Create Your Own Cactus Container Garden in 5 Simple Steps
This is a great opportunity for you to let your creativity shine. We all love Cacti and Succulents because they are beautiful, exotic and low maintenance. Here are the 5 simple steps you will need to complete to make your container garden.
5 Steps:
- Choose a container and desired plants
- Gather your tools and ingredients
- Place soil in the container
- Add the Cacti and Succulents
- Add mulch on the top of the soil to add a finished touch!
The Ingredients & Tools
For this project you’ll need to gather cactus potting soil, mulch, cacti and a container. The Hoselink tools we recommend are Leather Gaulent Gloves, Trowel, Fork & Weeder.
Now that you have all the essentials, it’s time to choose a container!
The Perfect Container
Before choosing your container perhaps think about where you are going to place it in order to decide what size you can use. Once you have a size in mind think about what type will look best in your garden. There are several types to choose from including wooden boxes, pots, bowls, vases, and even buckets. Please do keep in mind that the chosen container will need to hold the soil in and allow water to drain through. Choosing the container is definitely a personal choice and you want to make sure it fits the style of your garden.Remember if you are stuck on how to design your garden, take the lead from the container you choose to give you a starting point.
Choosing a Variety of Plants
There is no limit to designing your cactus container garden but here are some pointers if you are stuck on what to use
Cactus names running in order:
Gymnocalycium Baldianum, Cereus Peruvianus, Aloe,
Echeveria Afterglow, Ruby Ball Cactus, Golden Barrel Cactus,
Canderlabra Cactus, Red African Milk Tree, Opuntia Microdasys.
Creating Layers & Heights
Having several layers in your Cacti Container Garden will give it life, volume and beauty. Don’t be afraid to have a variety in there because when you are done it will look beautiful. If you aren’t sure which plants to use here are a couple of ideas. For a tall and elegant plant try the Red African milk tree. Another great option to partner with the other Cacti for height is the slightly shorter Candelabra Cactus and for some width in the composition of the garden try the Variegates agave.
Texture and Contrast
Be sure to have fun and create some texture in your Container Garden. A few great examples to create texture are Flapjacks as they offer a softness, colour and varied lines to the composition, creating great contrast against the other plants. For an authentic Desert Escape look, fill the space with some stunning complementary plants such as echeverias and aloe.
Finishing Touches
Mulch the top of the soil surface with pebbles, sand or pea gravel to give your Desert Escape that show Garden finish! If you want to get even more creative you can create layers of both mulch and soil for a different look for the garden.
How to Show your Cacti Garden Love
Summer Loving
The best thing about Desert Escape plants is that they are so easy to care for. Depending on where you live you may not need to water the cacti garden at all. If you have regular rainfall you will not need to water them all summer but during the heat of summer water them once a week. Remember low water plants can rot if they are too wet so be sure to keep an eye on the garden if it has had too much water. A great tip for this is too feel the soil before you water it! These plants love the sun and thrive in it! Feel free to leave them in direct sunlight. No need to fertilize or prune them either.
Winter Is Coming
If you live in a cold area treat Desert Escape plants like petunias or other annuals. To keep them alive in winter be sure to take them indoors before frosty temperatures. Be sure to keep them in a spot in your house that gets a nice stream of sunlight perhaps a big window or under fluorescent light!
Happy Gardening!
