Selling Succulents

Jennifer Polanz

Well, that’s a bit of a misnomer—all you really have to do is set them out on a bench; they’re red hot right now. Pinterest is full of ideas for using succulents and independent retailers have a real advantage with these tough cookies because creativity is our strong suit, right? So start thinking outside the box with planting up these colorful, fun additions to any garden, porch, patio, sunroom or deck. The more creative the better, and like Green Thumb Nursery shows here, if you can somehow add velociraptors, even better. In fact, all of these images are from my time touring California garden centers, which had some fun and creative ways to use and display succulents.



A Sign of the Times
Plant Depot in San Juan Capistrano, California, used succulents in one of their main signs. This is a great display because people love to customize monogrammed lettering and it can inspire customers to definitely try this at home.

Have Some Fun With It
There’s really no reason to have velociraptors in the succulents display, but then again, why not? It made me laugh and it definitely would have attracted my kids if they were with me. It’s a nice reminder from Green Thumb Nursery in Lake Forest, California, that succulents are easy to care for and even the kids can take care of them.

Bounty of Beauty
There are so many different ways to use succulents and these are but a few. From the simple, yet elegant, dish garden at Armstrong Garden Center in Newport Beach and the fun and functional Woolly Pockets at Plant Depot to these stunning hanging baskets and wall art pieces from Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar, customers can’t help but find something they’ll like.
PHOTOS: Armstrong_dish; Plant Depot_woolly pockets; Rogers_hanging baskets, Rogers_wall art

Creative Displays
Inspire customers with the delivery, too, by providing enticing displays. The wooden bench and pergola combination is from Dana Point Nursery in Dana Point, California. The pre-made containers on green benching are from Plant Depot, and the combination of wood and glass tabletop is from Roger’s Gardens.

Perfect Tie-Ins
The great thing about selling succulents is there are lots of tie-in products to go with them. For example, a good quality cactus blend media, plus fertilizer and all manner of containers (again, the more creative the better). If your customer is going the decorative route, Green Thumb had these moss baskets, as well as driftwood components that could be used with succulents and tillandsia. GP