The best pots for succulents have drainage holes. Use soil specifically for cacti and succulents. There’s no need to put rocks at the bottom of the pot—that’s just an old gardening legend. FIll the pot with lightly pre-moistened soil. Then you can tuck in potted plants from the nursery, or plant cuttings, or both. It only takes a couple of minutes to plant a succulent!
Think about Color
The prettiest arrangements have contrasting colors. Succulents come in so many shades, you’ll have a hard time choosing!
Think about Shape
Look for plants which stand tall, some of which grow low, and some of which creep or spill over the sides of the pot. Some are round, others are spiky, some are delicate, others are chunky. Try to highlight a mix of shapes and textures in your pot.
Remember the Rule of Three
For some strange reason, the human eye likes odd numbers better than even, and it really likes 3’s. Succulents are so bold and sculptural that it often works just fine to have only one plant in a pot—that way the shape of the succulent is showcased. Three different plants in a pot look balanced yet dynamic. But two plants in a pot can look awkward, as if they are competing with each other. Similarly, three different colors in a pot look better than two different colors. Always, odd numbers seem to work better: five is better than four, and so on.
Arranging a Pot of Succulents
Photo via tended.wordpress.com
Pack Them In
Succulents are easy to trim and repot, and don’t grow super fast, so don’t be afraid to fill your pot up with plants—that way it will look good from the start. Later you can pull or cut back plants if it starts to look crowded. All those cuttings can be used to make new plants!
Keep It in the Family
Succulents have such specific water and soil needs that it is easiest to plant succulents with other succulents, rather than making arrangements with succulents mixed with other types of plants.
Freshen Up Your Pots
Succulents grow, so eventually you might find your cute arranged pot isn’t so cute anymore, but instead sprawling and leggy and tired looking. This is easy to fix! Using propagation techniques, you can trim and repot your succulent in just a few minutes, and probably have enough extra material to make new pot.
