The short answer: succulents and planter gardens want bright light, very little water and a pot that drains or is never left standing in water. Water a succulent only when its soil is completely dry, which indoors is usually every two to three weeks, and less in winter. In a mixed planter garden, follow the needs of the thirstiest plant, often an orchid, and water lightly about once a week so nothing sits in the bottom of the pot.
Here is how to look after a succulent garden or a mixed planter at home, so it lasts long after a bouquet would fade.
Light: the most important thing
Succulents come from sunny, dry places, and light matters to them more than anything else. Indoors, give them the brightest spot you have. A south or west facing windowsill is ideal, and an east window works well too. If a succulent starts to stretch, leaning towards the glass with longer gaps between its leaves, it is asking for more light. Move it closer to the window or turn the pot a quarter turn each week so it grows evenly.
Mixed planter gardens are a little different. Orchids like bright but indirect light, so a planter that combines orchids with succulents or sansevieria is happiest near a window but out of hot, direct afternoon sun. A spot a short step back from a bright window, or behind a sheer curtain, suits most mixed gardens.
Water: less than you think
More succulents are lost to too much water than to anything else. Their thick leaves store water, so they can go a long time between drinks. The rule is simple: water only when the soil is completely dry, then water lightly and never let water collect in the base.
- Check first. Push a finger into the soil. If it feels dry well below the surface, it is time to water. If it is still cool or damp, wait.
- Water lightly in a closed pot. Many gift gardens sit in a decorative pot, a glass bowl or a wooden boat with no drainage hole. Add only a small amount of water at a time, so it soaks into the soil instead of pooling at the bottom.
- Water less in winter. Plants grow slowly in the short, dark days of a Canadian winter, and they need even less water from November to February.
- Watch the leaves. Soft, see-through or mushy leaves usually mean too much water. Wrinkled, thin leaves mean the plant is thirsty.
In a mixed planter, water the orchid lightly about once a week. Sansevieria and succulents planted alongside it are drought tolerant, so they cope with the same gentle routine as long as no water is left standing in the pot. Our guide on how to care for an orchid explains how to help the orchid bloom again.
Temperature and winter care
Most indoor succulents and orchids are comfortable at normal room temperature. What they dislike is sudden change. In winter, keep planters away from cold drafts from doors and windows, and away from heat vents, radiators and fireplaces, which dry the air and the soil very quickly. Leaves pressed against an icy window can be damaged, so leave a little space between the plant and the glass on the coldest nights.
Keeping the garden looking its best
- Dust the leaves. A soft, dry brush or cloth keeps leaves clean so they can take in light.
- Tidy as you go. Pull off any dried lower leaves on a succulent, and trim a faded orchid flower spike once all its blooms have dropped.
- Leave the decoration in place. River rocks, moss, seashells and sand are part of the design and help hold the plants steady. Lift them gently if you need to check the soil, then put them back.
- Skip the fertilizer at first. A new garden has what it needs. If you keep it for a year or more, a weak houseplant fertilizer in spring and summer is plenty.
When to repot
Succulents grow slowly, so a gift garden can stay in its pot for a long time. If the plants become crowded or start to spill over the edge after a year or two, move them into a slightly larger pot with a drainage hole and a gritty cactus and succulent soil. Orchids need their own bark mix, so repot them separately rather than with the succulents.
Choosing a succulent garden or planter as a gift
Because they are so easy to care for, succulents and planter gardens are some of the most practical gifts you can send. They suit a busy person, a first apartment, a home office or anyone who would enjoy something lasting instead of cut flowers.
- The Succulent Garden Boat is a little landscape of succulents in a wooden boat, finished with river rocks, seashells, moss and sand.
- Custom Design Planter Garden 3 combines orchids with an upright sansevieria and a succulent in one large pot.
- Eco Garden 3 pairs a phalaenopsis orchid with a potted succulent in a ceramic vase.
Browse all our potted plants and succulents and orchids. For gift ideas, read our guides to housewarming flowers and plants and sympathy plants or flowers.
Every planter is prepared in our Mississauga studio and delivered across the GTA. Delivery is free on orders over $50, and every order includes a free handwritten card. If you have a question about a plant, call our studio at 905-677-9999.