“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

I recently moved from a climate that stayed pretty close to the exact same temperature year round. Until now, I never completely understood the analogies to “seasons” of life— it’s hard to when it’s 80 degrees on Christmas Day. But after a snowy winter where we were forced to stay indoors or layer up to avoid frostbite, nothing seemed more beautiful and life-giving than those first signs of spring— which, by the way, don’t really arrive in March like the calendar says they do.

May brings beauty and new life into full swing, and these succulent gardens are a great way to bridge the gap between spring and summer. The wonderful thing about succulent gardens is that almost anyone can grow them— they are a gardener’s dream. Succulents are very hardy plants that require very little care or maintenance. These gardens do well outdoors or indoors in a well-lit area of your home.

succulent garden materials

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 2 containers—one large and one smaller (needs to fit inside larger container)
• large pillar candle
• small pebbles and/or sand
• several small succulents in varying heights and colors
• potting soil

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. Pour a small amount of potting soil into the bottom of the large container—just enough to raise the small container to two inches above the rim of the large container.
2. Place the small container inside the large container.
3. Place the pillar candle in the small container and fill the space between the candle and container wall with small pebbles and/or sand until completely full.
4. Fill the space between the small container and the large container wall with potting soil.
5. Take the succulents out of their containers and loosen their roots.
6. Begin pressing succulents into the inside rim of the large container and adding more potting soil until the roots are covered and the plants are stable.
7. To care for your garden, allow the soil and the succulents to dry out thoroughly between watering.