For Valentine's Day gifts this year, I am going to give gifts that last. It's been one year of COVID and I think we all need a bit of kindness and pick-me up, so I decided to DIY a couple of planter arrangements that will bring a smile to anyone's face. And, it's a gift that will last (hopefully)!
The first planter DIY I created is a Sweet Heart Succulent Garden (image above), inspired by Terrain and the second is a Palentine's Friendship Planter (featuring the pilea plant - image below).
Both planters are gorgeous - the biggest difference between the two planters is in the maintenance. If anyone has ever owned a pilea plant (sometimes known as the friendship plant as it keeps sprouting new stems that you can share with friends) knows that it is relatively low maintenance - a perfect gift for those developing a green thumb or still learning about plant-care (I'm still in this category!).
The succulent Sweet Heart Planter is a bit more finicky in terms of care. My best tips to keep succulents alive is minimal watering (make sure you don't overwater, this can cause root rot, I mist instead) and providing the plants with just the right amount of bright light (about 5-6 hours a day), but not direct light. So, this succulent garden will be going to my Palentine's who can happily maintain a slightly more involved plant-care routine.
To Make The Sweet Heart Succulent Garden
You will need:
*1 heart tray or dish (mine is from the Cross Design and is 6" X 6")
*well-draining soil (you only need a small amount, or you could use the extra from the bottom of the plants once you take them out of their containers)
*3 succulents with complementary colours - they can be all the same variety or different like the ones I chose (if your dish is bigger, you might need more that 3 succulents, a good rule of thumb is your pot should be 10% bigger than the plants inside)
*moss to cover
While succulents are still in their individual containers, give them a good misting (or light spray) and let plants sit for 30 minutes to dry out a bit.
Place a layer of soil on the bottom of the heart dish. Remove succulents from individual containers, gently shaking off some of the soil surrounding the bottom of the plant. My heart dish is somewhat shallow, so I positioned all 3 plants where I wanted them on the dish and then filled in the edges and in between to keep the succulents upright.
Top with moss, then place in in-direct light.
Attach a cute "How To Care For Your Plant" card with the Sweet Heart Succulent Garden for your Valentine/Palentine.
To Make The Palentine Planter
You will need:
*1 pilea plant (these vary in size)
*1 pot to fit the pilea plant
*small pebbles (top cover) - colour will depend on the colour pot you choose
*ribbon or natural jute to decorate (optional)
When purchasing the pilea plant and pot, ensure that the plastic container (with bottom holes) of the plant fits inside the pot. Pileas like well drained soil, they do not like to have wet roots, so I always double pot mine with space in between for drainage.
Place Pilea plant into pot, gently top earth with pebbles to create a textured look. Be careful not to squish stems. Leave room where the stems are coming out of the earth.
Add decorative ribbon around pot.
Whether it's a gift for your Valentine or Palentine, I hope you have a day filled with warmth and kindess!
Happy Valentine's Day,
Krista xo
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