Trend Alert: Living Pictures with Succulents

Photo Credit: Flickr user, bartt

Vertical gardening and living walls are still cool. One of the hottest trends right now in gardening/home decor is “living pictures,” where succulent cuttings are artfully woven into a frame to create a living, breathing piece of artwork that can be hung in any space! It is a fun and easy way to add some colour, texture and interest to your home. And the best part is that these living pictures are low-maintenance, which would be perfect for beginner gardeners!

Succulents are the perfect plants for living art because they are hardy, heat and drought resistant and long lasting! Plus, there are hundreds of varieties to choose from, varying in sizes, colours and forms. For a simple and elegant picture, use one type of succulent. Or mix it up using a variety of plants. The options are endless, but ideally, it’s best to stick with varieties that stay small. Smaller varieties won’t grow out of the frame and are easier to maintain.

There are many ways to go about creating a living picture. You can start off small and make one using an old picture frame and a bit of mesh. Or you can make a large one with a wooden pallet, framing the succulents like a giant shadow box. Living picture kits are available for purchase. If you are ambitious, you can even build your own frame.

After creating the living picture, do not hang it right away. If you do, the soil will just fall out. Be sure to keep it flat and out of direct sunlight for the first couple of weeks to let the roots to form. You can start mounted your piece of art once the roots are well-developed, which can take 4-8 weeks, depending on the conditions.  Once the plants have been established, they can be watered about once every 7-10 days.

Here is a tutorial from Urban Petals on how to create your very own living picture: http://myurbanpetals.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/living-succulent-picture/

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