Hey everybody! Happy spring!! I was able to do a bit of thrifting a few days ago and came home with $5.00 worth of tarnished silverplate. Yay me! It’s one of my favorite things to use for  succulents. They’re so easy to care for. The basics for growing healthy succulents are SUN, SOIL and MOISTURE. Bright, indirect light. Well draining light soil, and careful watering. Water when the soil is dry, don’t let them sit in water, water the soil, not the plant leaves.

Succulents can be tucked into almost any container and last for months with a little care.  They’ll last for years if you use faux. I use both real and faux plants. I try to buy faux plants that are so natural looking they fool the eyes of my friends. I like fooling my friends. It’s fun. They think I’m smarter about plants than I really am. I do grow real plants but I’ve learned over the years which ones will tolerate me and actually grow, and which ones hate the sight of me. Mixing faux plants in with real ones makes me look like a genius. I’ll take that.

Back to the results of my thrifting. I love tarnished silver. It has that all important character factor. I look for it whenever I’m out and about. I’ve found pieces at antique shops and flea markets, although the prices are generally a bit higher, I’ll sometimes pay more for an interesting piece.  My favorite places to find old silver are Goodwill, Salvation Army and local thrift stores. Silver is still  popular and  it’s harder to find now, but the hunt is part of the fun for me.  Brass is making a comeback and I look for that, as well as copper or pewter. I keep my brass and copper outside until it’s aged before bringing it inside to use. It’s all about the character for me!

When I find 3 pieces of old metal for less than $5.00 I do a little happy dance and consider that a good day. And who doesn’t love a good day??  (Or the opportunity to do a little happy dance!) As far as maintenance goes, I clean my silver every few months, when it’s totally black….by clean I mean I wipe it with a tarnish reducing cloth until it’s not solid black. That’s about it. I never clean my brass, I love it best when it develops that green patina.

Use cactus or succulent soil for live plants. Choose containers that are a couple inches deeper than the depth of your root ball so that you have some room to top dress the container, and more importantly so that when you do water, the soil won’t splash out. If you are planting in a container without drainage holes, use a watering can that has a tiny tip and just moisten the soil when it becomes dry. You can add gravel or moss to top dress the soil, but it isn’t necessary. If you top dress with moss just understand that you’ll have to lift it up to water.

If I’m using mine in a darker part of my home, I move them out to my covered porch or the lanai during the day a few times a week. I bring them back in after they’ve sunbathed. This method worked well for me…for awhile.  If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you know I’m lazy.  So taking those nifty containers of succulents back and forth outside got old….. quickly. I threw in the towel…..if I need a plant in a dark area I’m going faux. I’m all about truth here at My Suburban Sanctuary. And the truth is…..I’m no purist. If faux plants look good and are easier to use, well, I’m gonna use them.

I used both faux and real for these new containers, can you spot the difference??

I also use Tillandsia, also known as air plant. I plop those in glass jars…. or any old container I happen to love at the moment…. and add some lichen or bits of bark. Once a month or so I take them outside and mist them with water. Then pop them back in the container. If I want one to “stand above” the container I’ll glue it (use low temp hot glue) to a bit of bark or a thin branch. They’ll live happily for a long time. Air plants are everywhere in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, so when I’m out for a walk I scope out the trees for good specimens. Check to see what grows in your yard, you may be surprised.

Succulents are still riding a wave of popularity. They’re easy to care for, work well with any design style, add subtle color and life to a stack of books, can be tucked into an otherwise boring area and come in a myriad of sizes, colors and shapes. Whew! That’s a lot of good stuff for a humble plant. Look around your  home and gather some interesting containers, besides glass jars, colanders and old graters work well for air plants or faux succulents. For live succulents that require actual care, use almost anything that can hold soil and water. Old silver, brass and copper mugs and bowls are great, but consider using wood cheese boxes, or old sewing machine drawers.  Line them with plastic first to prevent rot. Use chicken feeders, old cooking pots, soup cans, muffin tins, loaf pans, vintage bowls, the list is as long as your imagination.

Consider adding succulents to your home. They add interest and life and splashes of color. They may be humble but are beautiful in their own right.

Create the home you see in your heart. You deserve a sanctuary, no matter where you live. Start creating yours today.

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