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| Photo Credit: Sarah E. Smith |
| Succulent pizzas have infinite color and combination options! |
It’s virtuous to be thrifty. But the truth is I like to flirt with outright stingy. Being an inverse snob means I’m always searching for new things and experiences that cost little, last a long time and satisfy me deeply – more so because of the low, low outlay.
My latest cheap thrill is the “succulent pizza.” It’s an eye-catching and undemanding micro-garden that offers a tasty slice of design trends for a happily modest investment. Since I got mine, no one crosses my petite porch without stopping mid-step and saying, “Wow, what is that? Where did you get it?” Poised prettily at the intersection of Latin and Asian, these little gardens definitely aren’t your grandmother’s pots of cacti and quartz. The first step in your mini-garden creation is picking out the right pot. Debra Lee Baldwin, author of Designing With Succulents (Timber Press), says a bonsai pot works great. “They’re dressier than common clay or terra-cotta and come in appealing geometric shapes that play off the geometry of succulents,” she explains. “And because succulents are shallow-rooted, they’re fine in bonsai pots.” Look for a pot about 10 inches across (make sure it has a drainage hole), then gather the rest of your supplies: ● A bag of cactus mix potting soil (or use ½ regular potting soil and ½ perlite)
● 3-9 very small, hardy succulent plants of one to three types (The most common, easy-to-grow choice is hen and chicks, a Sempervivum.)
● A small amount of colored gravel and/or mega-marbles (clear, flat-sided glass beads often used in floral displays) in one to three colors (Pick colors that complement your bonsai pot. You can find these “toppings” at craft stores and garden centers, dollar stores or floral supply shops.) Artist, gardener and instructor Ann Munson of West Linn, OR, makes succulent pizzas for her greenhouse studio sales. She says they sell like…well, hotcakes.
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