Succulent Wreath How-To
This is one of my favourite mid-winter projects. The succulents used here are tropical, and therefore need to be over wintered indoors. The same wreath could be created using hardy, outdoor succulents, such as sempervivum sp., and left outdoors all year long.
Materials required:
- Wire wreath frame
- sphagnum moss
- Floral wire
- Variety of succulent plugs
- Pencil or screwdriver
- Greening pins
Instruction:
- The wreath frame used here is hallow and has a cavity in the back. It is available through most craft or notions shops. Be sure to moisten the sphagnum moss before working with it. It is also possible to purchase wreath bases already filled with moss, so keep an eye out for these.
- Secure floral wire to the back of the wreath frame. Weave the wire in and out of the back cavity of the frame. Working section by section, insert sphagnum moss behind floral wire as you weave the wire. Continue until the entire wreath form is full.
- Succulent plugs are simply newly propagated, baby succulents. For this wreath I used approximately 50 plugs, but if you’re patient, you could use fewer and wait for the succulents to grow and fill in. You can also generate stock by propagating the succulents yourself.
- To prepare the succulents, strip the plugs of their soil and most of their roots. This may seem a bit counterintuitive, but succulents are very hardy and will quickly reroot.
- Using a pencil or screwdriver, insert a hole into the moss of your wreath frame. Insert the stem of a succulent and secure it to the frame with a greening pin. Continue inserting succulents until your wreath is complete.
- You will want to enjoy your wreath flat for about a month. This will allow the succulents to reroot themselves into the moss and secure themselves. After this time, you may choose to hang the wreath.
- Water the wreath when dry. To do so, fill your sink with about an inch of water. Lay the back side of the wreath in the sink. The moss should have have absorbed enough water to fully water the succulents after about 20 minutes.
- Succulents love the sun, so place your wreath in a location where it will get full sun. They are also relatively slow growing, but you may occasionally have to go in and trim any plants that outgrow the wreath. These clippings make excellent propagation material and can be reinserted into any empty spots in the wreath.