Simple Sand Scenes

There’s nothing quite as calming as a day at the beach. Learn to personalize a simple sand scene, and combine low-maintenance plants with ocean-side accents to enjoy the spirit of the sea any day.

Plants or No Plants?
Before creating your sand scene, determine whether you’d like it to be strictly decorative or double as a home for a live plant. Keep in mind that only air plants will survive in just sand alone while cacti and succulents will require certain soils and containers.

Planting Basics

Sunlight: All three plants should be placed close to a window with bright light, though not in direct sunlight.

Soil: Cacti and succulents will need to be potted in a special potting mix that can be found at home and garden stores. Air plants may simply rest in sand.

Water: When choosing containers for your cacti or succulents, they must allow for drainage since sitting water will cause roots to rot. Watering for each plant varies:

• Air plants: Air plants should be watered 2-4 times a week. Of these occasions, at least 2 should involve removing the plant from sand and giving it a soak. Before replacing your air plant in the sand, make sure all excess water has been shaken from it. For the remaining occasions of weekly watering, you may simply mist with a spray bottle.
• Cacti & Succulents: During winter, most cacti only need to be watered about once a month, while during the growing season, they should be watered about once a week. Be sure not to overwater by checking your plant’s soil. If the first inch feels dry, you should water it.

Choosing the Right Container
If you plan to include cacti or succulents as part of your sand scene, a container or pot with drainage is best. Simply layer sand atop your soil for a beach-like feel. For air plants or decorative scenes, you’re open to many more options:

• Terrarium containers
• Jars
• Glass containers with lids
• Hurricanes
• Glass globes
• Stemware
• Drinking glasses
• Repurposed containers

Quick Tip Before filling your container, clean it with Dawn® Hand Renewal with Olay® Beauty. It goes beyond dishwashing by helping your hands seal in moisture while you wash.

Decorative Accents
To bring the essence of the ocean to your scene, try adding a few of these items:

• Colored sand
• Shells
• Starfish
• Sand dollars
• Rocks
• Pebbles
• Driftwood
• Tiny pots

Quick Tip When filling your container with sand, it's no big deal if a bit finds its way on your floor. Use Swiffer® SweeperVac to clean it up. Combining a powerful cordless vacuum with a textured Swiffer Dry Sweeping Cloth, it's a great tool for the task.

Uses for Your Sand Scene

• Centerpiece: Decorate a dinner or coffee table.
• Gift: Whether for a birthday, wedding or holiday, sand scenes make great gifts!
• Decorative Accent: Place one in your bathroom, bedroom, kitchen or office.
• Party Favor: Create mini versions of your sand scenes in votives and give them as party favors—they’re great for a beach bash!

Now that you know how to create your sand scene, tell us what you’ll put in yours to make it unique by posting a comment below.