Succulent |

What goes better than Pumpkins and Succulents? Really! Do you even have to think about it? I’m not sure anything screams Fall more than these gorgeous <and super simple> Pumpkin and Succulent planters.

Well, since we grow both Succulents and Pumpkins, they really are the perfect combination this time of year and they are so easy to make with just a few simple craft items. So perfect for Thanksgiving centerpieces, hostess gifts, wedding favors or just to sit around the house and enjoy yourself.

There are a lot of tutorials out there on how to creases these pretty planters and lots of different ideas on whether or not to plant the succulent in moss on top of the whole pumpkin or to plant inside the pumpkin in soil. For these, I prefer to not cut into the pumpkin at all and rather “plant” the Succulents in the moss that is layered on top of the pumpkin.

They will last for up to 2-3 months and when the pumpkin has no more life in it, you simply remove the moss topper, succulents and all and plant in a planter or flower pot, using a good rich succulent soil. The roots will already be established in the moss and will continue to grow into the new soil and look amazing- I love that!

You can use any size or variety of pumpkins. I really prefer the mini pumpkins, even the micro pumpkins, but the large & colorful ornamental pumpkins make stunning arrangements. Just experiment and have fun.

The supply list is pretty simple…pumpkins, succulents, moss, spray adhesive, hot glue gun and glue sticks. That is all you need to create the perfect Fall centerpiece.

So let’s talk supply details. The spray adhesive will be for attaching the moss, in layers, to the top of the pumpkin. Any spray adhesive will work. You could also just use hot glue to adhere the moss; however, I like using a spray adhesive because it is more forgiving and easier on your fingers (and how many times have you been burned by the hot glue?!)

Now the moss— Sphagnum moss is a natural product, is long lasting and has excellent water holding capabilities. This is what I recommend using, especially if you plan to transplant your succulents later. However, I have seen other types of moss used.

Pumpkins come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. I get more bang for my buck when using the mini pumpkins because it doesn’t take as many succulents to make it look full. And I think the small succulent filled pumpkins look great adorning a desktop, kitchen counter, or side table. But, if you were using the arrangement for a large table or focal centerpiece, I would use a bigger variety pumpkin. If using a larger pumpkin you want to look for an ornamental pumpkin with a flat or inverted top.

And lastly, you need succulents. I use cuttings, with 1/4″ stem, first letting them air dry for a few days which allows them to form a callus end. If you cut and plant in the same day, the moisture from the plant stem could cause rot.

You can also purchase small succulent plants to use, which is especially helpful for your large center pieces. Be sure to take away and shake off all the dirt before placing in the moss.

So let’s get to the crafting. Spray the adhesive to the top of the pumpkin and place a layer of moss. Press down and hold to ensure it has adhered. Continue to spray adhesive and place more moss until it is built up 1/4″-1/2″ thick. I like to have a little moss trailing down the sides as well but you may want it neat and symmetrical. Just layer it to suit your taste.

I like to get an idea of how I want the plants arranged before I begin gluing them in place. Start with your larger and taller plants in the center and work your way to the outside. Then go back enough and add smaller filler plants to make a full arrangement. Also use draping succulent to line the outside edge. I like to use all green or neutral succulent for a natural arrangement but the bright and vibrant colored succulent look great too. Maybe even use a monochromatic look with a large orange pumpkin and orange succulent or a green pumpkin with green succulent. There is really no wrong way to arrange them as long as you like it!

Once you figure out a plan for the arrangement, use the end of a pencil or something similar to poke a hole in the moss then dab a little hot glue onto the end of the succulent and poke into the hole you made in the moss. Press down a little and hold until the glue sets. The hot glue will not damage the stem and the succulent will continue to grow and take root in the moss.

Continue to glue a variety of succulent in the moss and fill in blank areas with smaller succulent. Make it as full as you want. I like to stick to just a few succulent if I am using a micro pumpkin and 10-12 cutting for a mini pumpkin, depending on the size of your succulent cuttings.

After a day or two, give the moss a good spritz with a spray bottle and then continue to lightly spritz it using a spray bottle every week to week and a half and it should last a few months.

Succulent Pumpkin Arrangement

A beautiful way to celebrate the Fall Season by combining pumpkins and succulent.

Prep Time10 mins

Active Time30 mins

Equipment

Hot Glue Gun

Materials

Hot Glue Sticks
Spray Adhesive
Sphagnum Moss
Variety of Succulent Cuttings or Plants leave stem 1/4" long
Ornamental or Mini Pumpkins

Instructions

Spray top of pumpkin with adhesive and layer the moss on top. Continue to spray and layer until moss is 1/4"-1/2" thick.
Poke a hole into the moss where you want the plant to be placed.
Dab hot glue all around the stem of your succulent and place in the hole in the moss and hold down until glue hardens.
Continue gluing succulents in the moss until the arrangement is full.
After a day or two, give the plants and moss a good spritz with a water bottle and continue to water every week to week and a half.

Notes

If using succulent cuttings, cut stems back to 1/4" and allow to air dry for a few days before planting.

If using full plants, remove all the dirt before planting.

Use large or tall succulents in the middle and work outward adding plants. Use smaller plants or trailing succulent to fill in between large plants and on the edges.

When we moved into our little house, the yard was void. I don’t mean void of any cool landscaping details, I mean VOID of a yard! Yes, there were some dead shrubbery and such and luckily 2 great old trees somehow managed to survive. The grass however, didn’t. Therefore, we went to work in that first year. We completely re-sodded the entire yard ourselves, planted shrubs, elephant ears, (our favs!) added monkey grass down the sidewalk, put in crape myrtle trees and a red oak. We found a bargain on Lueders Stone (similar to Austin Stone) landscaping stones at a local store and went hog-wild in placing the stone in every place possible in our yard. We created flower beds, lined the sidewalk, stacked, un-stacked and stacked stone again, literally everywhere. We stepped back and thought we had really done something. Actually, we loved it! Over-kill for some, but just the right cohesive look we wanted. Then, about 5 years later we realized there was a neglected little corner of the yard. Yes, an area which had not been subjected to the Lueders Stone Landscaping Monsters that we had became. This must be fixed! And so, we went to work adding a flower bed around the forgotten tree.

Here is how it went down. Our supplies consisted of a few shovels (thank you estate sales!), large nails (I don’t know what you are suppose to use these for or why we even own them, but they are huge!), string, a hammer, a level, a tape measure, a tarp, gloves and of course knee pads.

Using a tape measure we measured 2 feet from the base of the trunk and placed a stake. Took a step back and decided that it needed to be further, and eventually decided on 2.5 feet. Again, measuring from the base of the trunk 2.5 feet out, we went around the tree, placing stakes.

Just to give us a visual of what the circle would look like, using string, we strung it around the outside of the staking nails. This allowed us to make sure this circle would be the right diameter for the flower bed.

Satisfied with our “grand” string circle, we went to remove the grass. It just so happens, that we needed grass sod for a project in our back yard, so I wanted the grass removed in squares so it could be reused, not just simply dug out and tossed out. Using the sharpshooter shovel and the string as a guideline, Shane cut into the ground all the way around the circle. This made for an easier entry point for the next step.

Next step is lifting the grass out. Again with the shovel, using the entry points created above, Shane slide the shovel between the dirt and the grass and lifted it out in squares. Little at a time, he went around the entire circle, until it was cleaned out.

We always use a tarp when we are landscaping. It is just so handy and makes clean up a breeze, especially when digging dirt or hauling away weeds or shrubbery. It was a perfect place for the grass squares until we were finished with the project.

Now comes the stacking, unshackling and re-stacking part as mentioned above. Using the stone, we placed them at the edge of our circle, removing stones, replacing stones, until we got it just right. Using a level, we added or took out a little dirt beneath the stones until we had the first layer of stones in place.

After stacking the second layer, we filled in the stone circle with dirt. We are lucky to have an organic dirt provider nearby. A great business that sells organic dirt and compost by the scoop. We love it for all of our flower beds and plantings.

Several years ago, Shane brought home a huge planter of succulent from an estate sale. I have no idea the name of the variety, but it is awesome. We have planted it everywhere. It is so easy to propagate by taking cuttings from the mama plant and just sticking them in the dirt. (I know that explanation is making a horticulturist roll their eyes, but hey….it works for us!)