Succulents are great plants, easy to love and take care of. Succulents are not just for those with a green thumb, they are for those who love green but can’t seem to keep them alive. In recent years succulents have gained popularity, mostly because they are so “user-friendly”. So, if you like having plants inside but have a not-so-green thumb, you need to dive into the succulents world.
Succulents come in a variety of shapes colors even textures. Succulents for the most part, are divided into two categories soft succulents and hard succulents. Hard succulents are the ones that require a little less care and adjust to multiple environment easily. Soft succulents are better suited for indoor use as they require less light and less water. Well, all succulents require less water but you know what we mean. Right now some of the trendy succulents are in the Haworthia family. Haworthia are great for indoors as they require both little light and little water. They are a great succulent to showcase alone and will take all the attention when used in an arrangement. There are many different Haworthias. They all look like mini aloes or mini agaves. They have different patterns and colors and yes, they do bloom.
The Haworthia Concolor has deep green outer leaves and lighter green in the center. They are speckled with tiny white spots as if sprinkled with powder sugar. Haworthia Limifolia has soft horizontal, off white lines. The lines give it a beautiful texture look. Haworthia Fasciata aka Zebra Plant is one of the most desired one of the Haworthias. Like the Haworthia Fasciata, it also has horizontal lines but it’s lines are more defined and stand out more. The white is brighter and the green deeper, making the contrast just pop. Another difference is the shape of the leaves, one, the Limifolia, has wider leaves while the Fasciata has thinner, longer, and more erect.
The Echeveria family is desirable and well known amongst succulent lovers. The Echeveria’s are a big family which is great because you can’t get tired of them! There are about 150 different species of Echeveria plants.
Look at what we found on the Mountain Crest website
This pack comes with 16 plants. As you can see, they come in different colors and shapes. While they are mostly in a rose pattern, the shape of the leaves differs.
The leaves on this Echeveria Shaviana are more petal-like and so is the layout of the rosette.
This is their Pink Lare trio.! They have beautiful dusty rose colors. The powder like on them is a natural protectant the plants creates to keep healthy.
The image on the right shows how you can use them as gifts or wedding favors. For this purpose, they are sold in flats with a variety of plants.
Go to Mountain Crest Gardens website to find everything you need to make you favors. https://mountaincrestgardens.com/glass-votive-cups-multiple-styles/
Succulent arrangements center pieces too. Like flowers, succulents ad life and beauty to center pieces. Next time you are hosting a dinner party consider using succulents for your décor.
Succulents are the gift that keeps on giving. After using it in a center piece, you can reuse them in your garden or make other arrangements. You can also propagate them and use them as gifts.
Most succulents are very easy to propagate. Some variety put out pups all around them while some can be grown from cuttings and through leaf propagation. Leaf propagation is almost magical. It is a great surprise when you go out to the garden or even in your indoor pots and notice that a fallen leaf has rooted and it’s starting to put out a pup. Succulent leaves that accidentally fall off or that are gently taken off manually can be laid in soil for rooting. Lay your leaves on the dirt and see the magic happen! They don’t have to be kept we, you just spray them from time to time.
It is so easy to grow them from cuttings. Whether you are getting the cutting from your own pot or when your friend gives you the cuttings after giving her plant a haircut, you can use those cuttings to grow them into beautiful plants. You can put cuttings directly in the soil or give them a couple of days to form a callous at the end. When putting them directly in the dirt, avoid watering that pot or the spot for a couple of days to minimize the risk of rotting the ends. When you give your cuttings a chance to callous over, the risk of rotting is minimized.
How do you decide when to use cuttings vs using rooted plants in an arrangement? The reason it is good to use cuttings in arrangements is that they will maintain their current shape longer since they will concentrate on making roots rather than growing. This is great for fast growing succulents. Rooted plants can just continue to grow at their normal pace once they acclimate to their new home.
Succulents are so user friendly and forgiving. They are the perfect plant for beginners and for people that are looking for low maintenance plants.
Comments