Introduction: Living Heart Succulent Planter
This succulent heart makes for a beautiful centerpiece or decoration inside or outside. It can be placed in a pot or sprouting straight from the ground in your garden. We created this heart in honor of our friend who is waiting for her Heart TransPLANT, get it? EM this one is for you!
Supplies
1 Pot min. 7" circumference x 6.5" height
Rocks or gravel for bottom of pot
12 or more low growing, flat topped succulents and ground cover succulents (the more the better)
3 Sheets of paper
Ruler
Pen/Pencil
Scissors
Tape
min. 12" x 9" x 1.5" block of wood
Jigsaw cutter with wood blade
60 grit and 120 sandpaper
14ft of 12 gauge Galvanized Wire
5" length x 0.5" inside diameter aluminum tube
Wire cutters
Pliers
Green vinyl coated poultry netting
Heavy duty, PVC coated, garden training wire
4L Long fibered sphagnum moss
8qt Potting mix for succulents
Step 1: Create Heart Template
1a. Draw half a heart on your paper with max hight of 9", 6" wide, and center height of 7 1/4"
1b. Cut the half heart and use it to cut a second half heart.
1c. Tape both together at center.
Step 2: Create Heart Mold
2a. Use your paper heart template to draw it on your block of wood
2b. Using a jigsaw, cut the heart out at a 0degree angle
2c. Use your ruler to draw a heart inside of your cutout at 1" from the edge
2d. Cut at the inside heart with your jigsaw cutter at a 45degree angle
2e. Sand edges
Step 3: Shape Wire Heart
Cut 7ft of your 12 gauge wire with your wire cutters. Bend the center of your wire and place it at the dip of the heart and tape it down. Shape the rest around your mold and twist it at the bottom. Use pliers if needed.
Step 4: Shape Basket
4a. Place poultry netting on top of mold and shape down. Cut netting around the mold leaving some left over.
4b. Flip mold and netting over and place wire heart on top. Using the garden wire, weave netting and wire together. Cut excess netting and fold down tips to create a cleaner edge.
4c. Flip mold with netting again and press the netting down on mold to review shape. If needed, use garden wire to tighten the dip of the heart into shape.
Step 5: Repeat Step 3 & 4 to Create a Second Basket
Step 6: Fill and Close
6a. Line both baskets with Sphagnum Moss. Press down tightly to form a layer that is partially sticking out from the netting.
6b. Fill the rest completely with soil, water it, and fill some more until both baskets are tightly compressed and completely filled.
6c. Use a cardboard or thick paper to flip one of the baskets on top of the other without spilling its contents and then remove it.
6d. Weave both baskets together with the gardening wire.
Step 7: Set in Pot
7a. Weave the aluminium tube (5" length x 0.5" inside diameter) into the twisted wires at the bottom. Place the pot on the side to guide the height of the bottom bends. Bend the wires to create legs fitting tightly on the bottom and sides of the pot.
7b. Fill half of the pot with rocks or gravel for weight and the other half with soil.
Step 8: Add Succulents
Use your finger or stick to open a hole in the moss and dirt and insert the root of succulents. You can use a stick to further help you push them in. If the roots are too big, you can open up space in your netting with the pliers. The roots will grow and attach more securely with time.