Living Garden Art: How to Make Creative Succulent Figures for Your Garden
Coconut fibre bowls, Sempervivum rosettes and a free afternoon — here's how jellyfish, mushrooms and tortoises come to life in your garden.
Not sure what to do with a handful of houseleek and a spare coconut fibre bowl? The figures below turn both into frost-hardy garden art that needs almost no upkeep.
Houseleek décor is having a real moment, and it’s easy to see why — these tough little succulents are incredibly versatile and lend themselves beautifully to imaginative garden projects. Combining round coconut fibre bowls with the lush rosettes of Sempervivum produces results that are genuinely eye-catching. Best of all, these decorative garden figures come together quickly and easily, making them perfect for a sunny morning DIY session.
Succulent Garden Figures: Natural, Contemporary and Totally on Trend
These houseleek figures strike the ideal balance between natural garden décor, sustainable materials and modern design. The pairing of coconut fibre bowls and succulents creates a polished look that sits just as comfortably on a terrace or balcony as it does in a garden border. Houseleek (Sempervivum) is famously low-maintenance, frost-hardy and perfectly suited to DIY garden projects. These succulents store water and need very little attention — exactly what you want from a long-lasting garden ornament.
Whether you go for a jellyfish, a mushroom or a tortoise, each of these figures brings structure, colour and a creative spark to your outdoor space.
A Jellyfish from Houseleek and Coconut Fibre Bowls: A Modern Showstopper
The jellyfish is one of the most inventive DIY garden figures you can make with houseleek. Its hanging form and rounded coconut fibre bowl give it a light, playful, contemporary feel. The bowl forms the jellyfish’s bell and is planted densely with houseleek rosettes, which create a vivid, textured surface, while trailing succulent varieties serve as the tentacles. This piece works brilliantly suspended from a pergola, or displayed on a terrace or balcony, where it never fails to draw admiring looks.
What you’ll need:
- A hanging basket with a metal wire frame, lined with coconut fibre
- Extra coconut fibre
- Chicken wire
- Garden scissors or secateurs
- Wire pliers
- Houseleek and a selection of other succulents, including trailing varieties
- Potting compost or cactus compost
- Florist’s wire
Step by step:
- Fill the coconut fibre bowl with potting compost.
- Plant the trailing succulent into the compost.
- Cover the compost with chicken wire. Cut a hole in the piece of wire just large enough for the trailing succulent to pass through, then secure the wire to the metal frame of the basket using florist’s wire. Trim away any excess around the edges.
- Cover the chicken wire with a layer of coconut fibre to seal the gaps and prevent compost from falling out later. Secure it in place with wire.
- Turn the bowl upside down and rest it on a bucket so the trailing succulent hangs freely without being squashed.
- Using scissors, snip open the coconut fibre within each wire mesh opening. Push a houseleek rosette into each gap. Mix in other succulent varieties for a more colourful arrangement.
- Water the finished piece from above.
- Hang the figure upside down to display it.
Love hanging succulent décor? Try making these spheres!
Enchanting Mushroom Figures Made with Houseleek
A houseleek mushroom is the perfect choice for naturalistic gardens. The coconut fibre bowl becomes the mushroom cap, planted up with a mix of houseleek varieties. Using different colours and sizes side by side produces a lively, organic look. The stalk can be fashioned from a tree trunk, a stone or an upturned planter — whatever gives the figure a stable base. This succulent garden ornament fits wonderfully into flower beds, rock gardens or amongst perennials, where it looks completely at home.
The planting process is identical to the jellyfish, except that this time you don’t need a hanging basket — or you can simply remove the chains. Trailing succulents aren’t needed for this one either.
Want more mushroom garden décor ideas? Take a look here.
A Houseleek Tortoise: Long-Lasting Garden Décor with Succulents
The tortoise is one of the most popular houseleek garden figures around. The coconut fibre bowl acts as the shell and is planted densely with succulents. The head and legs are shaped from chicken wire, which you can fill with coarse potting compost or moss. Small terracotta pots or painted river pebbles also work well as legs. The tortoise looks especially decorative when several different houseleek varieties are planted together. This garden ornament is durable, practically care-free and makes a quietly charming focal point on a terrace or in the garden.
Creative Houseleek Figures: A Highlight for Your Garden
Decorative figures made with houseleek offer a modern, sustainable way to put your own stamp on the garden. Combining coconut fibre bowls with succulents brings natural materials and creative design together in one package. Jellyfish, mushroom or tortoise — each figure is a one-of-a-kind feature that can be made without a great deal of effort. These DIY garden ornaments are built to last and will keep your outdoor space looking beautiful all year round.
Also worth reading: How to plant succulents in pallets.
Cover image: AI generated