Succulent Teacup Arrangement (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Make Succulent Teacup Gardens

Succulent teacup gardens are lovely on windowsills, sunny shelves and outdoor tables, either individually or grouped. They're quick and easy to make and are ideal gifts for succulent lovers. When cuttings outgrow the cups, transplant them into larger pots or the garden. No need to add drain holes; simply water minimally. As you'll see, I've had a teacup arrangement thrive for 18 months!

Debra's Succulent Teacup video

Watch Debra's new DIY Succulent Teacup Gardens video (6:38)

In my new video, DIY Succulent Teacup Gardens (6:32), I use an assortment of cups to showcase colorful cuttings. Teacups---which often come in sets of china---tend to be unused and take up cupboard space. Give them new life as mini-planters. To make these cutting combos look high style, use dainty, thumbnail-sized rosettes. The more color the better, especially if it matches colors in the cup. If you also echo a pattern---like daisies or roses---your mini-garden will look amazing.

Teacup succulent garden

If a teacup has flowers in the design, add a few flowers to the arrangement.

How to Make a Succulent Teacup Garden, DIY

Materials for one teacup

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Tools and materials for succulent teacup gardens

Tools and materials for succulent teacup gardens

Method

  1. Assemble your cuttings. Trim lower leaves so each has about an inch of stem to insert into soil.
  2. Attach cup to saucer to secure it, so it won't slide, using museum putty or floral clay.
  3. Fill cup halfway with pumice and the rest with "cactus mix" potting soil...or just fill to the brim with cactus mix.
  4. Arrange cuttings, starting with the largest. Position it just off-center.
  5. Add assorted smaller cuttings until no soil shows.
  6. Optional: Add a dainty spray of succulent flowers.
  7. Brush spilled soil from the saucer.
  8. Dribble water onto the arrangement to clean and settle it.

Care

Once a week or so, depending on the weather, give the mini-garden about an ounce of water. Think of it as adding cream to your coffee. Soil dries out quickly in a small container, so there's little danger of roots rotting, especially if you've added pumice to absorb excess moisture. Aim to keep soil barely moist. An hour or two of sun daily keeps plants compact and colorful. Protect from frost. Don't let any nondraining container stay soggy due to rain or automatic irrigation.

Cuttings will likely root in a few weeks. As succulents grow, they can remain in the arrangement, or be transferred into a larger pot or the garden. Succulent flowers last about a week without water. Unlike cuttings, flowers won't root and will need replacing.

Succulents I used

For my video's three teacups, I used a cheerful assortment of cuttings from my garden, including Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg', Crassula 'Hummel's Sunset', Crassula tetragona, Crassula 'Baby's Necklace', Crassula platyphylla (regular and variegated), Crassula perforata 'Variegata', a spray of white flowers from Crassula multicava, Cremnosedum 'Crocodile', tiny aeonium rosettes (notably Aeonium 'Kiwi'), yellow and white sedum flowers, pale yellow aeonium flowers, Senecio serpens, Sedum rubrotinctum, Lampranthus deltoides, Portulacaria afra 'Variegata', and Kalanchoe daigremontiana. But it really doesn't matter.

Succulent Teacup garden

Sedum flowers enhance a succulent teacup garden that includes Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg', Aeonium 'Kiwi' and Crassula perforata 'Variegata'

See the video

In my new DIY Succulent Teacup Gardens video, you'll watch me assemble five different mini arrangements.

Succulents in water

Succulents in mug used as a vase (it's filled with water) create a simple bouquet. Note how the pink echeveria buds echo those in the mug's pattern.

Additionally, I used two mugs---one as a vase filled with water for a bouquet, and the other as a pot for a mammillaria cactus.

Mammillaria in mug

The mam's yellow flowers and bright green color are a perfect match for this mug.Yes, you can plant cacti in nondraining containers. Case in point is this precedent-setting one, below.

Mammillaria plumosa in teacup

Mammillaria plumosa I planted in a teacup 1-1/2 years ago

Also in the video I show a teacup I planted 18 months ago. The cup's  Mammillaria plumosa has nearly doubled in size!

Mammillaria plumosa in teacup

Mammillaria plumosa in teacup, newly planted

I chose that cactus originally because it's white and fluffy-looking, and it reminded me of whipped cream. What do you think: Does this suggest a cup of hot cocoa to you?

 

Make a Succulent Mug Gift Bouquet

Make a succulent mug gift bouquet the next time you need a little something for a friend or hostess. This transcends the traditional flower-stand bouquet and has utility long afterwards. 

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Vintage Containers for Succulents

Megan Boone of Nature Containers Vintage Garden Art uses cast-off objects to showcase succulents. As shown by the planted pick above, Megan brings elegance and whimsy to her artistry. I love how the aloe perfectly repeats the shape and color of the rusty metal, and also emphasizes its arc.

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Enjoyed this article? Please share it!

6 Comments

  1. Verna Poorbaugh on August 1, 2020 at 10:57 am

    Thanks for the great info, I will look into purchasing one of the books.

    • Debra Lee Baldwin on August 1, 2020 at 11:44 am

      Glad you found it helpful, Verna!

  2. Elaine Clokey on August 4, 2020 at 5:14 pm

    Thanks for sharing. These are just beautiful. I look forward to giving it a whirl.

  3. Debra Lee Baldwin on August 4, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    Thank YOU, Elaine!

  4. Maria13 on November 11, 2020 at 10:48 am

    Years ago inherited sweet small teacups from mom and grandma that I’ve never known what to do with. They will be getting planted with succulents and displayed in my kitchen. Thanks!

    • Debra Lee Baldwin on November 11, 2020 at 5:31 pm

      Hi Maria — I’m so pleased. Our lovely teacups deserve to be on display…in a fresh new way!

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