Brrrrrr… There is definitely a chill in the air so it is high time to bring your tender plants in for the winter. If you have a greenhouse, which I unfortunately do not, then lucky you! If not, there is a lot you can do to protect your little lovelies from the elements. When I remodeled my kitchen last year, I made a point to have 9” windowsills put in for the specific purpose of storing small succulents and cactus for the winter. You can also put them in the garage by a window to keep them dry, which I do with my larger pots. I have a few pots of Echeveria, a not so hardy but amazingly beautiful genus of succulents. My favorite is “Cabbage Echeveria” with bright pink edges, and it will come inside along with my most precious, Agave “parryi truncata.”

I had been working on a recipe for a great holiday wreath when it hit me; why not a succulent wreath? The best and easiest succulents to use are Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum), and since they spread like mad, you can take the chicks off the parent plant, use what you have, and fill in with extras from any local garden center. You’ll need quite a few plants to complete the wreath, along with a wire wreath frame available at any craft store, a roll of florist wire, and a bag of sheet moss. Here are the simple steps for your wreath:

1. Attach an end of florist wire to the wire frame while soaking the moss in a bucket. One large bag of moss will make one 8” living wreath.

2. Cover the wreath frame with the moss. The brown side of the moss should face up, and the sides should overlap by at least two inches on both sides of the frame.

3. Lay a succulent onto the frame near where the wire is attached. The succulent should lie on its side.

4. Cover the roots of the succulent with a new piece of damp moss. Wrap the overlapped moss over the new piece of moss to cover the end and attach to the frame. Continue adding more plants, covering with moss and wrapping with wire until you come to the end. Cut the wire and tie off to the back of the frame.

5. Soak the finished wreath in a bucket or water with a hose to settle plants in place. Allow the wreath to dry completely before watering again, and be careful to not overwater!

So there you have it, your very own succulent wreath; make a few and share them with your friends and have a Happy Holiday! Here’s to dirt under your nails! Cheers!

JJ De Sousa is the owner of digs inside & out, located at 1829 NE Alberta, Portland. She can be reached at jj@digs-pdx.com  or 503-460-3447.