We may get a commission if you buy something through our links. Sure, concrete blocks don’t get a lot of love in the landscaping world. They’re industrial, practical, and honestly pretty drab. But before you write them off for flashier garden options, give them a shot. They’re super budget-friendly at under $2 each, basically indestructible, and surprisingly versatile when you use your imagination. You can build patio furniture with them or . But honestly, one of the coolest uses for them is . Here’s the basic idea: you stack concrete blocks Tetris-style to build a gorgeous tiered succulent planter. It’s such a flexible project too. You can arrange these blocks in tons of different ways based on your patio setup. Plus, you’ve got unlimited options for painting and decorating to match your vibe. Every single succulent wall will be unique, even if they’re built with identical materials. The real secret? Just look past those plain blocks and see what they can become. To pull off this project yourself, grab some concrete blocks, primer, paint, landscape fabric, construction glue like , and a paintbrush or roller. You’ll also want cactus soil and whatever succulents you’re into. If you’re using old blocks, clean them first. They’ll look better, paint sticks to them way easier, and your plants won’t catch any diseases. A simple brush or scrape might do it, or you might need to scrub them down with some soapy water. For really grimy blocks, bust out a pressure washer.
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Create An Amazing Succulent Garden Using Just Concrete Blocks
Assembling your concrete block succulent display on the patio
Cover your clean, dry blocks with a masonry primer — think gray . Concrete blocks are super porous, so you’ll want a primer that really seals those holes up. Follow what the manufacturer tells you for drying time, then slap on some tough outdoor paint, like . This Evolve paint matches concrete and won’t scratch easily. Want something bolder? Go with black for that sleek, contemporary feel, or burnt orange to get that terra cotta vibe. Or go wild with multicolored geometric designs painted right on the blocks.
Now figure out how you’ll line those blocks. You can use construction glue to stick landscape fabric to the bottom of each block, or layer landscape fabric over chicken wire to make a pouch that fits inside. The chicken wire option gives you way more flexibility to swap different succulents around whenever you want. Line up your blocks however feels right, just make sure they work with your patio wall. Throw some blocks out at odd angles, sticking out perpendicular to the ones against the wall. No patio wall? No problem — create a divider between your patio and yard, or build a cool pyramid-shaped setup.
Last step: fill each hole with and pop in your plants. Some killer options for your new display are red dragon flower, sedums, echeverias, silver ruffles, and elephant bush. The is mixing together trailing plants with upright ones.
