Save the world, plant junk…

Earth Day; April 22 is the day set aside to be mindful of the environment, and try to do things to help the earth and be more sustainable (as if we needed a reminder!)

Earth Day Inspiration

If you’re conscious of the earth and try to use and reuse, to keep things out of the landfill, here are a few projects that might just help out the earth, as well as give you a feeling of satisfaction;

Some of my favorite planters for succulents are made out of stuff that normally would be discarded, like satellite dishes; the shallow soil is just right for these tough and reliable plants.

Satellite Dishes recycled into the perfect shallow container for succulents
Satellite Dishes recycled into the perfect shallow container for succulents

Roots make great planters; finding these on a trip to the beach or on a forest hike is a way to remember your good times;

Roots often have a hollow that will hold a few choice hens and chicks
Roots often have a hollow that will hold a few choice hens and chicks

Thrift store finds like this glass fish tank can hold succulents as long as you remember not to overwater them. 

Good drainage is usually the mantra with all these plants, but if you can keep the water level below that of the roots, they’ll thrive. 

Of course, a layer of lava rock or other drain rock is both decorative and necessary for their survival;

 glass fish tank
Thrift store finds are easy to get a hold of…like this glass fish tank

Vintage windows make incredible crafts. After years of storing them up and waiting for inspiration, I sold them to a woman who creates jewelry displays with some of the panes removed and replaced with chalk board, pegboard or cork to pin things on. 

How creative is that?

Sometimes she makes the windows into a picture frame;

Old Window Picture Frame
Old Window Picture Frame

What possible use is there for something like Styrofoam packaging?  How about making planters out of it – even the weird shaped blocks used for shipping appliances and TV’s in.

More about making them here; Styrofoam Planters.

Click on the images below to open the gallery;

crevice garden made from styrofoam packaging
the plants are getting established now
spilling over the edges

Boots and shoes make planters too; don’t miss out on some of the fun projects in the Best Succulent Containers Contest from previous years using these;

However you decide to celebrate our beautiful blue planet, find a way to do it with less; reuse, reduce and recycle to create some innovative and beautiful ways to display our favorite succulent plants.

These are just a few of the many ways to help save the world.