We saw this article in Fine Gardening Magazine featuring Debra Lee Baldwin and thought we would pass it along.  It is a easy and great idea.  Enjoy!

A succulent topiary suggests an evergreen tree yet makes viewrs do a double take.  It's a container garden with a twist:  a moss-filled cone planted with eye-catching, low-water, easy-care succulents.  This topiary offers a fewsh and engaging way to expand your garden artisty.  Your pallette is a wide range of colorful, fleshy-leaved plants with appealing geometric shapes.  With widespread demand for succulents, suppliers are increasing availability to meet your needs and satisfy your heart's desire.  Here is how to create your own succulent potted topiary.

Step 1
Fill the wire frame with chicken wire or wrap it with rustproof wire to create a small supportive pockets for the succulents.  Stuff the wire frame with moist sphagnum moss or a mixture of the moss and potting soil, or line the frame with eye catching succulents, like princess pine.

Fill the container with gravel or sand to create a sturdy base.  If there is a drain hole cober it with paper towels first to prevent the sand from spilling out.  Stab the prongs of the stuffed topiary frame into the sand to secure it.

Step 2

Add the succulents.  Use the sharp end of a needle nose wire cuttter to poke holes into the packed moss.  Insert the succulents cuttings into the holes, and secure with U-shaped florists pins.  Tuck moss into any gaps.  Let the succulents complete the job.  Their leaves contain all that the plants will need to survive.  They'll soon put out roots that anchor themselves into the moss.  If they don't find soil and aren't fed, they will go into a kind of stasis.  If they dont' find moisture, they will drain their leaves.

A few maintenance tips: