Succulent gardens are stunning in many different settings. Whether outside as your landscaping, as a centerpiece for tables at an event, or a conversation piece in your home, they can be a great addition to any situation.
When arranging succulents, or cactus gardens, there is a lot of necessary information to learn about. We have gathered this information so you can learn to make a stunning arrangement for whatever event you may need it for. When arranging your plants, some things to consider include the thriller, filler, spiller formula, how close the plants are together, and other essential aspects.
The thriller, filler, spiller formula involves finding a larger plant for the center of the arrangement; this is the thriller plant. The filler piece of this formula consists of three or four different types of plants, multiple of each, "filling" the area around the thriller plant. These should be placed close to each other. With a succulent garden, you want a crowded look. The final piece is the spiller plant. This plant should be a succulent that spills over the edges of whatever planter your arrangement is in. Take a look at these pictures below to help you better visualize what you want to create before creating it!
1) The Thriller Plant
This is where the "thriller" part of the thriller, filler, and spiller formula comes in. It is important to have a large succulent, or cactus, in the center of the arrangement. It should be large, attention-grabbing, and beautiful. This is the plant that will be first seen when someone sees the arrangement. This picture also shows an excellent example of spiller plants on the edge.
2) The Purple Thriller
Adding a pop of color is a great way to add some style to your arrangement. You can stick to two colors, like green and purple, in this image, or you can choose multiple different colors to create a rainbow decoration with your plants. Another option is to stick to analogous colors like choosing all reds, oranges, and yellows for your plants.
3) Colorful Assortment
In this image, you can see multiple different colors amongst the succulents. Adding multiple colors like this can change the vibe of the arrangement and make it more playful instead of keeping it serious. This picture also shows how close the plants should be together. You are looking for crowding for the best results, although some people prefer to spread their plants out a bit.
4) Colors and Textures
This picture shows the great effect that is mixing the colors and textures of the plants. There are succulents in this arrangement with spiky leaves, and some spiller-type plants are smoother. The colors in this succulent garden are also very big components in making the arrangement pop.
5) Basket Planter
This arrangement is a good example of a colorful arrangement and showing that you can use different planters for your garden. In this picture, the succulent garden is in a basket planter, and it brings a whole new look into your succulent garden. Choosing the right planter for your succulent garden is so important.
6) Cacti and Succulents Together
Cacti and succulents are great to plant together, and this image is a great example of that. These two types of plants have very similar needs, which makes them thrive in the same environment. It is common to see succulents growing with cacti, making arrangements more diverse and beautiful. One note with cactus planting is making sure to wear thick gloves and potentially use tongs to replant.
7) Same Color but Different Texture
This image shows all plants of the same color, a natural green, but many different textures and plants. There are some cacti and some succulents in this arrangement, making it pop without needing different colors. This also shows another type of planter box that can be used for these gardens. Another note to make is the rocks that you may have noticed in the picture. We will talk more about those later in the article.
8) Outdoor Cacti Arrangement
Cactus arrangements can be the perfect outdoor landscapes in the right climate. In this picture, you can see many different types of cacti. All of them are natural green colors. With this arrangement, it is important to note that the distance between the cacti means two things. First, the cacti (depending on the species) can overgrow given the extra space, and second, they will need watering more often because the surface area of the dirt will have more airflow and dry the dirt out quicker. Click here to see other landscaping ideas.
9) Another Outdoor Arrangement
You will notice the creator also planted other plants alongside a few succulents and a cactus in this arrangement. Taken care of correctly, many plants can be planted alongside cacti or succulents, like this particular arrangement. Once again, notice the distance between the plants.
10) Diversity of Planters
There are three different ideas for planters in this image. There is a glass terrarium-type planter, what looks to be a seashell planter, and three regular circle planters. If you choose to have less diversity between your plants, changing up the planter style is a great choice to add some sparkle to your succulent garden.
Check out these white planters with copper wire on Amazon.
Or this glass vase with a wide rim on Amazon, perfect for a succulent garden.
11) Natural Planters
This particular planter adds to the natural vibe of the succulent garden. Using a natural base to create your planter is a great idea, especially for outdoor gardens. In this photo is a rock that was hollowed out and used as a planter. Another common thing is to use shells, as seen previously in this article.
12) Multiple Planters, One Garden
In this image, you can see that the creator used six different planters, each with one plant in it, to create the look of one garden. This look is complex yet simplistic and sophisticated. There are perks to this, but downsides as well. There is more freedom to easily move the plants as needed to look at the perks, especially if one species needs more sunlight than the others, for example.
13) Finished Look
This image piggybacks off the last image of one plant in each of the many different pots, but that is not what needs to be the attention grabber here. It is important to note the finishing touches added to these planters, which is the top dressing. It looks to be different-sized stones for each different planter. A top dressing’s job is to give the garden a more finished look. It can be any coarse material. Other examples include pebbles, gravel, beach glass, and even marbles.
14) Rock Garden
The rocks in this particular succulent garden are a bit overpowering. The garden is still gorgeous, but in some opinions, the rocks are the attention grabber. However, it is still important to see an example of another top dressing option, potentially with a little bit bigger plants.
15) Air Exposure and Soil
This image is a perfect example of air exposure to soil. With less crowding (which can be a good thing), there is more surface area that air will be exposed to. Because of this, the soil will potentially dry out quicker, leaving your plants dry without enough water. Although, there is such thing as overwatering, and it is important not to do that as it causes the plants to rot.
Final Thoughts
After reading this article, I hope you feel confident in your ability to make your own succulent and cactus arrangement. These gardens can be beautiful, no matter how they are put together. Still, the important things to consider are the thriller, filler, spiller formula, and how close you place your plants together. Another piece of information to remember is to make sure you find a planter with drainage holes! If you have a vision and be creative, your succulent garden will turn out stunning.
For more ideas on how to arrange plants, check out this post here on Homedecorbliss.com!