How to Make a Succulent Centerpiece

One of the first things you’re likely to see when you enter the GC office is a wide, shallow basin filled with succulents of all different colors and shapes, custom made by our in-house florist Ella Stavonsky (of Ask Ella fame). Among the GC staff, it’s a definite favorite– and one we’ve been eager to recreate for ourselves at home.

As an element of décor, this mini-garden idea is a triple threat: beautiful, easy to create, and low-maintenance. (Plus, it changes and evolves with time as the succulents grow.) For both long time and novice plant aficionados, succulent centerpieces are an elegant blend of home and garden that can be incorporated into many different styles. To create ours, Ella used a basin that has no external drainage, meaning you can place it on any surface you feel needs a little extra greenery (no coaster necessary).

This DIY leaves a lot of room for creativity– you can make it using a big or small basin, you can color coordinate your succulents, you can create a pattern with succulents of different sizes. To begin, you’ll need to settle on a sturdy basin, one that can comfortably support being filled with the weight of dirt, water, and sand. Similar to terrariums, the most important part is setting up the base and creating drainage within the pot. Begin by filling the bottom with wood chips, about halfway up. Next, fill the basin with soil– we recommend looking specifically for [easyazon_link identifier=”B006MY5KJO” locale=”US” tag=”gardcoll03-20″]soils that support succulents[/easyazon_link]. Place the succulents in the soil according to your aesthetic, and then finish the centerpiece off with a layer of [easyazon_link identifier=”B004BNBVMI” locale=”US” tag=”gardcoll03-20″]dark sand[/easyazon_link]. Ella advises watering only when the soil is completely dry. (Overwatering is a real concern.) Otherwise, you can let the centerpiece be without much followup care– an impressive, low-maintenance addition to any home.