Palm pot display

You will need

Palm, e.g. Dasylirion acrotrichum
Large metal pot
Crocks
Free-draining succulent or cactus compost

Pots & container categories

Overview

Less is definitely more when it comes to this spectacular container project. The spiky dasylirion makes a huge impact on its own - other plants would just be a distraction. Rather like a natural fibre optic light, its bristling leaves are dramatically set off when the fibrous tips are backlit by the sun.

Plant it: any time of year

At its best: all year round

Takes just: 20 minutes

How to do it:

1Put a layer of crocks in the bottom of the container, then half fill it with gritty compost.

2Knock the palm from its pot and stand it on the compost in the centre of the container. Top it up with compost, firming it around the rootball with your fingers.

3Finish with a decorative mulch of gravel or pebbles. The dasylirion hates being waterlogged, especially in winter, so don't overwater it, and raise the pot on pot feet so it doesn't sit in a puddle.