It’s time for the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!  

You don’t need to be messy for your choice of no-carve pumpkin succulent planters—a great idea for a holiday centerpiece. They last much longer and you can do all kinds of fun and creative things to the container.  

Dale DeFeo, a Calusa Garden Club member, illustrated many ways on how to unleash your creativity using no-carve pumpkins as succulent planters through a Zoom Class sponsored by the Marco Island Library. 

Dale used a variety of succulents adding dried moss and dried bromeliad flower as fillers. Most of the pumpkins were on sale from Michaels. Dale suggests using a pumpkin with a large area at the top.  

The pumpkins from craft stores come in a variety of colors and are super easy to make into a succulent planter. There’s no carving or cutting or messy pumpkin seeds involved. 

Materials 

• No–Carve Molded Plastic Pumpkins from Craft Stores. 
• Succulents such as cacti and sedum in assorted colors and textures. 
• Glue or spray adhesive. 
• Moss from a craft store to cover the top of pumpkin. 
• A bouquet of faux berries or eaves for seasonal color. 
• Fast draining cacti soil.

Use the adhesive and apply the moss covering the top of the pumpkin like a bad hairdo. You may add a small amount of fast–draining cacti soil on top of the moss and lightly spray water to lightly moisten. Cut your succulents and apply them to the top of the moss using glue to keep them in place. Start in the middle with the tallest succulent and build down from there. Cover roots with moss and glue it in place. Arrange succulents on top of the pumpkin according to color and texture and add a variety of short or cascading succulents.  

Succulents prefer life on the dry side, so don’t over mist and water sparingly using a small eyedropper or turkey baster to get close to the roots. 

Your no-carve pumpkin succulent centerpieces will make a beautiful statement on any holiday table and also make great hostess gifts.  

November 24th Calusa Garden Club Plant Sale Postponed to 2021 

Calusa club members decided to postpone the Plant sale hoping more members will be able to participate safely in 2021! 

The Calusa Garden Club had a workshop on succulent dish garden over the summer and members had fun creating dish gardens to sell on the November 24th Plant Sale. However, succulents will keep and they will look fuller for the 2021 Plant Sale!