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How to Arrange Indoor Plants with Colored Rocks

by Katie Wallace | Updated: January 14, 2019

Indoor plants are a nice way to bring the outdoors into your home. I enjoy growing low-maintenance house plants such as cactus and succulents in my kitchen. One of the challenges with maintaining indoor potted plants is that the potting soil gets old. I refreshed one of my plants with new soil, a layer of rocks to secure the soil, and some colored decorative rocks. Here are some tips about how to arrange indoor plants and give them a new look!

Refresh an Indoor Plant with Colored Rocks

This summer I bought a potted hibiscus plant and I planted it in our garden, only to discover that hibiscus plants need warm temperatures to grow. I re-potted the hibiscus and added it to my collection of indoor plants, which consequently allows the plant to grow and thrive all winter!

How to Arrange Indoor Plants

It’s helpful to re-pot indoor plants every few seasons. You can also refresh your indoor plants by adding a layer of new potting soil or enriched garden dirt to the pot. Additionally, you can add some nutrients into the soil by feeding your plants with plant food.

Refresh your indoor plants by adding a layer of new potting soil or enriched garden dirt to the pot

A potted plant with bare dirt isn’t very attractive, and the dirt can easily spill over the sides of the pot and get everywhere. Easily spruce up your indoor potted plants by adding a layer of rocks on top of the dirt. You can choose from decorative gravel in various colors or simple black gravel.

Easily spruce up your indoor potted plants by adding a layer of rocks on top of the dirt

I selected a mixture of gravel from our driveway and covered the dirt with a thin layer of small rocks. When you water the plant, gravel allows the water to seep into the plant through its roots, while keeping the potting soil in place within the pot. The layer of gravel also discourages house cats from digging around in the dirt.

tips about how to arrange indoor plants

I took my decorative potted plant project a step further and included a variety of crystals and polished gems. My kids love collecting these rocks but they often end up scattered on the floor. A potted plant is a perfect place to display colorful rock collections!

Decorate a potted plant with colored rocks

Decorate a Potted Plant with Colored Rocks

These tips will teach you how to arrange indoor plants in a unique way! For this project you’ll need the following materials.

Materials

  • Indoor plant
  • Large pot
  • Potting soil or garden dirt
  • Decorative rocks (medium to small gravel)
  • Colorful polished rocks, quartz and crystals

Instructions

First, cover the bottom of the pot with a thin layer of gravel to allow the soil to drain when the plant is watered.

Next, fill the pot with potting soil and plant the indoor house plant in the pot. Situate the plant and add enough dirt around the plant to fill the entire pot. Gently pat the dirt down.

Wash the gravel to remove any dust or dirt, which will make it look dingy.ย Cover the dirt in the potted house plant with a generous layer of gravel.

Finally, top off the layer of gravel with decorative colored rocks, natural crystals and polished gemstones. As a result, this decorative potted plant project is a great way to display your rock collection!

this decorative potted plant project is a great way to display your rock collection

Arrange indoor plants to match your personal decorating style

Easily spruce up your potted plants and keep the potting soil in the pot where it belongs by covering the dirt with a layer of gravel, crystals and polished gemstones. It’s easy to learn how to arrange indoor plants to match your personal decorating style.

Easily spruce up your potted plants with a layer of gravel and polished gemstones

Spruce up your potted plants with a layer of gravel and polished gemstones

Simple way to arrange indoor plants

You can customize this project toย refresh an indoor plant with colored rocks using any color or style of rocks. I love including a few low-maintenance potted plants in my home decor and adding a touch of nature to our home decorating style. Additionally, indoor plants are a natural source of oxygen. This gorgeous project is a simple way to arrange indoor plants and create an eye-catching botanical display!

Simple and gorgeous way to arrange indoor plants

Pin this to Pinterest

How to create a colorful indoor plant rock garden

Katie Wallace
Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!

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Arthur
Arthur
4 years ago

These colored rocks looks cute, I want to have these on my indoor plants.

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Jenny
Jenny
7 years ago

Omg what a fun idea!! Love this. I SO WANT to try this with my kids!

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Sara
Sara
7 years ago

What a cool idea to add some dimension to everyday house plants!

Reply
Candice-Marie Jaggan
Candice-Marie Jaggan
7 years ago

oh wow, those colored rocks are so beautiful! However, I can only enjoy things like this again when my kids are much older haha…My son will give me a heart-attack shoving those stones into his mouth on the daily LOL

Reply
Natalyn
Natalyn
7 years ago

How cute is this! I love plants especially air plants and succulents. I typically paint their pots funky but I really like these decorates rocks idea! Great post! Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Tiffany Barry
Tiffany Barry
7 years ago

This makes me feel way less weird! My kids brings me colorful stones, interesting rocks they find at the playground, and other little natural knick knacks. I always put them in my big potted plant, and I love how it ends up looking! Now I need to add some sparkly… Read more »

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Lisa
Lisa
7 years ago

This is such a lovely idea! I’d never thought to do this, but will try it on my house plants at home. Thank you!

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Tonya Morris
Tonya Morris
7 years ago

I absolutely love how these turned out! What a fun project to do with the kids!

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Everything Mummy
Everything Mummy
7 years ago

So simple but looks so effective! The only problem I’d have is the kids trying to step away with the pretty rocks! Thanks for sharing

Reply
Joanna
Joanna
7 years ago

I need to repot some of my plants this spring and your idea of adding colored pebbles in the pots is so cool! I have succulents as well in my kitchen, as they are easy to maintain, and the soil is covered with tiny rocks at the moment.

Reply
kumamonjeng
kumamonjeng
7 years ago

Your post has taught me to use colored rocks to decorate and how come I have never thought of that. This will be so fun and I am excited to do it for our Chinese New year in early Feb.

Reply
Fiona Cambouropoulos
Fiona Cambouropoulos
7 years ago

Such a lovely effect. I really like the clever use of the colourful rocks just scattered on the top without having to use loads of them.

Reply
Jenny Johnston
Jenny Johnston
7 years ago

Thank you for sharing. This is a very creative idea and brightens up what would be a very dull pile of dirt.

Reply
Preet
Preet
7 years ago

One of my bucket list this year is to try gardening. This is such a perfect guide for me. I am just about to start to try indoor planting.

Reply
Ethan L Swift
Ethan L Swift
7 years ago

Super cute and nice page. Glad I found you! I will be sure to watch you online! Check me out on IG at http://www.instagram.com/hawaiitantrafestival

Reply
Brianna
Brianna
7 years ago

Oooh I never thought to use colored rocks for indoor plants! that’s such a cute idea!

Reply
Stacie
Stacie
7 years ago

That is such a great way to add some pops of color to your greenery. I’ll have to try this with my houseplants.

Reply
Alexandra
Alexandra
7 years ago

What a clever idea! I love this – I have some plain rocks on my plants – I need to definitely get some coloured ones – it looks fantastic.

Reply

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