow succulent plant, that is. You see, I’m not great at keeping plants alive so hardy plants like succulents that thrive on dry conditions make me weak in the knees. How can my poor husband compete with that? 😉
Since they’re all the rage right now, you can find images of succulents all over the internet. From cactus to sedum to sempervivum, there’s enough variety of colors and shapes to make your gardens interesting. But how do you make them work for you at home? Here’s 5 practical and beautiful ideas for using succulents with tons of inspiration photos so you’re sure to find one you love.
1. Use a Unique Container
Check out what Sow & Dipity used for a succulent container– seashells! What a stunning way to bring some life to a beach themed accent. I adore organic elements and you can’t get more organic than this.
Vintage suitcases aren’t hard to find (you may even have one in a closet somewhere, I know I do!). See how Poppytalk used one to house her gorgeous succulents. Don’t they look happy there?
I’ve often found tarnished silver or silver toned goblets and such at thrift stores and flea markets. When I see them for a few dollars I snap them up! Why? Because they make the perfect spot for displaying your gorgeous succulents, as demonstrated here by Ciao! Newport Beach.
And how about mercury glass? Style Me Pretty shows that it’s a match made in heaven.
2. Go Vertical– Vertical Garden, that is.
Think a succulent garden needs to be horizontal? Not so fast! Check out this beautiful vertical garden from Country Living. Succulents are particularly perfect for this type of gardening since they need very little in the way of soil and water.
Or frame them. Under the Table and Dreaming shares a unique way to display succulents over at Hometalk.
3. Use Glass Containers and Domes as Terrariums
Glass containers and domes make the perfect home for succulents because they allow the beauty of the plants to shine. Here’s a few favorites:
4. Tablescapes and Centerpieces
Take ’em to the table. A candle ring like this one from Harry and David via She Wears Many Hats wouldn’t be simple or easy to arrange– but the effect is stunning and well worth the effort. Gah! The colors! The textures! Hold me.
Tray plus rocks plus succulents= heavenly! Here’s a super easy version from Cheap ‘N’ Quirky Wedding:
This candle holder surrounded by succulents from Toast and Tables is all kinds of beautiful. It’s rustic and charming, plus a little bit shabby. In other words, pull out your most well worn candlesticks and tarnished cups and behold the gorgeousness.
5. Make it Fun
The best thing about succulents (aside from the fact they are hard to kill and also totally gorgeous) is they don’t take themselves too seriously. Case in point: this giraffe looks like it was born here. Fabulous idea, On My Honor!
I mean, I planted mine in a birdbath. These things can grow anywhere. So. Much. Fun.
Succulents thrive on neglect. They live in rocks and sandy soil. They don’t like a lot of water or extreme temperatures. That’s pretty much all you need to know to grow them. Oh succulents, how I love thee!
Are you a fan of succulents? How do you use them in your home? And what’s your favorite variety? Personally I love ‘Hens and Chicks’ for the name alone!
I need to incorporate more of these into our home because they are so easy to care for. Thanks for the collection of ideas on how to display them!
I bet you could really do something great with them, Ms. Crafty Garden Mama!
I recently acquired a wide shallow bowl that will be perfect for succulents. I can’t wait to get some. I love the hanging terrariums too!
I’m finding the succulents everywhere, even found one at CVS of all places! Can’t wait to see what you do with the bowl.
These are lovely! Also, I first read the title in my reader as “Ways to Use a Succubus”. For the record, I would be interested in that post, too.
Are you up for guest posting that one? Because you could so handle it!
Right now I’m envisioning a World of Warcraft-themed post…”These handy tips for putting your succubus minion to work will help you take your tailoring and enchanting skills to new levels this spring!” Wow, do I miss WoW.
Thank you for sharing my Seashell and Succulents…I just love all those pretty colors too 🙂
It’s such a stunning combo, Shelley!
I have never tried to grow these but after seeing all this inspiration… I may give it a try!
Beautiful + inspiring post!
aha! Something to do with that lunch box I picked up for 5 cents!!! Thanks for the ideas, gorgeous!!!
My grand-dad has been gone now for quite some time. However, while he was still living he gave me some of his Hens & Chicks from his garden. I STILL have a few of them! Love all the inspiration photos you shared on how to display them. Thanks for sharing! XOXO
What a sweet, sweet gift from your grand-dad! And it’s wonderful you can see them and think of him. I have some lily of the valley from my grammie and it’s absolutely priceless to me. 😉
Now that I live in an apartment, I do miss my beautiful gardens. I try to grow what I can on my shady balcony with a couple of hours of sun. I loved my succulents and have tried hens and chicks. They do well for the summer but I cannot over winter them. I leave them out and well wrapped, but they never survive. Any ideas? Are there succulents from the flower gardens, like hens/chicks or sedum that can over winter inside?
I’d try overwintering them inside. They should do well in a sunny window with just a little water (not too much). I grow all my succulents inside in my windowsill and they do great!
Hi Carrie, this is my first time visiting your site, so glad I found you. I was searching the web for ideas regarding my Hens & Chicks (my favorite also).My neighbor gave me a antique metal garden chair that is a mess, I thought I would clean and paint the metal, then attach the Hens & Chicks to the fared seat. I have had these succulents since 1997 when my neighbor gave me a huge succulent she had brought back from Vietnam. My challenge now is how to attach the soil to the plant. I will send you a picture once I have completed this project. Thanks, Victoria
I just wanted to say the e-mail address I gave you is my main address, but my Facebook & Pinterest accounts have my e-mail that I do not use much and that is (cakes2354@yahoo.com). I was not sure if that was important or not.