Make Your Own Living Succulent Art

from: http://www.sunset.com

Rent To Own: How about bringing some greenery into your cozy homes? Potted plants may take up space but this wall art is not only uniquely beautiful, it is also a thriving, space saving, vertical garden!

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Plant a living picture

Instead of framing a picture, why not a whole garden? Here, cuttings of assorted succulents knit together to create colorful, textural living tapestries.

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Buy a preassembled frame

Build the vertical garden frame assembly yourself or purchase one.

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Gather cuttings

Break the small “pups” from succulents you already have growing in your garden (the stems should be at least 1/4 inch long).

Set the cuttings aside in a cool area for a few days to allow their stem ends to dry and callus over. (You’ll want about 60 for a 6- by 12-inch frame.)

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Add soil

Set the frame mesh side up on a flat surface; fill it with moist cactus mix, working the mix through the mesh with your fingers. The mesh and a wood backing holds the soil in place.

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Plant cuttings

Poke the cuttings’ stem ends through the mesh and into the soil. Leave the frame lying flat in a cool, bright location while plants take root, about 7 to 10 days after planting, then begin watering.

Once plants are securely rooted―this takes between 4 and 12 weeks―display the frames upright in an area that gets morning or filtered sun. 

Water as soil approaches dryness, about every 7 to 10 days. To water, remove frame from the wall, lay flat, water lightly, and let soil drain before hanging up again.

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How to make your own succulent frame

1. For a 1-foot-square frame, cut four 12-inch lengths of 2x2 lumber. Nail the corners together for a frame 2 inches deep.

2. Staple or nail ½-inch hardware wire mesh to one side of the open frame. If desired, add trim on top of the mesh to hide it. (If you’re a skilled woodworker, you can also cut a channel into the wood and slide the mesh into the channel, hiding the mesh's cut edges.)

3. Staple or nail a 1-foot square of plywood onto the open back of the frame. Stockwell uses exterior plywood or 1x12-inch redwood.