Easy Summer Succulents & Quirky Pots

These easy summer succulents add a fun and quirky dimension to any outdoor garden.

 

Easy Summer Succulents

String of Pearls

These cute little “pearls” hold water in their pods and are generally used in hanging baskets. They can get quite long and are easily propagated by just cutting near the top of the string, removing several of the leaves (the “pearls”) and sticking the end in soil. After cutting the strings can be left to callous over a few days (my normal succulent propagating procedure) or the stems can be stuck right into well draining soil, such as a cactus mix that is very porous. String of Pearls like bright, indirect light. Water when thoroughly dry. As you can see, mine haven’t grown tremendously fast so I haven’t had to propegate yet. They’re a fun succulent and definitely a conversation starter.

Beavertail Cactus

Did you know that all cacti are succulents? Succulents are defined as any plant that stores water in it’s leaves and cacti do just that-it just so happens that their leaves are spikes! Water is also stored in the body of cacti, as well. Cacti like well draining soil and should be allowed to dry completely between watering. When I first started collecting cacti and succulent plants, I thought their ability to hold water meant that we wouldn’t have to water them that often but that turned out to be not true. The wind off the lake and our HOT Arkansas summers dry our plants out quickly and they need to be watered a couple of times a week.

Quirky Pots

I love to pick up quirky pots for my succulents and cacti to live in. The one thing I always look for is a drainage hole. If there isn’t one I consult with Thom to ensure he can drill one for me (note: I AM able to drill my own drainage holes, Thom loves to help me!)

For plain terra cotta pots, I look for a fun and different shape. For some succulents, like the String of Pearls, I think it’s fun to draw little faces on the pots so that the strings look like hair blowing in the wind.  I also like pots that already have faces etched in, like this lovely little owl. I call him Ollie.

As time goes on I eventually have to repot some of my succulents as they grow extremely fast sometimes (not so much with the cacti). I love keeping track of the plants in this Cork Burned Garden Journal I put together last year. It helps to remind me of the watering/light requirements, the names of the plants, and how I first potted them. This comes in handy when the pots get knocked over (by clumsy me, or the raccoons who are always visiting at night).

These are just a few of my favorite easy summer succulents.

Here are a few more of my favorite succulent posts from the archive:

How to Prep Pots for Planting Succulents
Summer Vice-Succulents
DIY Mother’s Day Succulent Gift
Succulent Garden Gift Ideas

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