Succulent Wall

I love Succulents. The temperate climate here in California is the perfect weather for them.  I have lots of them planted around the house. They look great in their pots and planted in the ground, but when I saw a beautiful succulent wall at a local restaurant, I knew I wanted something similar to it for my home. Time to build a succulent wall and transform my patio.

Luck was on my side. My husband had all the materials we needed to make the frame for my succulent wall at home.  It’s quite nice being married to someone who loves to build things — or at least I keep telling him he loves to build things. Whatever works.  We cut and fastened together four 1×3 inch boards, using corner brackets, to create the frame.  We used thin particle board for our backing. It also really helped the frame stay secure. Don’t forget to attach a bracket or whatever you are going to use to hang it on the back of the frame. Make sure the brackets are secured to the frame and not the backboard.

Next, we covered the inside of the frame and backboard with a thick piece of plastic to keep the wood from rotting.  We then filled the frame with a 50/50 combination of potting soil and peat moss. Make sure to pack it in tightly.  Using a staple gun, we fasten some chicken wire to the frame, laying it over the dirt. It does the work of holding the plants and dirt in place.  Finally, we covered the edges of the chicken wire with thin molding, where they meet the frame, to make it look nice and neat.

Here’s a little side note: if you decide to make your own, remember not to make it too big.  The bigger the frame is, the heavier it will be when it is filled with dirt and plants.

Once my frame was ready,  it was time to collect the succulents.  As I said earlier, I have lots of succulents in my yard.  I went around cutting off bits here and there from of a variety of succulents, both large and small.  Wanting to add something new, I also bought a few from my local nursery (support local businesses).  I found that the cuttings were actually a lot easier to stick through the chicken wire than the whole plant.

Before placing them in the frame I gave the succulents and the soil a good misting. Double check that the soil is moist and packed since there is no going back once you get the plants in there. If the soil is too loose, things will fall out.  From this point on it felt more like creating art than gardening.  You can arrange the succulents anyway you think looks great. There is no wrong way to do it. I gave everything another good misting after getting the succulents all placed how I wanted them. I try to mist the wall everyday so the soil doesn’t get too dry.  Further, I keep the wall at a slight angle for a few weeks until the succulents take root and feel pretty secure.  After that, it’s time hang it on the wall and enjoy.