Connecticut Garden Journal: Decorate with succulents

I hope everyone is having a good Thanksgiving break. This time of year it's nice to do some indoor craft and gardening projects. One of my favorites is decorating with indoor succulents. Succulent plants have become very popular for their low maintenance and interesting shaped and colored leaves. They don't require much water, especially in winter, but do need a brightly lit room to grow well and not get leggy. There are many ways to decorate with succulents. You can pot up a single, dramatic succulent such as an aloe vera or jade plant as a centerpiece for the holidays. Another method is to purchase many small succulents in 1 or 2 inch diameter pots and group them together in a shallow decorative container. The advantage of these small plants is they're easy to work with, less expensive and fun to mix and match for their colors and shapes. Use an 8 or 10 inch diameter container and plant small versions of different types of cactus, echeverias, milk trees, sedums and hens and chicks. You can even plant some cascading succulents such as string of pearls for the edge. Some gardeners love containers with all the same types of succulent, while others like to mix and match different colored and shaped plants. Plant in cactus mix potting soil in a container with a drainage hole. Water well at first, then let the pot dry out completely between waterings. Decorate the planting with rocks, pebbles and even moss. Pack the plants together. Even though they will eventually need replanting as they grow, these indoor succulent containers will look great for the holidays.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.