Mini Succulent Garden Ideas
You'll love these clever ideas for creating a mini succulent garden! Even if you don't have much space, you'll definitely be able to fit these succulents in your home.
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Why is it that tiny things are so cute? I've had a few different mini succulent garden ideas on my mind for a while, but hadn't found the right succulents to use. But…
I finally found the perfect tiny succulents to go in these tiny gardens.
The best part? You don't need much to create most of these small gardens and people will “ooh and aah” over them. Let's start with what you'll need:
- Small succulents (click here to purchase the varieties I used in this post)
- Sphagnum moss
- Floral glue
And, of course you need the planters for your succulents. There are 9 different ideas in this post, but there are plenty more things you could plant in too! Find something that makes you happy, and get started.
Other items you may want to have on hand are:
- Tweezers
- Chopstick
- Small paint brush
- (This mini garden tool kit is seriously awesome!!! It has all the tools above plus a few more.)
- Top dressings
- Coconut coir or succulent soil
Using floral glue
You can really use just about any glue to adhere your succulents and moss to the planter you are using. However, after trying a variety of glues, I found that Oasis Floral Adhesive is far and away the easiest option to work with and keeps the succulents most secure.
The great thing about the Oasis glue is it dries fairly quickly. You have enough time to put the glue on your planter/succulent/moss and set your items in place. But, it stiffens up quickly enough that you don't have to hold your succulents in one spot for more than a few seconds. It's really great!
Other options I'd recommend are hot glue and Aleene's Clear Tacky Glue. The tacky glue takes longer to dry, but it sticks better to the succulents than hot glue. Hot glue dries quickly, but it also peels off easily (which is good and bad…).
Sphagnum moss
I have a love/hate relationship with sphagnum moss. It is amazing for projects like those you'll see in this post. But… it's super messy. Things will go much more smoothly if you have a small bin you can put water in to soak the moss.
Squeeze out as much excess water as you can before you place the moss in your project. Dripping wet moss can cause the succulents to rot, but bone dry moss is extremely difficult to work with.
Assembling your project
Most of the mini succulent gardens you see in these photos took just a couple minutes to make. To start, squeeze floral glue on any areas you want the sphagnum moss to stick to.
Next, you'll place the moss on the glue (remember to squeeze it out first).
Once the moss is in place, just add succulents. You can purchase the tiny varieties of succulents I used in this post by clicking here. Another great way to get tiny succulents is to propagate succulents from leaves.
My original plan for these projects was to use succulents I had propagated. However… when I sunburned most of the batch I was propagating that foiled my plan. But, these tiny Sempervivums and Jovibarba hirtas were a great alternative! (click here to purchase the varieties I used in this post)
After you've added in the succulents, you can also add a few small pebbles (aka top dressing) to finish things off. I used top dressings on a few, but not all of my mini succulent gardens.
Tiny potted succulents
I follow quite a few succulent addicts on Instagram, and I started noticing quite a few using adorable tiny pots from Zebra Wing Studio. She makes the cutest little pots! Her selection varies from time to time, but all of the pots in the photo below are from her.
Everything about these pots is fun. Plus, you can even get them with drainage holes! I filled these with coconut coir rather than moss or my usual soil since tiny pots like this (even without drainage) will dry out much faster than normal.
If you'd rather not make your own mini succulent garden, you can purchase one already made from Good Morning Cactus. Every piece she makes is unique and they are all so gorgeous! Follow her on Instagram to see when she'll have arrangements available.
Another fun pot option are these concrete pots by Concrete Geometric. The gold accents really make them look unique. The succulents I used for these three are all really great for growing indoors. They grow slowly and don't need a lot of light.
This is a little more basic, but I have fallen in love with tiny terra cotta pots. Mountain Crest Gardens has several small sizes like this and they are super cheap. I have a hard time not ordering 50 of them!
Get creative!
A while ago my mother-in-law ordered a set of cute ceramic measuring cups for me for my birthday. However, when they arrived they were broken. Fortunately, the company replaced them without any hassle and let me keep the broken pieces. They were perfect for planting succulents!
I created this one to look like a miniature landscape. The succulents in the back that look like trees are a new favorite of mine! However, in making most of these mini gardens, I ended up using Jovibarba hirta varieties and they quickly found a place in my heart. They seem to tolerate low light fairly well and I love how tiny and perfect the rosettes are! The pointed leaves and tinges of red are really amazing.
Keeping on with the kitchen theme, I also used a heart shaped measuring spoon that I never used. It's much more fun now that it's filled with succulents. I added some top dressing to this one for a little variety and contrast. I also had a tiny pitcher (maybe from a toy set?) that was begging to be filled with succulents.
Sempervivum ‘Purple Beauty', Sedum reflexum ‘Blue Spruce' (click here to purchase) Portulacaria afra, Sedum clavatum, Jovibarba hirta soboliferum (click here to purchase)
My grandparents had a walnut tree while I was growing up and I have fond memories of collecting walnuts at their house. They still get a few from their neighbors and last year my grandma gave me a few. After pulling out the nuts, I decided I should plant succulents in the shells! It took me a year to get to it, but I finally did.
Sea shells and dried urchins also make really interesting planters for succulents. A little moss and glue and you're set!
Jovibarba ‘Hedge Hog', Sempervivum arachnoideum ‘Rubrum', Sedum hispanicum ‘Blue Carpet' Sedum spectabile ‘Rocky', Crassula lycopoides, Sempervivum ‘Oddity'
As you can see, there are so many options when it comes to planting succulents in unusual items. But, I'm sure you are wondering…
How long will they last?
If you water every few days, your mini succulent garden can last several weeks and even months. It all depends on how much room there is for the roots to grow.
The seashells are definitely a short term home for succulents, but tiny pots can house your succulents for quite a while. Using the sphagnum moss allows the succulents to absorb the water they need to stay alive. It may be difficult for them to get enough water to grow much larger.
As they do outgrow their container, gently remove them and plant them in a more traditional pot for succulents. Then put more in the unusual item and start the process over again!
I'm always amazed with how well succulents survive with little to no room to grow, planted in just moss or a tiny bit of soil. Using these tiny little Sempervivums and Jovibarba hirtas is also fun since they stay tiny.
Now it's your turn! Buy some miniature succulents and see what fun items you can find around the house (or snag some mini pots from Zebra Wing Studio) and make your own mini succulent garden!