Assembled this succulent bowl as a wedding shower gift a few months back. A key to creating a strong composition (in a round container like this) is to pack the plants as tightly as possible without damaging the roots or breaking the foliage. So look for plants that haven’t been over-potted by the nursery - which is becoming a problem as retailers try to make their products look bigger by planting them in pots that are much bigger than the root ball. (Too much leg room!) Most succulents don’t need a lot of space below the soil line to thrive as they hold their moisture up top. I then fill in all the cracks with my own custom potting medium which is fast draining, non-peat based desert soil. After that it gets a good soak & is placed outdoors in a sunny spot for a few days for the foliage to plump up & blush. This particular piece traveled with me by plane to our destination & although it was heavy, there was no damage to any of the fleshy leaves. Then again I packed it very well & guarded it jealously throughout both legs of the flight.
