Easy, Inexpensive Mini Succulent Garden

Are you wondering how to make a cute little succulent garden for less than ten bones?  If your answer is yes (and it should be), you’re in the right place, friend.  Don’t get too comfortable – this project was so easy, that I did it in less than ten minutes!  So let’s call this the 10 Minute 10 Dollar Succulent Spectacular, shall we?  I’m glad you agree…

Three of these succulents were freebies from work.  Because sometimes my employer hands out succulents, I guess.  I didn’t ask too many questions.

The fourth is one that I picked out at Home Depot.  Yes, I purchased the one that looks like brains.  It was $2.50 and I’m in love with it.  Don’t judge.  Here’s a fun macro iPic of him.

This glass dish was a Goodwill find.  It looks like it may have been an ashtray, or maybe a candy dish, in it’s previous life.  But it’s low center of gravity, diameter and $1.37 + tax price made it the perfect place for my cute little plants to live.

I put some glass beads ($1 at the dollar store) in the bottom to allow for drainage.  Succulents and cacti like drainage.  They hold a lot of water in their leaves and stems, so they don’t need their soil to be so moist.  And you don’t need to water them that often, either.  Which means they’re the perfect plant for me.  My thumb isn’t the greenest.

After the beads, I threw in a layer of soil for good measure.

Then I positioned the succulents in a way that I liked, and filled the gaps with cacti soil.  I used this and it cost me $4.54 + tax.

My workspace got a little messy, but that’s ok.  I was playing with dirt for pete’s sake!

Then they got a few splashes of water.  And that’s it, folks!  Lets recap, shall we?

• Brainy Succulent – $2.50 + tax ($2.71)
• Other Succulents – free
• Glass Dish – $1.37 + tax ($1.48)
• Glass Beads – $1.00 + tax ($1.09)
• Cacti Soil – $4.54 + tax ($4.91)
• Total – $10.19 !!!

Ok so it wasn’t exactly $10 but pretty dern close, huh?  Not a bad price for this little guy:

He lives at my desk at work.  I’m thinking that will be temporary, since I get zero sun in my cubicle.  Boo.  Then again, I could get a cute little task lamp with a UV plant light to fix that.  Who knows.  I just hope I don’t kill the poor thing.  For funsies, here’s a pic of him that I took with my iPhone fisheye lens attachment:

Anyone else doing any gardening at their desk?  Or maybe you’re brave enough to fare the crummy weather that most of the country is experiencing and you’re gardening outside?  Do tell…