This time of year many of us do not want to spend untold hours out in the garden in this heat, lugging large plants around but we still want to be involved in our gardening and getting our hands dirty, so to speak...the perfect solution this time of year is working with Succulents.
We have a huge assortment of Mini Succulents and they lend themselves to such a variety of gardening, especially when done in small containers or attached to unusual forms.
It's fun to make a mini succulent garden and this one at the left is in just a plain plastic pot.
There are many types of pots available at retail stores. Another good source for unusual containers, is the local Goodwill and Salvation Army stores....in their "kitchen" areas, they have all sorts of things you could use, such as teacups, plates, ceramic figures etc. Let your imagination run wild and you can pick up some very inexpensive containers that will be fun to play around with.
Succulents are a great way to make a very low maintenance Fairy garden..and fairies are not just for girls ! Boys love them too and they can add their favorite toy characters instead (see below for more info about that !) Frankly, it's a great way to garden for both the young and the Young at heart !
Succulent wreaths are becoming more and more popular. You can find the base for a wreath (which is wire and sphagnum moss) at your local craft store. Get your assortment of succulents and be creative.
There are many "how to make" succulent wreaths on the internet, just google it and you will find all sorts of great sources and videos for it.
Believe or not, most people think you have to have full sun for succulents, and actually with the mini ones, they love bright indirect light, so they are perfect for homes, offices, porches or placed around the garden in bright shady areas.
During the week, our succulents sit out on the porch side, under tree cover. They love the indirect sun and the tree keeps them protected from heavy rains.
It's great to mix and match mini and medium size succulents. It provides depth and different textures to your arrangement.
Mixing and matching different colors and textures really makes a garden shine. The pinker succulents provide some relief from an "all green" landscape.
Mini Tropicals are just as versatile as succulents and can be used in so many different ways.
Many people are getting back into making terrariums, and of course, the fairy garden ideas continue to expand.
Again, mixing variety of colors and textures and sizes makes for a beautiful combination.
Mini tropicals do love moisture more than succulents but because they are so small, they are pretty easy to keep watered.
Here is a lovely example of one of our friends who makes amazing Fairy Gardens. Adding the fixture of the old birdhouse, and using an old birdbath as a base, it's a great way to create a scene.
You don't have to do it this big, of course! Start small, and just play around with it. Look around your house, yard, garage etc and I bet you can find something usable to start your Mini garden. It is a great activity to involve all family members, especially kids.
Fairies, trolls, characters can be found at local Craft stores, or one easy, cheap way to add characters is to let kids raid their toy boxes. Lego characters and small rubber or plastic animals (such as lizards, dinosaurs) are usually always in abundance in any household with kids. Don't have kids? Next time you pass a yard sale with a large assortment of kid stuff and toys, it's worth stopping. Without a doubt, the people holding the yard sale will be more than happy for you to recycle their precious kid stuff !
Closing this post out with a pic from our garden this week...this is a Lifesaver plant with a huge bloom that Mitch is holding..... truly amazing !!
Here's the info about market:
Saturday Market at Williams Park
Park is located between 3rd and 4th streets just off of 1st avenue north (where the buses go through)
Plenty of free parking on surrounding streets
Safe, shady strolling among the Oaks
Fresh produce and Foods
Arts and Crafts
Plants and yard art
Market hours 9am-1pm.
Can't make Market day? Give us a call or email to set up appointment to visit us !
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Mitch Armstrong Nursery is a licensed Tropical Plant Nursery with the state of Florida
www.heyplantman.blogspot.com
marketannie@aol.com
heyplantman1@juno.com
727-542-9951
727-742-9265
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