A succulent love story

The colours of this design were inspired by those of the desert rose – take a close look at one and you will notice shades of pink, purple and cerise in this wonderful little succulent. When I found an oval, shiny, grape-coloured ceramic container, I knew it would be perfect for this succulent and rose mix.

You will Need

● 15 stems each of two types of pink roses (30 stems in total). Choose a cerise one and a two tone one in a lighter shade of pink.
● 3 different miniature succulents, including one desert rose, in pots.
● 5 stems of Geraldton wax
● 3 stems of pink pompom chrysanthemum
● 1 block of florist’s foam
● A handful of moss

What to Do

1. Cut the florist’s foam to fit your container, but with enough space so that the succulents’ pots won’t protrude. Place the pots in the middle of the container and press them into the foam.
2. Cut the paler roses to length so that the heads will be at a similar height to the succulents, remembering that
2-5 cm of the stems will be pushed into the foam. Starting with one rose in front of the desert rose, position the roses around the succulents, following their curves and forming a gentle ‘S’.

3. Place the three pompom chrysanthemums at the edge of the container, keeping them low.
4. Add a group of cerise roses to the opposite side of the container, packing them tightly and leaving no spaces. Try to follow the shape of the container to balance the design.

5. Insert pieces of Geraldton wax into gaps in the arrangement, and moss into any gaps around the edges.

6. Your end result should be a pretty, delicate ‘secret love garden’ that marries the texture and geometry of succulents with fresh flowers. It will also combine the modern technique of asymmetrical grouping with loose, free-form styling, but it is the combination of textures, rough and smooth, that gives this design its edge.