In this age of heightened portability and all things going the mobile way, one may well ask, why not gardens? Here’s the solution – container gardens; carry them where you go and if desired even use them as gifts!
The sheer paucity of space keeps many people just dreaming of having their own little patch of green. Such people satisfy their desires of owning a verdant piece of land they can call their own with mere cut flowers. These come and go and the latent urge keeps growing unassuaged.
Cute as a button, this arrangement of sixteen ‘hen and chicks’ variety of succulents is surprisingly low on maintenance and easy to grow.
However now there is an answer – here’s something which can fill an indoor space with spatial grandeur, needs low maintenance and is simple to grow. I am talking of succulent container gardens.
Living Gardens Landscape Design Inc. is a boutique garden design firm based in South Orange County, California known for creating outdoor rooms.
Head designer, Sacha McCrae strives to create elegant and functional spaces that allow families to relax, play and entertain in an extension of their home that blends effortlessly with the interior.
From container gardens and intimate courtyards to large estates, the firm’s attention to detail strives to create the beautiful space you long for. Born in London, England, Sacha McCrae was raised by parents who love to garden.
This family of succulent container gardens is busy soaking up sun, which is so good for them.
Sacha has traveled England and Europe extensively, she arrived in California in 2000 and has been greening people’s lives here ever since. Amongst Sacha’s repertoire is the range of succulent container gardens that are Lilliputian patches of sheer joy.
Fun can be had right from the participation of putting them together and then finally owning them.
Growing succulent plants in a container garden is easy and immensely satisfying. These come in an amazing array of colours and leaf textures and combining them is nothing short of exciting and interesting.
Colours and textures that you wouldn’t think would go together are put together in beautiful arrangements by Sacha. Pot choice is another aspect that she innovates with and all containers are filled with an ideal mix of potting soil well suited for growing succulents.
Sacha plays around with a variety of containers such as small latticed metal fruit bowls lined with sheet moss, white hand poured concrete troughs, clay containers, glazed clay containers, casted concrete shell shaped pots, wooden boxes, etc.
The white of this innovative casted concrete container sets off the beautiful green, red and blue tones of the succulent plants.
Client owned containers which just sit around the house too can be transformed into these delightful microcosmic gardens.
There is a whole gamut of varieties of succulent plants that Sacha uses to create her one-of-a-kind container gardens. Echeveria Elegans, Sempervivum Sunset, Kalanchoe Tomentosa, Pachyveria Glauca, Phormium ‘Yellow Wave’, Senecio Rowleyanus ‘String of Pearls’, Echeveria ‘Alma Wilson’ and Sempervivum ‘Ruby Heart’ are just a few that belong to her comprehensive arsenal.
A shell encrusted casted concrete container; just one more from Sacha’s innovative collection.
About the care involved for keeping a succulent container garden looking its best, it just cannot be simpler. The soil part is taken care of by Sacha and she merely advices her clients on three issues, those being water, sun and fertiliser.
Watering has to be done only when the soil has dried out completely; this could mean once in anything like 5-10 days. Full sun is good for these arrangements and one must strive to give them as much sun as possible.
A casted concrete shell shaped pot adds to the inherent charm of the succulent plant assemblage.
Feeding with a controlled-release fertiliser in the beginning of the season or weekly with a weak liquid solution is also advised. A periodic removal of dead leaves from the bottom of each plant helps control pests; and that is it!
Succulent container gardens provide a convenient way to green your indoor space be it office or home; one that is low on effort and high on result and which ably underlines the key relationship of mankind with nature.
Text By Mala Bajaj
Photographs Courtesy Living Gardens Landscape Design
Contact
web: www.livinggardenslandscapedesign.com
