How to Create a Vertical Hanging Succulent Garden

Gardening inspired by Pinterest – Learn how to create your own succulent container garden… I’d always heard about the free workshops at the Home Depot, and they sounded super fun, but I’d never actually attended one before. Why? Well, I don’t really know. I suppose just because I’m always so busy. I always said, “Next month I should check that out…” Then a few weeks ago I was invited to help host one of the Do-It-Herself Workshops here locally. It was all about gardening inspired by Pinterest, and would be teaching attendees how to create their own succulent container gardens. The Home Depot experts would be on hand to share tips and advice – and they wanted me to offer up some fun design tips, to help the women at the event learn how to make their garden unique. I am SUCH a fan of succulents – {remember the ones I planted in mason jars recently?} – so of course I jumped at the opportunity!

Gardening made simple – creating a succulent container garden in 3 simple steps

Most of you know that I love gardening… I love growing and serving my own produce, I love seeing the bright colors as the blossoms bloom in the flower beds, and I love that Abby gets to learn about nature as she helps grandma plant seeds and watch them grow. My skill level doesn’t always match my enthusiasm level though – so I often need help, and am always interested in learning new skills and hearing great tips. I’m lucky – my mom is a certified Master Gardener, and is an amazing resource for any question I could possibly have. And… I am now a huge fan of the resources available from the Home Depot too! You can sign up for their Gardening Club to get free tips and coupons, or attend one of the free workshops I was talking about. And if you missed the last workshop on creating your own container garden with succulents – you’re in luck. I created a fun video to quickly show you how to make a super unique planter perfect for any patio or garden. Check it out:

3 steps to creating a vertical hanging succulent garden

First of all – let me give you a little info about succulents: They are crazy-easy to work with. Even if you think you can’t grow a plant to save your life, I promise you can manage these. There are a ton of different varieties, and they’re similar to a cactus – they grow in just about any climate, temp, in sun or shade. They are incredibly low maintenance and need very little water. And they’re really sturdy – meaning, they’re tough enough to withstand my curious toddler :) There are a million different ways to create container gardens with succulents {that link leads to some great tips from Pinterest} – but one of my current favorites are the vertical hanging gardens. Let me walk you through the 3 simple steps to create one of your own:

• Step 1: Get a planter box. You can make a simple one of your own, or stop by your local Home Depot to pick up a pre-made Pennington Cedar box. If you’re using the Pennington box like I did, you simply pull the backing piece out, fill the box with dirt, pack down really lightly, then flip over and get ready to add your succulents.
• Step 2: Add your plants. You can get these at The Home Depot too, they have a great selection. Get an assortment of them – some bulkier ones, different sizes and shapes, and there are even different colors – from light green to dark purple, and even some with pretty red blooming flowers! To add them, just remove each one from it’s little pot, tap it against a porch step or something similar to shake off the excess dirt, then cut a hole in the weed blocking fabric to push the succulent roots into the soil. If you have bigger plants, you can snip a couple of wires too if needed, to make a bigger hole.
• Step 3: Once you’ve got things arranged the way you like them, give it a nice watering. You’ll then want to let it sit, horizontally, for a couple of weeks, so that the succulents roots can get established. After that, you can hang it up outside, and watch as your little succulents grow! They’ll spread pretty quickly, so don’t worry if you have a few bare spots when you first plant them. And for maintenance after it’s hung, just use a spray bottle to water it once or twice a week. Easy peasy!

I’m planning to get a few more of these boxes, and do a big row of them on the patio. Once they’re established enough to get them all hung up, I’ll share more photos to show them all hung together. And… I would LOVE to see what you can come up with too! If you create your own succulent planter – whether it’s a simple little one in a jar, a big planter filled with assorted succulents, or a hanging creation of your own, share ’em with me! You can post them on my Facebook wall to show them off {and feel free to tag the Home Depot in them too, so they can see your awesome work!} Instagram out a photo with the #DIHWorkshop hashtag so we can all see your great work.

And – whether you’re already a gardening pro, or a total beginner who wants to learn the basics, follow along on my new gardening adventure projects with Jen from Makobi Scribe! Follow the hashtag #Any1CanGrow, and use it to share your own favorite gardening tips, tricks, and photos with us. And stay tuned for our new social media and site coming soon too…. Because it’s true – with the right tools and some smart tips, any one CAN grow :)