A Succulent Summer

If your schedule is anything like mine, a whole host of events and celebrations crop up in the summertime.  Baby showers, weddings, house-warming parties, birthdays, backyard barbeques, and the list goes on.  By nature I'm a giver, but I often feel like I don't have time to put enough attentiveness into gifts for my gal pals and am left spending more money than my budget allows and feeling guilty for not being more thoughtful. 

Enter the succulent garden, a wonderful little container of color, beauty, and best of all, easy maintenance.  Who wouldn't enjoy one of these in the kitchen window, as a centerpiece for a dining table, or on a summer porch?  Virtually impossible to kill (they won't die while you're on your beach vacation-yay!), these little beauties can put a smile on any recipient's face.  Instead of buying the overpriced, already assembled versions in the garden shop, choose to plant your own and save your pennies.  Just find your favorite galvanized container or ceramic pot, add potting soil and your preferred  combination of sedum, cacti, and aloe and in less than 5 minutes you have a perfect gift that spans a whole variety of occasions. 

I made this garden as an end-of-year class gift for Maddox's teachers.  Both ladies have reported that their plants are thriving and being enjoyed.

By copying dictionary pages with words like educate, teach, mentor, and instruct, I mod podged the pages onto galvanized pails for an extra bit of thoughtfulness.  Think of special words to describe the occasion for your gift and consider doing this too!