Indoor gardens are becoming more and more popular in recent years. The best part of having an indoor garden is that you get the privilege of having beautiful greenery surrounding you during all seasons of the year, not just during spring and summer.
You’ve probably seen hundreds of posts about creating a beautiful garden inside your home or what the easiest plants are to maintain indoors. Good news is, there are plenty of plants that can thrive indoors with little sunlight and low to no maintenance. Succulents are one of these plants.
What are succulents?
You may have heard of succulents before. They are definitely a trend as of late because they are aesthetically pleasing and colorful and also super easy to take care of. What exactly are they though?
Succulents are a group of plants that store water in their leaves, stems or both. They are drought-resistant plants that have been able to adapt to dry, arid environments. Some of the most common places in nature where you could find these plants are deserts, cold mountains, and seaside cliffs.
Usually uninhabitable places make the perfect home for these vibrant, self-sustaining plants. The most common type of plant you probably know or have seen that is a succulent is cacti. However, not all succulents are cacti, only some varieties.
Because succulents are, for the most part, self-sufficient, they make the perfect candidate for indoor gardening. They can thrive in almost any environment, require little watering, and add some visual appeal to any room in your home.
Which succulents are the best for indoor gardens?
Just because succulents can thrive in many different types of environments, doesn’t mean that all of them are created completely equal. Therefore, there are many varieties that will do much better growing in an indoor garden than some.
Below are some of the best succulents to add to your home and they are also some of the easiest for beginners to take care of.
Jade Plant
This plant has long been a favorite of advanced and novice gardeners alike. It is so easy to grow! The jade plant is native to South Africa and grows thick stems and glossy, green leaves. The most common way that these plants are killed is by overwatering, so it is important that you let the soil dry completely in-between watering’s.
Burros Tail
Also known as donkey’s tail, this is a trailing succulent plant with long tendrils that drape well over hanging baskets or shelves. The overlapping stems can grow up to three feet long.
The plant is native to Mexico and does best when it has access to medium or high light during the daytime. Like the jade plant, this plant can suffer from over-watering, so be careful to let the soil soak up the water from before.
Aloe Vera
This is perhaps the most useful plant on this list. Aloe Vera’s sap found in the inner leaves can be used for medicinal purposes in various ways. The most well-known use for this plant is as a soothing rub for burns and wounds.
Almost everyone has utilized Aloe Vera at one point or another for that sunburn you got from hours spent on the beach. This plant should be placed in full sunlight and watered when the leaves feel dry and brittle.
Echeveria
Echeveria is native to deserts and thrives in dry arid climates. It also comes in a variety of colors so it’s the perfect plant for added visual interest. Like the other succulents on this list, it should only be watered when it has completely dried out. It also does well in full sunlight.
Panda Plant
A native plant to Madagascar, this succulent is normally grown for its fun, fuzzy leaves. The leaves themselves are thick and green but are covered with a fine silver layer of hairs that gives the plant a blue-gray appearance.
Each of the leaves have tips that are covered in brown or rust-colored hairs. Again, this plant requires little watering but does not need to be completely dried out before the next time you water it. Place it in a place where it will get medium sunlight throughout the day.
Crown of Thorns
For another pop of color, add this succulent to your indoor garden. It requires a good amount of sunlight to bloom but the flowers can bloom all year-round, producing pinkish-red flowers. It needs to be watered a bit more than others on this list, but the blooms are worth the extra time spent caring for it!
Of course, the succulents that are great for indoors and are easy to care for are not limited to this list. There are plenty more varieties to choose from if none of these are your style!
Each of these plants is different enough from the last to add some visual interest to your green space. With that said, how does one create an indoor garden that is the most aesthetically pleasing it can be?
After all, that is why most of us create a space like this in our homes; so that we have something pretty to look at all year long.
How to Create A Beautiful Garden Indoors
Different Size and Shape Varieties
The first thing I would recommend to create some visual appeal for your garden would be to choose succulents that have different heights and shapes, different leaf types and textures to them. We all know that when you’re decorating your home, you choose accent pieces and furniture that is different shapes and sizes to add to the visuals.
It helps to draw the eye in and keeps things interesting. The same thing applies when you’re curating your garden. Choose one plant that is a bit taller, such as Aloe Vera, or choose plants that have long tendrils that drape over their growing container. Anything you can do to make sure you have plenty of variety in what each plant looks like, do it.
Colors
Similar to the idea of curating plants that are different shapes and sizes, try to choose a few succulents that are more than just green. There a few succulents out there that have beautiful, colorful blooms or have different colored leaves or stems. Adding pops of color to anything automatically makes it more beautiful to look at!
Pots and Terrariums
Because succulents are relatively unfussy and come in plenty of sizes and shapes, there are endless amounts of possibilities for what you choose to grow them in. Terra cotta pots, such as these, are a popular option for succulent enthusiasts. They are fairly breathable, so they’re great for places that won’t get a lot of air flow, i.e. indoors.
You can also plant succulents in a variety of other “containers” that are not the typical planter pots. Succulents can grow and look great in a refurbished glass wine bottle, a piece of driftwood you’ve hollowed out, or if they’re small enough, a little teacup.
You can also plant them in sleek ceramic pots or create a beautiful visual by placing your plants inside a glass terrarium. Just make sure you pick up some good soil or fake moss to fill any see through glass containers you may utilize.
Shelving or Hanging Vessels
The succulents and containers themselves are not the only ways in which you can help create a visually pleasing garden inside your home. The thing upon which you set your plants can also be a great way to spice up your green space.
There are numerous configurations you can arrange your plants in. You are not limited to a regular shelve to set them on. Hanging planters, such as this one or this one, are the perfect way to display your succulents in a way that makes them look like a piece of art. There are also many types of floating shelves that can be a great addition as well.
Play around with different ways to display your succulents and you’ll have a beautiful and artistic-looking garden in no time!
Conclusion
These are just a few options and ideas for curating your perfect indoor garden. The best part of planting succulents is that you can be as creative as you want and they don’t take up a ton of space.
They are also some of the lowest maintenance plants out there, so, if you’re like me and you don’t have the greenest thumb, they are the perfect way to dip your toes into the world of gardening.
Do some digging and you’ll find plenty of succulents that can be successfully grown indoors, year-round!
Hopefully, after reading this article, you are confident in your knowledge of the types of succulents you can grow inside and how to create a visually appealing green space that will be relatively low maintenance throughout the year.
I would love to hear your success stories with your own gardens in the comments below. Also, if you have any other suggestions for succulents to grow or ideas on how to spruce up your garden, leave them in the comments as well! Happy gardening!