Sorry to anyone looking for Weekly Crafty posts on Tuesdays, it seems that they’ve shifted to Thursdays for the past two weeks! Since my hands are still recovering from staple pulling, more wallpaper peeling, and more painting (we’re doing our stair risers today so we can hopefully install the runner this weekend and have that post for you on Monday), I wanted to pick something fun & easy for this week’s crafty little endeavor. And here’s where I ended up: with a big ol’ hand-painted planter full of succulents and colorful cacti.
You know I like sharing house plants that we’re adding/loving/killing every once in a while (like this and this), and this project all started when I found some glass/ceramic paint on clearance at JoAnn for $1.97…
I don’t think I’ve ever used specifically formulated glass or ceramic paint, so a maiden voyage like this is thrilling for a gal like me (seriously, it falls somewhere between finding a five dollar bill in my coat pocket and a new episode of The Walking Dead on my DVR). At first I gave a few other project ideas some consideration – like painting mugs, a vase, or some ceramic candlesticks – and then I saw this amazing planter and said “boom, I’m going planter.” Just like that. Out loud and everything.
The reason for a planter was two-fold. Clara had showed some interest in the colorful cacti at Home Depot the last time we walked by, and I’d been meaning to grab her one or two so we could care for them together. The second reason was that about a week ago I was going through our serving bowls and noticed there were some big winners we use all the time, and one shallow bowl that we hardly touched. But when I saw that inspiration planter, I realized the shape of my poor abandoned bowl was similar. And it was nice and big (around 17″ wide) so I thought it would make for a sweet centerpiece at the kitchen table when it was all said and done.
So Clara and I took a trip to Home Depot, where we got a little carried away. We stared at everything, discussed their merits and shortcomings (“I like this one because it’s extra pokey!” “I like this one because it’s yellow like a lemon!”) and ended up grabbing 10 plants. Five of them were colorful cacti and the other five were smaller/cheaper succulents to fill things in. All told, it was around $30 in plants (I told you we got carried away) so I’m pretty dang invested in this project now – but Clara is so excited. Begging: please share your cactus care tips if you have any! I don’t want to kill these guys.
As we were checking out the cashier sweetly told me to mix some sand into the soil when I potted them because they like that and dropped the fact that they actually sell Cactus Sand for a few bucks if I don’t have sand on hand to mix. After embracing her with tears in my eyes thanking her profusely, Clara and I grabbed a bag (when you put $30 into plants, $3 for the dirt they like best felt like a nice insurance policy for a black thumb like me).
Once home with our haul, the first step was ceramic painting, which had me torn. If I wanted to be literal about it, I could paint the entire outside of the bowl like the one that inspired me, but I liked the idea of some white with a fun slice of blue around those colorful cacti, so I decided to paint the inner lip of the planter with my teal ceramic paint. The best of both worlds. Kinda like Two Face. Except less gruesome and eye-ball-y.
Applying the paint inside the lip was easy enough…
I just followed the instructions: wiping down the part I was going to paint with alcohol, letting it dry, and painting a nice even coat with a small craft brush. I did my best to keep the line around the lip of the bowl even, and since the paint was really slow to dry, if I messed up and got a blob up on the lip, just wiping it with a paper towel left me with a nice clean edge once again. The paint was non-toxic so I could have done it with Clara (I did it right in front of her) but she said “call me when it’s time to touch the dirt!” Funny kid.
Oh and the reason I didn’t bother painting the entire inside of the bowl was because I figured I’d rather conserve my paint for another project instead of using it on a large part of the planter that wouldn’t be seen once the dirt was added.
To cure the paint on ceramic and glass surfaces, you can either let it air dry for a while, or you can speed things up by baking it in the oven. Although this was a serving dish, it was only microwave and dishwasher safe – not oven safe – so I skipped that step and just opted for the air drying approach. After a few days it was no longer tacky, so I decided the lip could continue to cure even after the pot was in use and Clara and I could commence the much anticipated Adding Of The Dirt.
The plants were spikey so we had to be careful, but she had a lot of fun dumping cups of dirt into the bowl and digging little holes for me to drop the plants into.
Now every night at dinner Clara and I talk about our favorite plants (they all have names) and check to make sure nothing’s giving up on us. So far, so good! Maybe the bean will grow up to be a botanist. Or a paleontologist. The dirt was definitely her favorite part…
In the end, this project only took about thirty minutes to gather my supplies, and another twenty spent painting that lip, followed by around 15 minutes to pot things with Clara in our special cactus sand, but I hope it’s a kitchen centerpiece that lasts for years and makes us smile. I actually really like the bright pot + succulents thing, so I’m thinking I might make a bunch more as holiday gifts and even some little ones for the neighbors (one small cactus and a little brightly painted pot should only be around $7 total – and I can try stripes and dots and a dipped bottom, etc).
Is anyone else out there painting ceramic or glass items? Or planting something inside to add a little life to the house as we head into the colder months? How about homemade holiday gift ideas? I’m flirting with the concept of trying to DIY all of them this year, but it might lead to final-hour hyperventilation, so I’m not sure yet.
Psst – Can’t shake the crafty? Check out nearly 50 other craft projects here.
Rae says
This is so cute! I did sonething similar, but forgot to put rocks at the bottom for drainage and sadly they suffered from being over-watered. :(
http://chiclittleme.blogspot.com/2013/08/succulent-garden.html?m=0
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no!
xo
s
Chaney says
Oh man, I LOVE this cute project! I had four succulents for about a year and managed to keep them alive and healthy by just watering every couple of weeks. Then I decided to transplant them from their tiny original pots into a larger container since that’s what was recommended on a few sites and what do you know, two of them died on me! Shoot. The cactus and another spiky succulent survived and are doing well post-transplant, but I’m thinking I need to get a couple more to supplement! The container looks kinda sad with just two :(.
Marissa says
Looks so lovely!
Since you don’t have a drainage hole, you definitely want to layer the bottom with something so your roots don’t rot. Since Clara loves digging in the dirt, she may enjoy picking out and digging up some small/ medium sized rocks from your yard (which I’ve found to work just as well as styrofoam). You want to have a nice loose layer at the bottom that’ll supply some aeration and room for water to pool away from the soil. However, if you get rocks from outside, you need to clean them properly so you don’t introduce any dangerous pathogens to your plants– you can soak them in diluted bleach/soap, boil them, or even run them through your dishwasher (the dishwasher cycle reaches 140 degrees which is hot enough to kill pathogens). Have fun and best of luck keeping them alive!
YoungHouseLove says
Love all the tips guys! Thanks for sharing them all! Now these cacti have a fighting chance….
xo
s
Shelley says
My biggest tip is do not overwater them. I killed my last succulents that way. :( Since then I have a new planter filled with various succulents and cacti. Basically I just ignore them and very rarely water them and they’ve been doing fine for months.
Grace says
Love the plants you picked! Last year I had a bunch of Home Depot coupons to use up, so I got a few cacti to plant myself. They’re still looking great after a year and are the first indoor plants I’ve been able to keep alive!
Did you notice any cacti with flowers hot glued to the tops? I saw a bunch of these when I shopped, they looked so pretty on the shelf until I picked them up and saw the hot glue mark! Apparently it’s a thing, some growers do a better job of hiding it than others.
YoungHouseLove says
OH MY GOSH! That’s scandalous! I didn’t notice that with ours, but now I’m going to go stare at them.
xo
s
maria says
Hah! I noticed that too and was so annoyed/amused!
Koliti says
Hi Sherry! I’ve been actually trolling the thrift shops lately for pedestal/footed containers (I love things with feet!) to put succulents in – I’ve found a large hand-made Mexican margarita glass with a turquoise rim and a couple of ceramic contenders in red and a sage green – only $1-$3 each.
I stopped at a little nursery down the street from me and picked up a bag of Miracle Gro Cactus, Palm, and Citrus Soil (8 dry quarts for $4.50) and the nursery lady said that since my containers don’t have a drainage hole (like yours), that it would be beneficial to put a layer of small rocks at the bottom of the container to allow for drainage. She did say over-watering is a concern and you don’t want them to sit in water – let them dry our between watering. You can use a sprayer/mister to water them.
Otherwise it’s probably just watch them like you are and move them to a different location if they start to pout – or maybe if only one starts to act up you can just remove him and put him in time-out :)
Beautiful cactus garden! Love your glass paint idea! Because I’ve seen some clear glass containers that I may have gotten but didn’t because the clear glass didn’t have enough character and I didn’t think I wanted to see all the dirt through the glass. YAY! Boom! Paint it!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that you’ve been trolling for those footed ones! They’re so cool! And thanks for the other tips!
xo
s
Kaesey says
Very pretty!
I’ve used the exact same ceramic paint with my kids to decorate mugs for Father’s Day. We did oven cure them. It was a lot of fun and my husband uses the mugs every day. One note for anyone drawing with the paint using the bottle’s pointy tip and putting it on pretty thick: eventually some of the raised paint may come off in the dishwasher. Not the end of the world (and we touched up the flaked paint) but something to keep in mind. Kid designs can get a little, um, gloppy. =)
YoungHouseLove says
So excited to hear from someone who used it on mugs that get dishwashed! Such great info!
xo
s
Laurie says
I love little “gardens” like that. This would actually be something my kitty wouldn’t chew up! I should make one.
Drainage is going to be important for these. I’d put rocks/gravel in the bottom before the dirt so the water has a place to drain. If you didn’t do it this time, just give the dirt a chance to dry out before watering again.
I love how interested Clara is in this. Maybe an archeologist?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the gravel tips guys. I think Clara (my little archeologist) will love adding those.
xo
s
Jennifer says
I bought succulents at Home Depot and have done nothing by the book with them. It has been 2 years and they somehow are still thriving despite my neglect. Love the bright colored bowl.
YoungHouseLove says
Love to hear that!
xo
s
Jennah's Garden says
Definitely basically don’t ever water them and keep them in a sunny location and they will be fine. Be extra careful since that dish has no drainage. I have a complicated relationship with cacti. I really like them, but my almost uncontrollable urge to want to pet or touch them is very confusing. So I usually just try to stick to other succulents but I recently came into possession of a few prickly ones, so…we’ll see. We also have cats who love plants, so that can be…prickly.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jennah!
xo
s
Isabel says
I’ll preface this with saying I LOVE plants to the point that my mother will take me to the garden nursery when I’m in a bad mood. I, Like Clara, love planting and playing with the dirt too. Ok, you’ve been warned.
I have a ton of houseplants. I’ve had casualties, the best gardeners do, but I have three tricks to keep them going which have proven very successful:
1. A product called Super Thrive that my mom alerted me too (available at HD or Lowes). It’s basically liquid vitamins, nothing chemical, that I add to the water every time I water the plants. I use the same plastic bottle each time, that way I already know exactly how much of it to add. It works. Let’s just say my two poinsettias, which my husband almost threw away they were that dead-looking, came back with a vengeance. I use it on my orchids too and have been rewarded with many blooms.
2. Talking to the plants. Seriously. When I pass them by I tell them how beautiful they look or simply say hi, ask them how they’re doing, etc. My dog tends to get a little jealous cause I use the same high-pitched tone that I do with him :)
3. Not obsessing over them, accepting the fact that there will be casualties and watering them only when the soil is dry. And in the summer, putting them outside and letting nature do most of the work.
Cactii require less water than most plants and are generally even more carefree as long as you give them a sunny spot and talk to them once in a while ;-) If you’re successful with these guys, you might like a x-mas cactus. Their flowers are so pretty and come in different colors. Mine is getting ready to bloom again and I’m really looking forward to it. Enjoy!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the info Isabel! You guys are all plant geniuses.
xo
s
Nicky says
Has anyone suggested watering with a spray bottle?? Gives the pretties moisture without soaking!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo
s
Jessica Leonard says
Speaking of paleontology and botany: I play this album for my 18 month old all the time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7zo2zY1Zqg&oq=tmbg%20pale&gs_l=youtube..0.5j0.226.1624.0.5012.7.7.0.0.0.0.202.969.3j3j1.7.0.eytns%2Cpt%3D-30%2Cn%3D2%2Cui%3Dlr.1.0.0…1ac.1.11.youtube.VHGvbA6Igb0
YoungHouseLove says
Ahhh! I love They Might Be Giants! Thanks so much for the link. Can’t wait to show Clara.
xo
s
Lisa says
Looks great! Love all those colors. I think you’re inspiring a few of us to hit up our local home stores on the way home…if only I didn’t always kill every plant I touch. :(
Christina says
Hi, love those little plants. A while ago you did succulents in clear planters. Wondering how those held up? Thinking of doing something similar and nervous about planting succulents with my not-so-green thumb. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Alas, almost all of our house plants died while we were on our book tour last year. Since it was spread out from October to January I tried to keep up with things, but everything seemed to say “nah, we’re out.”
xo
s
jenn says
I have succulents that I have kept alive for about a year. I put some very small pebbles all over the layer of dirt to trap in moisture. It looks really nice too to cover up the brown dirt a bit because when it gets dried out (like it should) it starts to look icky. Just a thought! I did little greyish pebbles and planted mine in old coffee cans. They love sun and don’t over water!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jenn!
xo
s
angie says
Is Clara holding a stuffed giraffe? It looks just like the one my son has had since birth…it’s his “best friend”.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that’s Gee! She got him when she was teeny tiny and named him herself (he’s made by Jellycat). She sleeps with him every night.
xo
s
angie says
Max’s giraffe’s name is Raji…had him since he was born too. We called him giraffey. Once Max could talk, he pronounced it Raji. He’s been Raji ever since.
YoungHouseLove says
So cute.
xo
s
LeAnna says
I love that Clara is so into bugs/plants/animals–what a cool little nature chick you have there!
It’s already been said, but bright light & good drainage are the 2 things cacti & succulents need. Put your new container in the brightest window you have (direct sun through the window is best) and they should be ok. If they get “leggy” they aren’t getting enough sun. If you are open to replanting it (sounds like Clara would be into that) then I would suggest drilling some holes in the bottom–use some painters tape to help insure that the bowl doesn’t crack, and then add some rocks in the bottom. If you have drainage, the best way to water is run it under the faucet & then let it drain in the sink for awhile. If you don’t add drainage holes, water very little each time–succulent/cacti roots do not like to sit in water & will rot quickly.
Perhaps in the spring, you & Clara can plant them outside in a pot so they get all the sun they need?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a sweet idea too! Thanks for all the info guys!
xo
s
Katie Z says
I lived in New Mexico for nearly six years, and the best advice I can give you for raising catcus is neglect. I know that sounds terrible, but they really don’t need much other than sunlight and a little bit of water. I’ve found my cactus (I have several, my favorite is a little saguaro I lovingly call Yosemite Sam) do exceptionally well next to a south-facing window and I only water them on the first day of the month. I find it easy to remember – when I change the calendars over, I water my cactus!
I think someone else mentioned this, but you may want to transplant your delightful rainbow into a bowl that easily drains water. Cactus do not do well in standing water. My cactus all have a layer of pumice rock at the bottom of their pots to help the drain.
I love the idea of giving cactus/succulants as gifts! Great plan (I may steal it)!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Katie! I think I’ll drill some drainage holes in the bottom of the bowl and add some gravel at the bottom. Clara would love touching the dirt again!
xo
s
alisa says
Be careful succlents are not cacti. They are more like regular plants with fat thick leaves. They require more water but, less direct sunlight. It’s always a good idea to add rocks to the bottom of the planter for drainage as well as a drain hole. Both plants susceptible to root rot. Bith plants are easy to take care of when following their apecific needs.
PS I am a former Black Thumbed Long Islander that transplanted herself to PHX, AZ. I’ve learned the hard way how to care for plants out here.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Alisa!
xo
s
Jenny Z says
No tips for care here – I have a notorious black thumb and my most successful plant was a bamboo that I forgot to water for months and a time (it just kept growing!). But I was OBSESSED with a little Christmas cactus my grandparents had through my whole childhood, so I’m not surprised Clara is pumped for these :) It was on the nightstand in their guestroom and I remember just kneeling next to it and going nose-to-nose to stare at it (but never touch!)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute. It’s pretty much Clara’s MO.
xo
s
Samantha says
How cute! I didn’t realize there were colourful cacti, lol.
I could perhaps not kill those, unlike every other plant.
Thanks for sharing!
Cathy C says
My mom and dad bought a cactus back in 1975 when they visited the Grand Canyon, and it just died back in 2008 or 2009. Mom’s way to remember to not overwater… “Is it raining in the desert?” She only watered once a month. In all those years it only grew about 2 inches.
Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says
Well isn’t that just so pretty? I love how you relinquished your bowl to this project. I should start thinking likewise. I have a few platters and bowls that I keep looking at at the back of the cabinet and say “Why haven’t I used you yet? Next dinner, I promise.” Psshhtt…no I won’t! haha This is such a cute project to do with my Beans too.
My best, Lynn
Megan @ Delightful Domicile says
So pretty! I love cacti/succulents and have them scattered all around my house. The key seems to be mostly ignoring/forgetting I have them and they’re all doing just fine. This reminds me though that I’ve been meaning to try my hand at making a covered terrarium to put on my media console. I’ve been trying to add some greenery to it for a while now but my dum dum cats are horrifically opposed to it which they show by eating any plant I’ve put there.
Jules says
Maybe because I’m tired, maybe because I have a headache, maybe because I’m pretty much a gardening virgin, or maybe just because I’m [a proud] blonde, I really thought this post was going to be about painting the PLANTS after seeing the first picture. Ha ha!! Glad I kept reading the post!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah! That would have been… interesting…
xo
s
Bonnie says
I have those same cacti in teacups on my windowsill, but I left them in their original plastic pots rather than planting directly in the cups. That way & can water from the bottom, rather than soak the top soil. I usually ignore them & only water maybe once a month or less. Good luck!
Andrea says
I had a cactus that I was overwatering so I switched to the ice cube method I used for my orchid on a more limited basis (1 cube 1x a week – the orchid got 3). It seemed to work well and even grew some extra little buds. Sadly, both plants got left on the mantle in our last house when we moved, & I wasn’t driving 8 hours just to get 2 plants! On the morning sickness subject, I’m with ya (8 weeks). All I can say is blerg. This too will pass!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that tip! You guys are so smart. Thanks to everyone for sharing them all!
xo
s
Corinne says
Glanced at the page and I thought you were painting plants. This time I thought they’ve gone to far! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! We do joke that if something stays still long enough, I’m tempted…
xo
s
Marla says
haha you mentioned in one of your comments above, cacti looking like candy. I think you’re onto something there bc when he was a kid my husband took a bit out of my one. Let’s just say, according to my mother in law, it’s not a pretty sight! That story has caused me to shy away from them bc I have two boys who have inherited their father’s level of curiosity!:)
YoungHouseLove says
Ouch!!
xo
s
Jen O says
Your project is so cute–I also love plants on the table, and keep a few pots in rotation, so they all get their chance in a sunny place after their time inside for a week. I have to second the tip on using a spray mister with water, instead of pouring it in. For cactus, you might want to try transitioning them into clay pots with drainage, but keep that neat painted bowl and set the clay pots inside it when they are on display.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips Jen!
xo
s
Kimberly @ Turning It Home says
I love the colors together! About two years ago, I bought six succulents at a garden show and completely forgot about them. Last week I came across them sitting on our front porch and planted them in vintage jelly jars (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/193091902746568772/). So good news, those things are resilient! And if my memory serves me correctly, so are cacti. You barely need to water them and they obviously take neglect well.
Alice says
To help me with size perspective, is the bowl truly 17″ in diameter? That seems like a huge bowl. We once had a bowl in our family that everyone thought was 18″ across, but when we measured it, it was ONLY 12″. A bigger bowl just wouldn’t fit on my table. I’m trying to get an idea as to how large the plants are and how many I would need for a smaller bowl. Thank you, it looks like a fun project. I’m glad you didn’t paint the outside. I like it with only a small amount of paint.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it’s prickly so it’s hard to measure, but it’s between 16/17″ across. It’s very shallow and wide. Sort of like one of those biggish platters that you might put a turkey on, but round. I think for a 12″ bowl you might need 6-7 plants and you’d probably be good.
xo
s
Kate says
Don’t overwater them! I only water mine when I completely forget the last time I did it…. I used to love them too much and rotted my fair share of cacti and succulents. Also, if its chilly or they don’t get a lot of light, you can water them even less. They’ll start looking a little wrinkly when they need water.
Also, to re-pot them, you can fold newspaper so that you have a strip that is a few layers thick. You can wrap that around the cactus and pinch it on one side as kind of a sling/ handle to move it without poking yourself. It works for all sizes – just change the width that you fold the newspaper. Even the fuzzy, fluffy ones can have tiny spines that can be invisible and irritating!
YoungHouseLove says
Really smart!
xo
s
Robin says
Very cute. I’ve wondered about that paint so I’m glad you tried it for me ;) After it fully dries does the finish show any streaks / brush marks? I have a fluted cake stand that is a highly saturated lemon yellow that really doesn’t work colorwise for me any more and wonder if this paint would be able to cover the intense yellow. And since the paint is non-toxic I guess that means it’s safe for the cake stand. Hmmm.
YoungHouseLove says
I think if you did two thin coats of it (waiting a while for the first one to dry to make sure you don’t get brush strokes) you could get a pretty nice finish. As ours has cured it has gone from looking more imperfect/hand painted to a lot more it-was-made-like-this-by-a-pro, so I think as long as you take care not to leave a lot of brush strokes, as it gets harder it really looks smooth & glossy!
xo
s
Katie says
I pretend to be a succulent/cacti master (really it’s just a weird obsession). Mine are all set up in our guest bedroom for the winter – their usual home on our sun porch is too cool for the winter. I call our guest room the greenhouse now. :) Lots of sun is best, but I find that watering really depends on the specific plant. Some of mine thrive with little to no water, and some like to be watered every few days (in the summer months). I feel like they are pretty good about “telling” you what they need based on how they are growing. Good luck!
Amanda says
I LOVE cacti! My grandpa used to have a bunch of smallish cacti plants in his office. I would sometimes touch then ever so carefully to see if they were really as pokey as they looked. Most of them were…
Liz says
Sherry, I tried making one of those “pin-worthy” terrarium things you see all over Pinterest last winter. I got cactus soil all over my carpet (really dumb on my end), and after I was finished, mine looked so, so sad. I think I lived with it for a month and then re-potted all the cacti/succulents separately.
But then I killed every last one by over watering them. Sigh. I also kill orchids too :( I’ve given up hope. Succulents and orchids were some of the few plants I could have around with cats too. Maybe I will try again haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Second time’s the charm baby (we did ours on the wood floor and it was a dirty process, haha!).
xo
s
D Young says
I agree with Pat who said “get a ceramic drill bit and put in some holes at the bottom.”
Then yes, you can put a saucer underneath.
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Thanks!
xo
s
Jennifer says
We’re trying to make all of our gifts and I am a little worried about having to do a lot last minute. Our pear tree and orange tree produced a lot of fruit so I have already made jars of spiced pear sauce (like apple sauce) and am about to make jars of orange marmalade
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds so good!!
xo
s
heidikins says
Years and years ago (12? 15?) my younger sister planted tiny cactus in little bots she’d decorated and gave each of us one for Christmas, complete with pot-diaper and adoption certificate. My cactus, Herbert, has been through many many pots since then, but still happily lives on my kitchen window sill.
What I’m saying is giving your neighbors potted succulents is a brilliant idea. ;)
xox
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!
xo
s
Kim says
Have you seen the hilarious painted dino succulent planters? http://www.highwallsblog.com/2012/05/diy-dino-planters-2/. Your bowl is much more centerpiece-appropriate, though, and gorgeous! :)
Good luck with the nausea, I’m in the same boat- 23 weeks with #3 and still gagging at most opportunities- it was into the 3rd trimester before it stopped with baby #2. Here’s to clean toilets to minimize the unpleasantness!
YoungHouseLove says
Cheers to that! Haha! And those dino planters are awesome.
xo
s
Emily says
I can tell you that cacutus take very little work, however some succulents like to grow horizontal instead of vertical. We bought one and couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t grow – so we repotted it into a lower profile bowl and it sprouted like crazy! It is a bear paw or something like that, it also smells bad. I hate the thing b/c I think it smells like a men’s locker room. Of course the plants you hate, never die.
We have one of the tall ones in the center of your pot too. We got it about 5 years ago when it was as tall as yours. It is now so tall that it cannot hold itself up, we have it propped up against the window and we rotate the bowl every so often.
If you don’t have drainage holes at the bottom of your bowl, seriously resist the urge to water! From what we’ve heard, they also don’t like to be moved around from place to place. If they’re doing well in one spot, leave them alone.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips!
xo
s
Kristen says
I’ve never owned any type of plant like this but I did find this website that seems helpful! – http://www.csssj.org/welcome_visitors/basic_culture.html
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kristen!
xo
s
Hailey says
Good Luck! On a whim, my husband and I brought home a ‘pokey’ cactus, and a couple colorful ones home from Texas (we live in Minnesota). Happy to say, the ‘pokey’ cactus is going strong and even growing a sidekick! It’s been nearly 3 years and it’s going strong (even when I forget to water it for a couple weeks).
Sadly, the same cannot be said for the colorful cacti.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw I’m glad Pokey’s going strong!
xo
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Suze says
I got a cactus when I was about eight and it died about a month ago. I’m 28. It survived three moved and countess attempts of my cat to eat it. They need minimal water (really- I probably watered the guy three times a year) and lots of sunlight. Google the types of cacti you bought to make sure they all have similar needs and what size they’ll grow to be (up, out, etc). Mine ended up being super tall and skinny and grew toward the light source, which was hilarious. Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Suze!
xo
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Larissa says
I love this so much. I have some succulents that my sweet husband got for our anniversary last April. They’re still doing great, I think. I actually should probably check on them since I kind of forgot about them in the mayhem that is moving to a new house. Now if I can just figure out which box they’re in…
Kayli Schattner says
This is so adorable! I’m actually already planning on making something similar, but have never considered using a ceramic bowl…only terra-cotta!
Briel K. says
I’m no expert and by no means do I have a green thumb but about two and a half years ago I bought a bunch of succulents and a couple of cacti like the ones you have there and they are still alive! The succulents have grown so long that I need to re-pot them. I’m scared that might kill them but hopefully they’ll be okay. Anyhow, all I do is water them once a week and that’s it! They sit on a shelf right by my kitchen window which faces west so they only get direct sunlight for a bit of the day.
Good luck!
Melissa @ Loving Here says
I bought three of these at Home Depot about a month and a half ago in hopes of a project like this…I want to use a clear glass dish, but after reading the comments, I’m loving the teacup idea, too. Anyway, I’ve watered them 3 times in that time period and they are loving life right now on my kitchen window sill. Good luck! What an adorable project!