Last year, while perusing Big Lots for garden and outdoor decor, I found a sweet set of Gnomes with an Airstream trailer and some camping paraphernalia. I scooped it up and made a garden in a large round container.
I kept indoors over the winter, trying to save as many of the succulents as possible. I was successful with about 1/3 of the plants once Spring rolled around again.
So, it was time to regroup, replant, and once again set my little Gnome couple back into the camping mode.
Here's what it looked like after the winter was over.
Not too shabby considering that succulents like a dry hot setting.
The Jade (right) and Ogre Ears (left) flourished pretty well.
The Echeveria (front)...not so much. These flower-like succulents really need sunlight. When they are deprived, they will grow up and become "leggy" as they reach for the sun. In addition, they will bend. Once this had occurred, they will never go back to the compact "flower" they once were.
But, you can salvage it if you're willing to put in the time.
If you snap off a few of the hearty leaves, right at the "trunk" of the plant and then lay them in damp (not wet) soil in a few weeks you will have these sweet little babies.
Keep them in the sun as much as possible and ONLY WATER when the soil is dry. I use a large syringe to direct water below their little leaves.
Once you are ready to plant them, just pull off the large leaf and place them right on top of damp soil. Their roots will grab and take hold.
Now, back to the garden...
I removed all of the pieces, including dead plants and the Echeveria in the front.
I also made sure to check out the Jade and Ogre Ears for leaves that were spent. These too get removed.
I scraped my hands through the soil to get larger bits of the debris before I added a topping of clean Cactus Soil.
TIP: While you can essentially plant succulents in regular soil, it's BEST to plant them in a cactus soil made for these type of plants. Because succulents thrive best in dry settings, you want your soil to drain quickly once it's been wetted. The plants like to have very dry feet
Here's what I had with to restart with.
I placed my Gnome couple, the camper, and the campfire where I wanted them to be.
I had taken an early trip to Lakeside Nursery and picked up my first round of succulents. It's by no means the last trip and I was there for other flowers and quickly grabbed a few to start.
I don't know about you, but these are my favorite type of plants and I just absolutely LOVE THEM!!!
Echeveria varieties are my favorite. These resemble peonies but are hardier and easier to grow.
When you take the succulent out of it's growing pot, hold it gently as close to its stem as possible. Look for dried and dead leaves around the base of the plant. Gently pull them and they will come right off. You can also pull leaves that are starting to brown or are starting to look transparent - like they are water-logged. These leaves will also feel squishy and not firm like healthy leaves.
You can also pull off the bottom half of the root ball. Gently shake and work the soil loose.
I planted two varieties in this pot. Look at the purples and pinks with the soft frosted greens in this one. It's so beautiful.
The frosty blue-green on this Echeveria is beautiful as well. You can see the small Jade shoots I replanted from another pot just behind this plant.
A good trick when planting succulents is to add small rocks and stones in areas where there is "free space." I think it adds an organic touch to all my pots. It's where they would be in nature anyway.
And here's to pot all done.
My sweet Gnome couple is just swinging away, in front of their campfire, beside their gnome away from gnome. (Dad joke!)
Notice the layers of rocks and the Echeveria babies next to the camper.
Part of the appeal of using little vignettes with succulents is that you don't have rapid growth that eventually covers over your little creatures and the setting. If you add traditional plants, you will need to groom and prune them often or they will be lost under the jungle of growth.
But again, there are no rules, so just plant what you want and enjoy it.
I'm calling this pot a success. The little Gnome couple seems happy with it!
Happy Saturday!
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