Succulent Tea Party at Flora Grubb Gardens
Mis-matched china cups always make us think of the Mad Hatter and his strangely alluring party. Maybe that's why these wonderful succulents planted in china cups are so appealing; the plants, with their alien textures and shapes, would fit right in at the mad tea party—and certainly in our house! As of yesterday, artist Rebecca Marshall of The Cat Bird Nest is selling them on consignment at Flora Grubb Gardens. See more, and learn how to care for these lovelies, after the jump...
Rebecca explains how she began to grow her succulent tea party at home:
One day I was bemoaning the fact that I don't have a garden in my excellent (but third floor walk-up) apartment. I had a cute tea cup I never used, so I went to Guerrero Street Gardens and asked Flora Grubb if i could plant something in it. She looked at me askance and made me promise to water it sparingly and not to cry when it died in a few months. It lasted for three years and brought much cuteness to my home. Last year, when I had an empty tiki bar cart to fill with something other than alcohol, I started collecting tea cups and filled the cart with a Succulent Tea Party. It was very therapeutic.
The trick is to water them with an eyedropper and very sparingly. Keep them free of dead leaves and make sure they're not overexposed to sunlight unless they happen to like full sun (most don't). I also like to pair the succulents that look the wildest and the most bizarre with really traditional china patterns.
It's the perfect SF indoor garden, especially for the plant-challenged. I try to find unique cups, both modern, vintage and antique, and then match the plants based on pattern, texture, and color. The potting with aquarium gravel is a recent development, but gives the plants a more finished look.
The succulent tea cups are on sale at Flora Grubb Gardens (1634 Jerrold Avenue, San Francisco) for $24.95. Rebecca Marshall also has a line of handmade jewelry for sale; learn more about her work at The Cat Bird Nest.
Comments (11)
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Succulent porn...please stop!
view sally305's profile
that is a need trick! thanks!
view Sputnik's profile
i loooooove it
view elinka189's profile
I planted six or seven little succulents in a plain white cylindrical bowl I bought at IKEA a few years back, about 10" in diameter. The total cost was maybe $25, including the bowl which I'd had for a decade, it looks fantastic, and it's held up for about a year now without too much carnage.
So far I've only lost one, but the others grew in and filled the gap, and I've fought mealybugs on a couple of the plants (the rest seem immune) but the succulents seem to be winning that battle.
They're a much better deal than cut flowers, that's for sure.
view sunspot42's profile
Would it be possible to drill a hole at the bottom of a porcelain cup - with diamond drill on a flexshaft tool, with the cup under water? What do the tool-savvy think?
view JoanneM's profile
succulent porn indeed! great idea for all the mismatched teacups and sugar bowls my granny gave me that just sit in the cupboard!
view attic's profile
How weird! I just started doing this.
And I'm thinking about drilling, too. Ultimately I'm going to be trying something like you, JoanneM, on something not terribly precious. I've heard advice much like yours but I think there's just always a risk.
view whytephoenix's profile
P.S. Don't stop. I like getting all hot and bothered by succulents.
view whytephoenix's profile
Are those planted in any particular type of soil and finished with aquarium stones? Or entirely in stones...
view klacko's profile
I just planted mine in cactus soil, which you can buy. They'd probably look a little better if I covered the soil with stones, but they've grown so much now not much of the actual soil is showing anymore.
view sunspot42's profile
I have drilled holes using inexpensive cups from Goodwill. I used a drill press and a tile bit with water in the bottom of the cup. I haven't planted anything yet, but hope to soon!
view s mcmacken's profile