This artful display of gorgeous greens could reframe your whole perspective on gardening
The hanging 'frame' is a pretty basic build consisting of a box -- that holds the dirt...and
then the frame pieces. Start by buiding the box...then assemble the frame using brackets
to join the pieces. Attach the box to the frame, again with brackets. Insert a piece
of hardware cloth, and then finish off the back of the box with a piece of acrylic.
Now you're ready to plant . Fill the frame with a potting mix meant for
succulents. You can buy it, or you can make your own..using some potting soil, perlite
and plain old playground sand. It's a really dry mix that drains well, because succulents
don't like sitting in water. Fill the frame until the wire fabric cloth is just covered,
then sprinkle a little water and let the whole thing sit for about 15 minutes. The soil will
compact and settle a bit, and then you can top it off with another layer of soil, and
a little more water. The water helps the mix hold together a little more for planting purposes.
Now you can lay out your succulents and remember, they will grow and spread out some, so don't
overcrowd the space. Once you've got an arrangement you like, trace around the plants with a permanent
marker, then carefully -- using a pair of tinsnips -- cut thru the wire fabric, kind
of bending back the pieces to create a hole just large enough to get the rootball thru.
You don't want to cut
away too much of the mesh so leave at least
a couple of columns around the perimeter, and in between your plants.
Once it's planted, you can hang it in a spot that gets appropriate light for your plants.
And you won't need to water as frequently as most other plants, but they
will require water a couple times a week during the growing season.
This frame is gorgeous hanging outdoors and it also looks fabulous as a centerpiece on an outdoor table.