Wonderful and wacky succulent containers

I’m always looking for inspiration on how to better display my succulents. Here are some of the more intriguing container ideas I’ve come across on the web, ranging from the fairly mainstream to the mildly unusual and the outright wacky.

yucca_rostrata
Yucca rostrata, one of my favorite succulents, in a contemporary V-shaped container. ¡Me gusta mucho!
Anybody know a local source for the container in Northern California? I have three small Yucca rostrata that need a stylish home.
Source: The Seattle Times
 
bilt_products_vertical_red
Handmade in the Bay Area from at least 50% recycled steel, enameled in various colors. I find this Ć¼ber cool. Other designs on their web site.
Source: Bilt Products
 
steel container with Agave
I’m a sucker for steel containers.
If I had a local source for something like that, I’d buy one!
Source: Earth Designs
 
file_cabinet_sm
Old filing cabinet. Actually makes a clean looking modern container and is much cheaper than a purpose-built metal planter. Not sure about the color though.
Source: BaldManModPad
 
cinder_block
Cinder blocks. Now this I dig!
Source: Apartment Therapy
 
erde
Recycled ash flooring. Clean, minimalistic and just plain beautiful. I  just wish it were bigger.
Source: ErdeDesigns
 
white_square
I don’t know what the actual container is but I love the simplicity—that is, after you throw out the silly rock.
Source: Nadia Knows Gardens
 
tea_tins
Tea tins. Too bad I threw out my tea tin collection years ago. Oddly attractive although borderline little-old-lady-with-blue-hair.
Source: Apartment Therapy
 
toolbox
Various old containers, or “antiques” as they are called here in the U.S. I actually like these, especially the metal toolbox on the left and the wooden box on top. A bit on the Kountry Kitchen side but at least there are no stenciled geese.
Source: GRN Events
 
truck
Crap or junk art? Kitsch or inspired design?
I can’t make up my mind.
If I were the cactus, I’d feel a tad undignified.
Source: Digging
 
cactus_cam1
Old camera. I have a few of those lying around. What would happen if you hung the camera from its strap?
Source: CoyotePact
 
cactus_cam2
Another cactus-in-a-camera design. I used to see lots of old Brownie cameras in yard sales but the supply has dried up in recent years. Maybe they’ve all been snatched up by Etsy sellers.
Source: Unlimited Editions
 
face_pot
OK, I’ll admit it. I’ve always wanted one of these face pots, tacky or not.
Source: Gardening Gone Wild
 
root
Old tree root. Now if only I could find a piece of a cactus skeleton…
Source: Drought Smart Plants
 
boot
Old boot. Perfect for your Gold Rush garden.
Source: SDCCS Green Room
 
stiletto
New shoe. Perfect for the Real Housewives of XYZ.
Source: Giddy Spinster on Etsy.com
 
gollypod
Golly Pods. Perfect for your Avatar-themed conservatory.
Source: Tend
 
That’s what I should have done with that broken old papasan chair! Silly me, I threw it away!
 Design: Roxanne Kim-Perez 
carpart
Old car part. Don’t ask me which part that is. I barely know how to open the hood of a car.
Source: A Plant Fanatic in Hawaii
 
car
Hey, if you have to have an old car sitting in your front yard, you might as well make it pretty!
Source: A Plant Fanatic in Hawaii
 
bicycle
For the die-hard hoarders who won’t throw anything out, not even a bicycle that looks like it’s encrusted with pigeon poop.
Source: News Times
 
pirate_chest_sm
Old trunk turned succulent-studded pirate’s chest. Making these is the perfect pastime for aging buccaneers who can’t buckle the swash no more.
Source: Fantasy Gardens
 
toilet_sm
Duh—I should have seen this coming! Million dollar question: Is the toilet new or used?
Source: Craigslist
 
googly_eyes
OK, I simply have to post this. Not because the container is anything special, but because I think there should be a law against sticking googly eyes on cacti.
The horror! The horror!
Source: Gardening on Cloud 9
 

Comments

  1. This is a great post! So many different ideas (not all good). I was actually going to suggest cinder blocks to you when you were talking about a new succulent display in another post. Also, don't remove the "silly" imagine rock from that one planter -- just flip it over!

    A lot of these wouldn't work in wetter or colder climates either, but still great ideas to get me thinking about alternate containers. Thanks for collecting them in one place!

    - It's not work, it's gardening! -

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  2. Inspiring photos Gerhard! So handy to have them all collated in one place, I could go back to this page in the future and copy some of them ;)

    My favourite is the first one with the Yucca rostrata and the Cinder Block planters, how cool is that!! We have several of the pot in the first photo, which we got from the garden section of IKEA furniture store. There is an off chance they sell them in your nearest IKEA branch so worth checking out.

    I wish I could access your blog at work. For some reason it doesn't want to open up there but is fine at home.

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  3. I was looking for inspiration on the Internet, and this is what I found. People do a lot of creative--and wacky--things with succulents!

    Alan, you could make a movable succulent garden in a shallow container and put it in your garage for the winter.

    Mark and Gaz, funny that you should mention IKEA. I'm going to have a post about succulents from IKEA tomorrow. Their container selection used to be much better. This year it's mostly indoor containers. I do like their designs, I just wish they had more gardening stuff for outdoors. Even so, I'm happy to have an IKEA store just 15 minutes from here.

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  4. Mark, about you not being able to access my blog from work: what's up with that??? I wonder if it is because I have a custom domain now (bambooandmore.info). My blog is powered by Google, just like yours. Can you access your own blog from work?

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  5. Hi Gerhard, I'm not sure why I can't access your blog anymore from work. It was fine before until last week, coinciding when you had your custom domain, it tries to load then I get an error message then it terminates the action. I can access my own blog fine though.

    Don't rush changing any of your settings though, I suspect there's something wrong with our work access as your blog loads fine at home. Our work system isn't updated regularly, but once they do I'm hoping it will sort out the problem.

    Looking forward to your IKEA post, we've had some surprise garden finds from there through the years! In spring and summer they bring in a nice selection of garden pots and accesories, and some superb plants too.

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  6. Thanks to sacconnect I found you blog!! I'm just up the hill in El Dorado Hills so howdy neighbor!

    I absolutely love some of these ideas - especially the old bike, old boot, antique containers and the tonka truck. Really like the box with the inspirational rock in it!

    I can do without the toilet and old car!

    I am really looking foward to the weather clearing up so I can get outside and put some of these ideas into action.

    Thank you for sharing!!
    Shannon

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  7. Shannon, welcome distant neighbor! I'm very happy you found my blog. I try to post something new every day so please check back often and let me know what you think.

    Like you, I'm tired of the winter weather that refuses to leave. I want to clean up the yard and get cracking on some projects!!!

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  8. Great post Gerhard! I got some great ideas! Also I agree on no more gluing of eyes and fake flowers! It messes up the plant!

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  9. Well I love the post, it had me laughing and giggling at your caustic remarks about some of the containers. You need a new updated one and have your viewers send some of their container pictures in, I only suggest that because I have an unusal one myself ;) Although, not too sure I want to see your commentary about what I'm using, HA!

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    Replies
    1. Sandee, I've also been thinking of doing an update. It was a fun post to put together. And my comments are all in good humor, I certainly don't mean to offend anybody. I know very well that we all like different things, and taste should never be judged. Having said that, what *is* your unusual container?

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  10. The papasan succulent chair photo is my show case display garden. The URL source Bakati stole my image. Please change or remove image ASAP!

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    Replies
    1. Roxanne, I'm really sorry to hear that. I've changed the image attribution to reflect that you are the copyright holder. I hope that is satisfactory.

      Delete

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