It’s virtuous to be thrifty. But the truth is I like to flirt with outright stingy. Being an inverse snob means I’m always searching for new things and experiences that cost little, last a long time and satisfy me deeply – more so because of the low, low outlay.
Succulent pizzas have infinite color and combination options!
Photo Credit: Sarah E. Smith
Remember, don’t plant your succulents too deeply.
Photo Credit: Sarah E. Smith
The gravel mulch can butt right up against your succulents. (Just make sure the soil mix doesn’t.) This particular container is filled with
hens-and-chicks.
Photo Credit: Sarah E. Smith
My latest cheap thrill is the “succulent pizza.” It’s an eye-catching and undemanding micro-garden that offers a tasty slice of design trends for a happily modest investment. Since I got mine, no one crosses my petite porch without stopping mid-step and saying, “Wow, what is that? Where did you get it?” Poised prettily at the intersection of Latin and Asian, these little gardens definitely aren’t your grandmother’s pots of cacti and quartz.
The first step in your mini-garden creation is picking out the right pot. Debra Lee Baldwin, author of Designing With Succulents (Timber Press), says a bonsai pot works great. “They’re dressier than common clay or terra-cotta and come in appealing geometric shapes that play off the geometry of succulents,” she explains. “And because succulents are shallow-rooted, they’re fine in bonsai pots.”
Look for a pot about 10 inches across (make sure it has a drainage hole), then gather the rest of your supplies:
- A bag of cactus mix potting soil (or make an easy potting mix using ½ regular potting soil and ½ perlite)
- 3-9 very small, hardy succulent plants of one to three types (The most common, easy-to-grow choice is "Sempervivum, also known as hens-and-chicks.)
- A small amount of colored gravel and/or mega-marbles (clear, flat-sided glass beads often used in floral displays) in one to three colors (Pick colors that complement your bonsai pot. You can find these “toppings” at craft stores and garden centers, dollar stores or floral supply shops.)
Artist, gardener and instructor Ann Munson of West Linn, OR, makes succulent pizzas for her greenhouse studio sales. She says they sell like…well, hotcakes. Here are her easy-to-follow steps for creating your own succulent pizza:
- Fill pot with soil mix to 1½ inches from the rim.
- Remove plants from pots. (If there’s more than one baby plant entwined together, don’t hesitate to gently pull them apart so you can use them separately. Succulents root readily and will grow fast starting in spring.)
- Think about a simple overall pattern, and keep a couple principles in mind when figuring it out: Groupings of threes tend to be more interesting than even-numbered groups; and patterns that use opposing textures, colors and sizes are more intriguing (large vs. small or light vs. dark).
- Place plants into the potting mix, leaving 1-2 inches of space around each so they have room to grow. Don’t plant them deeply – aim for a little above soil level because succulents tend to rot. Think “high and dry.”
- Completely cover the exposed soil with a thin layer of colored gravel and/or mega-marbles in a simple pattern. (It’s perfectly fine if the gravel or marbles are mounded up a bit and touch the plants’ stems, leaves or crowns – as long as the dirt doesn’t.)
The design of the succulent pizza on my little porch reminds me of a three-banded flag – two borders of fine, pale-green gravel contrast with the dark green leaves of two rows of hens-and-chicks. This borders a fat middle stripe of red mega-marbles, the bigger size of which sets off the delicate foliage of three golden Japanese sedums. (It’s gorgeous!)
- Water the entire surface gently and thoroughly until water drains out the bottom of the container.
- Keep your succulent pizza under roof, eave or other overhead cover, but still in a sunny location like along a windowsill, in a sunroom or on a covered porch or deck. Succulents like to dry out fully between waterings, but don’t forget to water them once every couple of weeks. And don’t let them sit out in the rain.
Once you get a taste of how easy it is to assemble one succulent pizza, you’ll want to make two or three at a time while you have the materials. After all, they’re beautiful, affordable and make great gifts – and you’ll never have to worry about giving the same present as someone else!
