How to Make an Aloe Vera Garden

Whether as an outdoor garden or an indoor container garden, aloe vera (Aloe vera or Aloe barbadensis) plants can create a striking and unusual feature garden. The Aloe genus has approximately 450 species, but aloe vera is one of the more common plants in the genus, making it easy to come by. Aloe vera is a succulent that grows well outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12 and as a houseplant in colder climates.

Terracotta pots
Small rocks or broken pottery
Succulent planting soil
Sand and perlite (optional)
River pebbles
Decorative stones or rocks

Instructions

- 1
  Decide if you want an indoor or outdoor garden. If you want to create an indoor aloe vera garden, select a container that fits the size of garden you want. Terra cotta planters with drainage holes work well. The color contrasts nicely with the green of the aloe vera plants, and terra cotta allows excess water to evaporate. For an outdoor garden, choose a location with good drainage that gets indirect light, because aloe vera plants turn brown with harsh sunlight.
- 2
  
  Choose strong, healthy plants that will look good in your garden.
  
  Take into account the size of your garden when you choose aloe vera plants. For a container garden, make sure you don't crowd the plants. Allow a few inches of space between plants, or just use one larger, mature plant per container. For an outdoor garden, where you may have more room, decide how many plants you want based on their expected spread of 6 to 12 inches when mature.
- 3
  
  Aloe vera is a desert plant that does well in a sandy soil.
  
  Prepare your planting area. Put a layer of rocks or broken pottery in the bottom of your planting container, and top it with soil made for succulents. Alternatively, you can use a fast-draining potting soil with extra perlite and coarse sand mixed in. For an outdoor garden, add sand or perlite to the garden soil as needed to create a good planting medium.
- 4
  Add your aloe vera plants to your garden, positioning the plants a few inches apart and filling the soil in around them so that the leaves are just above the level of the soil. Add a layer of river pebbles over the soil and up to each plant. For contrast, use colored pebbles, and add a couple of larger rocks with an interesting shape or color as accents. Let the plants adjust to their new surroundings for a few days before watering, and then water every other week during hot, dry months. Stop watering when temperatures cool and during rainy periods.

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