succulent planter muffin pan

Creative Succulent Displays!

by / 16 Comments / 1302 View / May 6, 2010

I’m always looking for new ways to display plants in the landscape or in container gardens.

When your “day job” is as a garden designer, it’s par for the course.

Here are two my my latest unconventional succulent plant displays that I hope will inspire you to think outside of the box in your garden!

These also make great gift ideas from the garden.

succulents planted in mini Coke glasses and gravel

Mosaic glass bottle and “mini Coca Cola glass” succulent planters make an interesting vignette.

 

The mosaic glass bottle has an interesting story behind it.

I bought it at a store for $50 dollars where it was sold to raise funds for the homeless artist who created it!

How could I go wrong with a proposition like this?

It was “win/win” my friends.

I ended up with a  beautiful ornament for my garden and a talented  homeless mosaic artist,  (who hopefully won’t be homeless for long) made some money!

 

close up of succulent plants

The Coke glasses are filled with gravel, a little washed sand, moss and succulent cuttings. The Dollar Store and Me!

 

One of my favorite “garden centers” is the Dollar Store!

Okay, it’s not really a garden center but they sell lots of items for under a dollar that I can convert into planters.

My latest find was a collection of miniature Coca Cola glasses that were priced  “two for a dollar!”

Trust me, the idea of drinking from these iconic glasses never occurred to me.

I had a vision of my sculptural succulent cuttings crowning the top of these puppies the moment I laid eyes on them!

 

My only concern was drainage.

I solved that issue by filling the glasses with gravel and topped them with a “nest” of moss that I filled with washed sand.

 

The succulent cuttings were taken from a variety of plants in my garden and were already calloused and ready to plant into the pre-moistened moss and sand combination.

I water once-a- week.

The succulents were free.

I had sand, moss and gravel in my shed.

I paid only for the glasses!

 

My total investment (minus the mosaic ornament) was $2 for, four, creative succulent planters!

Just about anyone can afford a couple of dollars right?

 

Repurposed Muffin Pan

Shirley Bovshow holds a muffin pan turned garden planter

I teased my audience on my show, the “Garden World Report” …”Wait till you see what I do with this muffin pan! ”

If you haven’t watched my show, you should!

 

The succulent cuttings look better in this muffin pan than the calories from the muffins would look on my thighs if I had used the pan to  actually bake sweet delights!

 

A repurposed muffin pan displays a variety of succulent cuttings!

 

Another one of my “mad ideas” is the “muffin pan as container” for shallow rooted plants.

I already had the pan in my kitchen and I just drilled a small hole in each pocket for drainage.

I was more concerned with moisture pooling against the metal than against the glass because metal corrodes.

 

As I did with the Coke glasses, the muffin holders were filled with pre-moistened moss and sand and succulent cuttings inserted.

Obviously, I won’t keep the succulent cuttings in the pan for a LONG time because they will outgrow their allotted space.

 

For now, I’m happy with it.

If you don’t want to repurpose your muffin pan as a planter, you can always use it as a creative way to share your cuttings with friends.

Make your garden cuttings look like a gift!

Presentation means a lot and your friends will appreciate the thought you put into it.

 

Don’t have a muffin pan?

They cost a dollar at the Dollar Store!

 

Watch this video of “succulent diva” Debra Lee Baldwin on my Garden World Report Show as we tour a “succulent pavillion” at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show.


 

Do something different in your garden this week and share your photos on my Facebook page with me!

16 Comment

  1. Wow! So beautiful Shirley… I am amazed with your creativity. I love the idea of muffin cans for your new planted succulent cuttings.

  2. oohh that’s awesome! it’s all in the creativity. great ideas.

  3. […] LOVE this repurposed muffin pan that Shirley Bovshow turned into a planter for succulent […]

  4. The succulents I used are common plants that you can find at any garden centers. You can also check online at http://www.SimplySucculents.com

  5. wow! these succulents are beautiful! can you tell me where i can get these varieties?

  6. Thank you.

  7. What a great Idea for an instant succulent garden.

  8. […] Why compost "certain" plants when you can use the cuttings (trimmings) to create new plants, or even a gorgeous container garden! […]

  9. Thanks Diane for your visit and nice comment. Keep me posted on your gardening adventures.
    Shirley

  10. Shirley, you have given me some creative ideas for Succulents I have just gotten into them in the last few years and love them. My favorite part of them is making new plants out of the original plant. I am going to bookmark this blog/website.. I have seen your videos and love your enthusiasm .

    Happy Gardening..

    Diane Mumm

  11. Hi Shirley!
    I met you with Miriam G. at the SF Garden Show. Your “creative succulant displays” remind me of my good friend Baylor Chapman of Lila B Design. Her stunning work often includes succulants. Check out the succulant wreath and other displays on the “older posts” second page of her blog.
    Mill

  12. What a creative idea! I am definitely going to be trying this one in my garden.

  13. Ooops here it is…

    http://blog.lilabdesign.com/

  14. Hi Shirley!
    I met you with Miriam G. at the SF Garden Show. Your “creative succulant displays” remind me of my good friend Baylor Chapman of Lila B Design. Her stunning work often includes succulants. Check out the succulant wreath and other displays on the “older posts” second page of her blog.
    Mill

  15. Hi Robert,
    Glad to hear you got some inspiration. Send me your video for the Garden World Report show. Would love to have you on again!
    Shirley

  16. Loved your succulent postings! Great ideas. In the past I have used old shoes and boots as succulent planters, it works nicely as well. Nice novelty item. Even though we have wet summers and dry winters the succulents thrive. SHirley you motivated me to do a Florida succulent segment for your show!

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