Succulents and Teacups

Before moving to California, I had never heard of succulents. Once in Berkeley, I just walked around the neighborhood and there were succulents everywhere. My apartment had even inherited multiples of them that now pleasantly reside in pots on our patio. Needless to say, I fell in love with these unique little plants.

And what's not to love? They're beautiful in shape and color. They can easily be planted in a variety of pots. And they require very little care, which is a must for notorious plant-killers like myself.

As I was introduced to succulents, they seemed to become somewhat of a buzz on the internet. They may have always been a trend and I just hadn't noticed (very likely), but boy do I love seeing how people plant these little guys!

This week I made a stop to Flowerland to ask a question about succulent care. (My echeveria grew taller than expected and needed a little more light, but it's not dying which is super exciting!) Obviously I had to buy another succulent while I was there, so I thought I'd share how I plant my succulents in teacups. It's really easy.

All you really need is soil, a teacup, and your succulent.

I used G&B Organics Plain Potting Soil which works fine for me. Other websites suggest making your own mixture, so you could try that too. What is important is making sure there is enough drainage. Ideally, you should have a hole in the bottom of the teacup, but if not you should put in porous rocks or even pieces of terracotta pot to collect extra moisture.

My teacups are from Anthropologie last winter (I got them on sale for less than $3 each!) They don't have a hole in the bottom, so for this new plant I chose to "drill" a small hole. I may go back and add one to the first cup at some point too. We shall see.

As for the plant itself, there are so many different shapes, sizes and colors! Look around. See what you like. Just make sure it will fit in whatever you want to plant it in - teacup, pot, etc...

The planting itself is basically like any other flower. Remember to break up the roots a little before putting it in the cup with the soil. Succulents don't require as frequent watering as other plants, but you should still make sure water them every 4-5 days. Also be sure that they see enough light but beware that placing them directly in the sun can harm them.

Please know that I am by no means a gardening expert (or novice even). If you have questions, I am more than happy to help how I can, but I would suggest asking Google first because that is likely where I will find my answer for you :P

Happy Gardening!

Peace,
Sarah