Succulent gardens in bowl-shaped terra cotta pots make an interesting and unusual accent on your patio or porch, and come inside at the end of the season.

These plants can thrive in a shallow planting as they hold much of the moisture they need in their juicy leaves and stems.  They are fairly drought tolerant, making them easy to grow for gardeners who are challenged by the task of watering frequently.  The bowl-shaped terra cotta planters we’ve put them in at Urban Roots suit them well, because they have a good sized drainage hole at the bottom.  We have used a very light potting mix, also to promote good drainage.

 

Succulent plants come in many shapes and textures, some with coppery fuzz on the leaves, some with spikes or needles, some shiny and smooth.  Colors too, silvery grey, bright green, rose or purplish, and browns.  Some grow upright, some trail over the sides of the pot.  One called ‘The Hobbit’ sends up chunky little arms, which end in weird tubular or cupped formations reaching skyward.  In our succulent gardens, we have also planted a couple of drought tolerant annuals for color (euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’, and portulaca.)