Succulent garden container
Less water usage and less time spent lugging around hoses are two very compelling reasons for growing at least a few succulent containers. Besides thriving on neglect, succulents have some of the most interesting foliage in the plant world. These often-overlooked gems are unflinching in the face of drought, heat, wind, suffering and—certainly not least—gardeners.
Designing a container garden
Approach your container design the way any good landscape designer approaches an entire yard. Size, shape, colour coordination, purpose and placement are all facets to consider. Container gardens are particularly suitable for the fickle among us: instead of having to change an entire landscape each year, we can just change our container plantings as whimsy takes us.
Choosing containers
Containers come in all shapes and sizes and can be made of a myriad of materials. Some include concrete, ceramic, terracotta, metal, rubber and even lightweight plastic that will fool you into believing you are looking at an example of old-world craftsmanship.
It doesn’t matter what you use as a container as long as its size allows for enough potting mix volume to support the number of plants you want to grow. Most succulents are fairly shallow rooting, and therefore, don’t require deep containers.
The container must have holes to allow for drainage: if yours doesn’t, nest a plastic liner inside of it, and check that water isn’t pooling inside. If the container is going to sit directly on a patio, balcony or deck, place it on small blocks or ceramic feet and consider placing a saucer underneath to catch runoff.
Containers made from unglazed clay tend to allow potting mix to dry out a bit quicker than those made from plastic, glazed ceramic or metal. However, this isn’t an issue if you are growing succulents.
Go for a theme: because of their origins and interesting forms, succulents lend themselves beautifully to containers with strong, modern shapes, as well as to simply shaped southwestern styles.
Planting made easy
- Prepare your container. Succulents have a deep hatred for wet feet, so start with a well-drained, soilless potting mix.
- Space plants close together. Succulents won’t spread much in one growing season; space plants according to what looks good rather than according to the instructions on the plant tag.
- Water them in well. A good initial watering is important to get your succulents established. After that, their demands are few—a bit of fertilizer, a hot, sunny spot in your yard and a little water when the potting mix is dry.
Succulents worth growing
“Succulent” is one of those expressive words the plant world uses to describe a large group of plants that share the common distinction of being able to store moisture in their fleshy leaves, stems or roots. That, along with other physiological features, allows the plants to survive in arid conditions.
We divide our succulents into two groups: Cold Tolerant Succulents and Tender Succulents (those that won’t survive our winter if kept outdoors). See Jim’s Tips for Over-wintering Tender Succulents. Here is just a small sampling of succulents worth growing.
Cold-tolerant succulents
Sedum
‘Autumn Joy’ |
Sedum
‘Blue Spruce’ |
Sedum
‘Frosty Morn’ |
Sedum acre
Goldmoss Stonecrop |
Sedum ewersii
Stonecrop |
Sedum kamtschaticum
Russian Stonecrop |
Sedum spathulifolium
Cape Blanco |
Sedum spectabile
'Brilliant' Showy Stonecrop |
Sedum spurium
Two Row Stonecrop |
Sedum telephium
‘Matrona’ |
Sempervivum spp.
'Hen and Chicks' |
Sempervivum arachnoideum
‘Rubrum’ |
Tender succulents
Cotyledon
‘Chalk Stick Fingers’ |
Aeonium
‘Zwartkop’ |
Echeveria
Echeveria |
Sedum
‘Jelly Beans’ |
Jim’s tips for over-wintering
Tender succulents
Unlike hardy succulents, tender varieties must be moved indoors for the winter. However, because succulents are such a large species with huge variations in tolerance for cool temperatures and dark conditions, you can’t always expect perfect results. Here’s what worked for me. Last fall, I experimented and gave a small container of succulents a comfortable winter home in my unheated (2 to 5 C), completely dark garage. Other than providing them with the company of a butternut squash I was saving for an autumn dinner, that’s all the care I offered them. They didn’t get a speck of sunlight or a drop of water for four months. When I brought them into my living room in the spring, they resumed growing and were none the worse for their winter storage. Sadly, the same cannot be said for my forgotten and incredibly fuzzy butternut squash.
Move tender succulents indoors before the first hard frost.
Place the container in a cool, dry location. An unheated garage is a perfect spot.
Bring container into a warm, well-light room in early February and place it next to a sunny window. Water the container well once to promote the breaking of dormancy, and then water only very sparingly or not at all.
Acclimatize succulents to outdoor conditions by moving the container outside on warm, sunny spring days, but keep an eye on the weather forecast. Once night frosts are no longer a concern, you can leave your container garden outdoors for the rest of the season.
For more in-depth information on succulents in the garden, see Jim’s articles at http://www.enjoygardening.com/.
Water garden container
If you’ve ever dreamt of having a water garden but had nightmares about digging the hole and keeping it full of water, a pond in a pot is the perfect conservation solution. Aside from being maintenance-manageable, water bowls are available in many sizes and can be grouped to create more than one water feature, depending on your space or desire.
Choosing containers
Picking a container for a pond-in-a-pot simply involves choosing one that is watertight (has no drainage holes) and is made of material that will not rust. The size is dependent upon how much space you have and if weight is an issue. If the container is going to sit directly on a patio, balcony or deck, place it on small blocks or ceramic feet. If you wish to add fish, your container needs to hold at least 19 L (5 gallon) of water. It will also require a small circulating pump and plants that provide shade and protection. Be vigilant about topping up the water as it evaporates.
Creating a simple water feature
- Pick a sunny spot. Water bowl gardens need at least six hours of sun a day. If that sunny spot is your deck or balcony, be sure it can support the weight of a heavy water bowl.
- Choose a variety of plants. If your container is deep, use bricks to vary the height and/or meet the plant’s depth requirements. Disguise the supports with miniature floating plants or decorative features, such as gazing balls, floating candles and ceramic figures.
- Keep algae under control. Adding blue pond tints to the water will help filter out the sunlight algae require for growth. A pump will help control algae growth and keep water from becoming stagnant.
Water plants worth growing
Ceratophyllum demersum
Hornwort |
Cyperus
‘King Tut’ |
Cyperus involucratus
Umbrella Plant |
Eichornia crassipes
Water Hyacinth |
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
Frogbit |
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
Pennywort |
Hygrophilla
‘Scarlet’ |
Lemna
Duckweed |
Lysimachia nummularia
Golden Creeping Jenny |
Myriophyllum aquaticum
Parrot feather |
Nymphaea
Water Lily |
Pistia Stratiotes
Water Lettuce |
Jim’s tips for over-wintering water plants
Generally speaking, any water plants used in water garden containers will not survive winter outdoors in Canada. Instead, try one of these options:
- If you have a sunny room, set your water garden up indoors. The plants won’t look great over the winter but they will likely survive and perk up again once you move them outdoors the following spring.
- Place floating plants and smaller water plants in a fish tank with an overhead light.
- Fill a large plastic tote with plants and a few centimetres of pond water, and place it in a cold storage room. Check the plants periodically.