I love giving cut flowers as a gift, but cut flowers often last only a few days. So lately I've been giving potted plants and flowers instead. That way, the gift keeps growing long after. 

Succulents are some of my favorite plants to grow and give because they are pretty low-maintenance. And when giving a plant as a gift, it’s nice to be able to have something that won’t require too much work on the recipient’s end.  

Based on your recipient, try finding an unexpected container—like a vintage roller skate or a vintage car—to turn into the planter for their blooming gift. Simply find something that has a large enough opening to hold potting mix (I used Miracle-Gro® Cactus, Palm, and Citrus Potting Mix) and deep enough to allow for the plant's roots to grow.  

Since these don’t have a ton of depth, they are perfect for holding succulents which don’t need a lot of depth to grow. For non-succulents, you need to use deeper containers like old tubs, sinks, rain boots, wheelbarrow, crates, colanders, etc. A few tips for planting in found containers:

-If you have a container that has drainage or you can drill a hole into at the bottom, that’s ideal. We were able to drill a hole in the bottom of a vintage car. Your local home or hardware center may be able to help you drill drainage holes if you are not equipped to DIY at home.

-If using something that is not totally waterproof (like the vintage skate) line the inside with plastic to provide a waterproof base before filling with potting mix and rocks. We used a simple zip-lock bag to create a pocket to place the soil before placing it inside the skate.

-You can use plant food (like Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food) to keep plants strong.

You can start growing these in advance and give the gift fully bloomed. Or you can give the gift with some seeds, indoor plant food, and a note telling the recipient how to care for it and give them a surprise to look forward to in the upcoming weeks! And, click here for more inspirational garden ideas from me and Miracle-Gro.

*This post is brought to you in collaboration with Miracle-Gro. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Oh Joy.

{Creative direction by Joy Cho, photos by Casey Brodley and crafts/styling by Julia Wester for Oh Joy. Wallpaper by Juju Papers.}