Reclaimed wood. Just google it to see its popularity for yourself. I’m not sure when reclaimed wood became such a “thing” but it sure did. Everything from mirrors to headboards to bookshelves is made out of reclaimed wood these days. Such wares are then sold in the hundreds to thousands of dollars range online. Hard to believe! So let’s claim some of this wood by making DIY succulent and cacti planters to enjoy! After all, you are coupling two of the biggest trends circling now. Reclaimed wood + succulents. You can’t loose. While out and about to various nurseries and garden centers this past week, I discovered that retailers manufacture fake logs containing fake succulents. But I can’t go there. Tacky to my taste. I prefer the real deal with real plants nestled into real wood. Do you agree? And many thanks to Altman Plants who supplied all the stunning succulents and cacti for this post. Altman Plants are dreamy. No doubt because they’ve been in the plant business for 40 years! So lots of pictures today for eye-popping visual stimulation. Besides, you know how vain succulents are! Always doing selfies. Such posers. Boasting their brilliance on Instagram. But I digress. Let’s get started.
Dream dream dream…where to get wood for your wood planters?
Do you ever go for a walk and just go into “the zone.” The baby loves being carried in a backpack and the exercise keeps my brain fresh. While strolling, I always keep my eyes peeled. Sometimes it’s garbage picking on my mind, other times juices start flowing for creative projects I’d like to tackle.
These days, I’ve been scoping out pieces that would be a good host to my succulent plants. My focus was on wood because wood is so trending right now. Especially reclaimed wood, can’t say it enough!
Two ideas came to mind. Hollowed out logs and driftwood. Since we burn wood, we have lots to choose from. You might have a pile to sift through, too. Or, you can check the neighbors stack of wood. Or just ask your mom.
Driftwood popped into my brain as a second unique option for a succulent planter or centerpiece. Especially with the summery cottage vibe in the air. Living fairly close to Lake Ontario the pickings are prime for us. Hopefully you have access to a Lake or waterfront that will yield your own driftwood for free. Or maybe you know someone who has Lake or beach access who can bring you back a piece. You can buy driftwood online fairly cheaply as well.
These two pieces of driftwood yanked at my heartstrings. I knew these were the right pieces for me! You’ll feel the exact same way when you spot the wood you’ll use for your DIY succulent planters and centerpieces. Such character and charisma!
Keep in mind, that you’re free to use these showstoppers inside or out. Perhaps both for some bold excitement! This bigger piece of driftwood would have been far too large to consider bringing inside by any means. I struggled to move it by myself! The smaller one would could have worked indoors, but I found an idyllic spot for it in my perennial bed so there she stays.
Most succulents have shallow and fibrous roots making them very easy to dig up and replant. Take your time when replanting, even a day or more to allow the roots to heal over before being watered. Their shallow root system is what allows them to be planted in such vessels at all.
Hollowed be thy name….
You can always use a tool to manually hollow out a log to use as a planter. But if you can find one with an existing trench even better! This log was born to be a succulent planter with its trench that’s not too shallow or too deep. Ideal for succulents! Just the rustic flare I was hoping for!
I used a special soil formulated for cacti and succulents when I repotted mine into the driftwood and wood logs. But overall, you’re just looking for a sunny location with well-drained soil. Generous amounts of coarse drainage material such as sharp sand, pumice, grit, or small pebbles are ideal for encouraging aeration of the roots. Never let succulents get waterlogged!
Hole in a log makeover – Before
Got an empty hole? As long as it’s not in your head, fill it with a succulent. This perfectly circular hole in this found log just “spoke to me.” Spot-on for the string of pearls succulent that’s feeling spiffy in its new home. Just add a little potting soil or the soil formulated for cacti and succulents. Either way, the plant won’t fuss too much as long as you don’t overwater!
Hole in a log makeover – After
Log planters and myself are just two peas in a pod! Or should I have said two pearls in a pod? Nevermind. Seriously, this string of pearls succulent is stunning snuggled into my forget-me-nots. Like most succulents, string of pearls need bright light, infrequent watering and well-draining soil. I know they can product a long, elegant and string-like trailing stem, up to 3 feet! Fingers crossed here! I have found that water is the biggest issue with this plant, it does not like to be overwatered. The best sign that your string of pearls wants water is that the leaves will start to look a little shriveled. Don’t wait until they are 100% shriveled as that might be too late. They can tolerate direct light, but this log is in bright, but indirect light. The trees provide it afternoon shade.
Most landscapes remind of a lame game of duck duck goose but instead it’s bush bush tree. Boring! It should be bush, tree, wood planter, rain chain, driftwood art. Let’s add some popping pizzazz to your yard and landscape with rustic wood appeal. Spice up that garden. Individualize this space and make it different than your neighbors. Time to get off the beaten path. My lone Johnny-jump-up is just melting my heart!
I call this my bridge shot. That wood bridge just tops off my succulents so nicely. The front plant is called Key Lime Pie and consequently I don’t think a cuter name is even possible! Those plump, fan-shaped leaved edged with crinkles get my heart thumping every time I gaze at it. I was pleased to read that it does well indoors as its far too cold in my climate to leave succulents out all winter.
I water this plant when the soil is dry and the leaves start to shrink a bit, never before as I’ve noted Key Lime Pie does NOT like to be overwatered, even a bit. Don’t want those roots to rot!
I water this plant when the soil is dry and the leaves start to shrink a bit, never before as I’ve noted Key Lime Pie does NOT like to be overwatered, even a bit. Don’t want those roots to rot!
This driftwood piece in particular makes a lovely table centerpiece. Kitchen table or dining room table, your choice! Bring it in for a party or use it on your outdoor table for some serious succulent swag. Regardless, you have yourself a solid conversation piece! No more excuses for awkward silences when company visits.
It’s not that I don’t see the weeds (because I do!) It’s just that I’ve decided to embrace the Japanese art form of Wabi-sabi. It’s so easy to appreciate this new hands-off approach to gardening so there’s hope for us imperfect gardeners. Tom and I welcome the Wabi-sabi concept to our garden that accepts this natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. Natural elements like wood and stone are central to this going with the flow theme. So no sweat over the weeds because this is laid-back gardening. Non-fussy plants like succulents snuggled into wood. The overgrown forget-me-nots fit right in my perfectly imperfect garden.
The small chewed up holes give this piece of driftwood such special character. The shape almost reminds me of reindeer antlers. Pieces of succulents fell off during the “filming” of this post. It happens. Waste not because luckily succulents are easy to propagate, especially those that form offsets of smaller plants. Let the offset sit for a day, so the stem forms a callus before potting.
Not all succulents are created equal. Time has taught me that some are most definitely easier to grow and less fragile than others. The very bottom plant in this collection is called a watch chain. Perfect name! It’s my first time growing a watch chain and what a wonderful experience. Altman plants certainly sent me a lovely specimen to enjoy!
Even without the succulents I’d love this log of driftwood sitting in my garden. More like showcasing a unique art piece. But the succulents are the icing on the cake. Keep in mind that if you live in an area with frost, most succulents need to be moved indoors for protection during the cold months. Place them on a cool, sunny windowsill or sun porch.
Two happy logs. That’s my affectionate nickname for this shot. They are just so happily situated in my back perennial beds that there’s no other way to phrase. it. Rustic and woodsy gardening at its best! The green and red plant on the first log to the left is called Sedum “Firestorm.” Prior to receiving my shipment of succulents and cacti from Altman Plants, I had wondered if the plants would look like the pictures, or would just look vaguely familiar from the pictures. Hardly recognizable from stock photo’s. I was pleasantly surprised! This plant looked exactly as I was hoping, full fiery red color and lots of fleshy leaves. Wonderful!
I love looking at my pieces in the garden for lots of reasons, one of which is that depending on the angle, I get a unique perspective. From this vantage point, the driftwood nestled into my perennial bed looks like some sort of bird. A fierce bird even! At any moment, it seems like the bird might launch an attack! But at other angles, this piece looks like an elegant swan. It’s all about your perspective. I can’t end this post without telling you about the kalanchoe to the right in the photo. It’s appropriately named flapjacks, perfect….right? This succulent is sure to stun so I’m giving one last shout out to Altman plants. My plant was nicer than the stock photo used on their website. And I know that succulents are slow growing but I already have two new leaves at the top. Awesome plant! Probably my favorite of the bunch. I know…I know mom’s don’t have favorites!
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