*Sofie and Claire are wearing KIVARI
Creating a pretty outdoor living space is one of the best aspects of designing your dream home. Whether you’re looking for cactus planter ideas or want to learn how to create a beautiful cactus garden that requires little maintenance, here are our no-fuss seven steps to a low-maintenance garden featuring Inkolo Planters with cacti and olive trees.
Creating an inviting outdoor space doesn’t need to be daunting! Designing a low maintenance garden is super fun and easy, especially once you’ve got an understanding of the aesthetic you’re looking to create.
Before you get started on planting your new cacti, you’ll need to find a planter that you’d like to place your new plant in.
We love organic, earthy textures, especially when it comes to housing plants, so we’ve used our Inkolo Planter to style both our cacti and an olive tree.
We recommend incorporating 2-3 planters that are slightly different in size for an eye-catching effect.
Where To Buy Boutique Cacti And Olive Trees
We sourced our olive tree from Kimberley Russell, Founder of Olive You; a boutique plant provider located in Palm Beach, Qld.
“I love that olive trees are classic and timeless; they are amongst the oldest varieties of tree in the world,” Kimberley says.
“I’m very particular about the growers and suppliers that Olive You works with. I’ve spent a lot of time driving out to rural areas to assess the quality of farms because it’s important to get a feel for the quality of the trees they grow. We only work with the best!” she adds.
As for our cacti, we recommend Ylva Cralqvist from Potted Pretties @potted_pretties, who supplies gorgeous indoor and outdoor plants and dried flower arrangements. You may even notice her cacti at @the_coastalbarndream.
*Kimberley is wearing KIVARI
A beautiful garden in 7 simple steps
1. Place your planters in a sunny location
Although both cacti and olive trees are low maintenance plants, they are accustomed to hot, dry climates and thrive when they are out in the sunshine.
With this in mind, it’s best to place your new plants where they’ll receive a generous amount of sun or if they’re going to be indoors, next to a bright and airy window.
We love pairing our planters outdoors in the poolside area, a courtyard or at the entrance to a doorway for an elegant, inviting feel.
Alternatively, styling them in the bedroom or the main entrance of your home is a great way to bring nature and greenery into your indoor living areas. Just remember to place them out in the sun at least once a week!
2. Place pebbles in the bottom of both planters
To allow for additional drainage, place pebbles at the bottom of your Inkolo Planter. As cacti naturally grow in dry soil conditions, using pebbles as the foundation of your potted cactus garden will protect the roots and allow for your cacti to flourish!
3. Place high-quality cacti & succulent mix into the planters
The next step is to find a compatible potting mix. Designing a beautiful cactus garden becomes even more excitingly simple once you realise you can use the same potting mix for both your cacti and olive tree.
“Sandy soil isn’t good for a lot of plants as it doesn’t provide the consistent moisture most plants need for healthy growth; however, it’s ideal for olive trees and cacti,” Kimberley says.
For our cacti and olive tree, we used Searles 12L Advanced Cacti & Succulent Mix.
4. Planting your cactus garden correctly (and safely)
When handling your new cacti, remember to protect your hands!
We used gardening gloves and tongs to assist in the planning stage; however, you can also wrap layers of newspaper around the section of the cacti you plan on handling for a safe and effective planting experience.
Keep in mind, a cactus is shallow-rooted, which means there’s no need to place your new cacti roots deep into the soil.
5. How to plant your Olive Tree
Gently remove your olive tree from its original pot and place into its new planter on top of the pebbles you placed earlier. Once positioned, cover with soil.
For more information on how to plant and handle your olive tree with care, we recommend heading over to Kimberley’s Care Guide on the Olive You website.
6. Lightly water your newly planted cacti and olive tree
The next step is to lightly water your newly planted cacti and olive tree.
We love that both olive trees and cacti create a pretty outdoor space yet requires very little maintenance to keep them looking their best.
Although cacti will survive without water for long periods, if you want your beautiful new plant to thrive, you can check the soil to determine when it needs watering.
For instance, if the soil is still moist to the touch, this is an indication that it doesn’t require a drink. If it’s dry to the touch, that’s your cue to water your cacti. Keep in mind though, that it’s essential to let your cacti soil dry out in between each watering.
As for olive trees, Kimberley recommends watering once a week, and if your plant is indoors, she says it must be placed in direct sunlight for one day a week (at least) to help it thrive.
7. Make your plants stand out by decorating with pebbles
To finish your new cacti and olive tree garden, cover the top of your new planted cacti and olive trees with white pebbles. Not only do stones create a beautiful contrast between the greenery and our hand-carved munggur wood planters, but they also do a fantastic job at draining excess water from the soil, which is necessary for the health of your cacti and olive tree.
We sourced our white pebbles from Bunnings.
You’re all set! We can’t wait to see what you create using our 7-step cactus garden and olive tree guide. Remember to tag us on Instagram so we can see and share your cacti and olive tree creations!
What you need:
- Inkolo Planters
- Olive Tree
- Cacti
- Searles 12L Advanced Cacti & Succulent Mix
- White pebbles
- Tongs
- Protective gardening gloves
- Shovel
How to quick guide:
- Place your planters in a bright and sunny location
- Place pebbles in the bottom of both planters, allowing for additional drainage
- Place high-quality cacti & succulent mix into the planters
- While wearing gloves, use your tongs to position cacti into the planter and cover with soil
- Gently remove your olive tree from its original pot and place into its new planter on top of the pebbles you placed earlier. Once positioned, cover with soil.
- Lightly water your newly planted cacti and olive tree
- Cover the top of your new planted cacti and olive trees with white pebbles.
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