12 Succulent Bouquets to Inspire You

12 Succulent Bouquets to Inspire You ~ When wired onto faux stems, succulent rosettes—despite having no roots, soil or water—make long-lasting floral bouquets. Echeverias, graptosedums, crassulas and kalanchoes lend themselves beautifully to bouquets because of their colorful leaves and floral shapes. They’re easy to attach to stems, need no water (because they live off moisture in their leaves), look…

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Ways to Make Money with Succulents

I originally published this in Dec., 2017. Since then, how many of these have come to pass? Hm…seems there’s still time to grab a slice of the market!  Whenever I’m asked how to find certain succulents or services that are in short supply, I wonder why so few offer them. After all, there’s clearly money to be made! If you or others who…

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DIY Floral-Style Succulent Centerpiece

Check Out My Online Class! Make a lush, colorful succulent combo It looks difficult, but it’s simple once you know how. With the help of the step-by-step instructions and photos that follow, you’ll soon be making your own lovely DIY floral-style succulent centerpieces, gift arrangements, and more. Design by Fresh Chic, a division of CW…

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Make a Bouquet of Succulents

Elaborate succulent bouquet of wired rosettes

When I need a hostess gift, thank-you present, or an arrangement for a special friend, I make a bouquet of succulents. I start by selecting a coffee mug or glass container (usually a jar, thrift-store vase, or clear bottle), the size of which determines the size of the arrangement. Then I head into the garden with clippers.…

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Holiday Decorating with Succulents

Above: Using succulent cuttings from my garden, I create a wreath suitable for an entry, garden wall or gate. Such wreaths also work well as table centerpieces (laid flat) and make great hostess gifts. Quick & clever decorating ideas This time of year, the succulent elves bundle up, go into the garden, and transform it into…

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Got a Pot? Elevate it!

Fenestraria aurantiaca (Diana Clark)

Potted plants look better atop stands. See how this time-honored Asian aesthetic applies especially well to succulents in art pots in my new video, above. It features San Diego designer Diana Clark, who created the plant-pot pairings shown here. As you look at them, ask yourself: Does the stand matter? Would the composition look just…

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Lophocereus schotii (Totem Pole Cactus)

Succulent expert Don Newcomer showed me a rare columnar, spineless cactus from Mexico: Lophocereus schotii (totem pole cactus). It can be chubby and lumpy, tall and skinny, or columnar and spiral-forming. Lophocereus (Pachycereus) schotii has spines. The monstrose form has club-shaped trunks with spineless protuberances. There are three monstrose varieties: fat (obesa), spiral (spiralis) and skinny or totem…

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