The Easiest Plant for Your Garden or Containers {EVER}

April 23, 2024

The easiest (and beautiful!) plants that even bloom throughout the winter. 


I have found (literally) the easiest plant/flower EVER. It's inexpensive, spreads and fills in like crazy, doesn't even need to be truly "planted"...and you can complete ignore it and it will thrive. Yesss! 

These plants have flourished so much, I've added more and more to our containers and landscaping over the years. 

I found these easy garden tiles a few years ago and continue to be amazed at how well they do with little to no care. 

Oh, and they are perennials (which means it stays alive over the winter and/or come back after) and even look great in the colder months. I only wish I had known about them sooner. :) 

I discovered this easy to grow plant when I installed our cafe patio lights on the back patio: 
patio lights no trees

Our lights are industrial grade and heavy so we needed a way to secure the planters so they would hold the weight. 

You can see how we installed the cement filled planters for the outdoor lights here. I left some room at the top so I could plant some flowers each year. 

Last year I found this cool "garden tile sedum" and decided to try it out: 
easy to grow succulent tiles in planter

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I told you then how I used one of these sedum tiles to fill both planters. I figured they would just last through the fall, but to my surprise they were still looking beautiful in the middle of winter! 

I went out one snowy day and couldn't believe these were still looking amazing in the frigid temps with snow all over them -- full of color and not dying off one bit. I thought for sure they would eventually fade, but nope. 

They look absolutely amazing now: 

evergreen succulents in containers

Technically sedums are succulents, so it's surprising (to me) that they are basically evergreen (in up to zones 6 and 7!). Huh. You learn something new every day!

That planter has more of the green and yellow blooms, but the other one has more red and orange: 
beautiful succulent sedum tiles

They really are beautiful, right? So intricate and delicate, they are stronger than they look! The sparse blooms in that before pic have grown like crazy and are spilling over the edges of the planters. 

I wonder if the difference in colors is because one may get more sun than the other?: 
easy garden tiles in planters

I later went back and got more for around our mailbox: 
easy to grow succulent garden tiles

And now that looks like this: 
sedum succulents around mailbox

They also look great in between pavers on a patio or a walkway, along plant beds or in containers like we have in the back. 

The best part -- you literally just put them on the dirt. 

No digging, no moving dirt around. Nothing! 

Just lay them down, water occasionally the first couple of weeks and then start ignoring them like I do. 😂 

If you have mulch, you will want to move that and set them directly onto the soil. 

I easily tore them into pieces for the patio planters, but sometimes the bottom is thicker:  
easy sedum garden tiles

I just took scissors to get it started and then I was able to tear parts off. 

I found these sedum "tiles" again this spring, priced at $25. The only place I've found these particular mixed sedum tiles are at Lowe's, but I know most plant nurseries have varieties of these:
sedum succulent tiles

I just did a quick search and you can even order these succulent tiles on Amazon

I placed these in an umbrella stand/planter just a week ago, and they're doing amazing: 
outdoor umbrella plant stand

I used one "tile" to fill two of these planters. 

I love gardening and I've never found anything this easy to plant, that grows so easily and looks so good. Oh, and the price is GREAT because you need very little to get a spot started. Within weeks it will spread and fill in nicely. 

Since these tiles with all of the different succulents mixed together sell out of the stores so quick, I purchased some sedum for our front beds last year that were just the one specific species instead of the mixed. 

These have spread beautifully as well: 
yellow orange sedum landscaping

I will say, I prefer the tiles that have all of the different color and varied succulents. But I love them all! 

These may even work for window boxes as well! I'm a little obsessed. Have you tried these easy plants? So easy and they look so good! Was anyone else surprised these are evergreen? 

Check out how easy it is to light up your garden and exterior here
DIY landscape lighting

You can see all of my other gardening tips here!


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Comments

  1. Is there another way to search for these (maybe a link)? I looked at Garden Tiles at Lowe's online and Googled them, but no luck :(

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    Replies
    1. Search for "Drop and Go Sedum Tiles". That's where I found them. Or something very similar.

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    2. https://www.costafarms.com/collections/drop-and-grow

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    3. I found options online by searching "sedum garden tiles." Lowe's doesn't sell them online or for pick up so it may be hard to find them -- they are item #69298/model #NURSERY.

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  2. Most everything grows amazingly in my yard and my gardener is so shocked. I will have to try sedums! My hosta get HUGE. And several fern do great. Peonies are huge!

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  3. We have these in our beds instead of mulch. So easy

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  4. Thank you! I need something that will grow on my hot sunny porch!

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  5. Those are kewel ~ I'm going to try and find them at our Lowes.

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  6. These are really cool! I'll have to check them out. Will make Spring planters so much easier!

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  7. If you have the lowes app type in 106594. It will pull up the sedum tray.

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  8. Are these plants nontoxic to pets?

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  9. Having a hard time finding Garden or Sedum tiles anywhere?

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    Replies
    1. If you search "sedum garden tiles" there are a few online options that show up.

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  10. I do wonder if they are relentless year adter year attempting to take over other areas where I do not want them to grow. This is because I have had issues with succulents in the past. Hearty and ease of use yes that is a good plant, although keeping in their own space is important to my minimalist method of gardening. Natural to the area region plants that grow without weekly attention.

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  11. You can walk on these plants and they don't die. I grow them and love them.

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  12. I've noticed lowes only gets these in very early spring and not again. Bought 3 trays in March here in western NC. A nice mix. Once out dont get back in. Bought as experiment as i have mostly to part shade and the lovely NC red clay. Separated 1 1/2 trays into individual varieties as best i could other into 5 pieces or so. Dug pockets in steep hill that is bare soil, part shade summer, fall, only full sun when leaves not on trees. Succulents in those trays are evergreen even in zone 4. Lived in northern MI previously -- sandy soil full sun. Had a lot of different succulents there, didnt bring when we moved cuz have part sun to mostly shade here, didnt think they would do anything in my shadier conditions. Some succulents do well in part shade though as long as drier conditions. my daylilies were more important to me. So far going crazy. As far as succulents go in general, some are aggressive but ALL are controlable. Sister bought 2 trays last yr - mostly sun-- in a hard to grow dry spot, hers multiplied this yr more than double. She just took out of trays, placed on ground. Looks awesome with all the different varieties together. Do nothing plants.

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  13. I live in SoCal so most succulents do well. I tied these last fall under a tree in our back yard. They are slow growing in the shade but still doing very well. Colors can be more vibrant out of constant direct sun

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  14. I purchased these when you first recommended them and am so glad I did. They are gorgeous and, like you said, require absolutely nothing. I would worry about putting them in the ground here as I don't want them to be too aggressive but I love them in pots!

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