Gardens + Landscapes

5 Genius Succulent Garden Ideas

These whimsical plants aren’t just for your desk

July 28, 2016

With their striking forms and eye-catching colors, succulents have an otherworldly appeal that has made them popular additions to cocktail tables, desks, and windowsills. But they have a practical selling point, too: They require less water than almost any plant around, making them an especially good pick for yards in drier regions of the country. “I use succulents in almost every garden we create,” says Judy Kameon, renowned Los Angeles landscape designer at Elysian Landscapes and author of Gardens Are For Living. “The endless variety of colors, textures, and silhouettes offers year-round interest with a modicum of maintenance.” Here, she shares her tips for playing up succulents’ star power in your own outdoor space.

Photo: Melanie Acevedo
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Embrace the shade
While succulents have a reputation as sun worshippers, many perform well in the shade. In a Hollywood Hills garden, Kameon wove succulents into this shadowy area, “where they provide structure against other strappy and leafy foliage,” she says.
Photo: Erik Otsea
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Emphasize their shapes . . .
“I love to play with the sculptural qualities of succulents,” says Kameon. To create an interesting flow in the garden, mix different varieties. This space for fashion designer Isabel Marant “is a chromatic study in form, from vertical green poles to rounded silver mounds to spiky chartreuse stars.”

Photo: Erik Otsea
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. . . but soften their edges
On their own, succulents can look severe, but when planted near something less structural, both plants benefit from the contrast. “I often pair succulents with softer textures, like ornamental grasses and lacy perennials, to highlight the qualities of each plant,” says Kameon.
Photo: Tom Mannion
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Crack the color code
As with all good design, it’s vital to plant with a palette in mind, says Kameon. Succulents’ foliage ranges in color and tone, from warm to cool. In this “lunar landscape” for Balenciaga, she chose tones of silver, blue, and ivory.

Photo: Erik Otsea
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Make an artful statement
“Ground-cover succulents can be used to create wonderful graphic compositions,” says Kameon. In planting this green roof for a photo studio, she was inspired by Color Field paintings of the ’60s; a similar approach could be taken on a smaller scale in your average backyard garden bed.