It’s a rare gift to find a passion and be able to make a living out of it, but florist and succulent connoisseur Miranda Lang paved her way with the creation of her business, Succulent Strong.
Based in Atlantic Beach, Succulent Strong is Lang’s succulent and floral brand, as well as an online avenue to all things succulent. The official website shows vibrant and floral displays of Lang’s work, markets she will be attending and contact information for future projects.
But before Succulent Strong became official, it was just a small Instagram account Lang created after Christmas 2016 to show off her new, succulent hobby.
“I was doing DIY Christmas gifts,” she says. “You know when you’re like, ‘I’m going to make everyone Christmas gifts and save SO much money,’ but then you end up spending way more. That happened to me. I spent like $300 on plant stuff and made all my family and friends a succulent for Christmas.”
After, she was left with leaves and extra plants, and it became a passion project. Lang then joined alongside a friend for her first market, Vagabond Flea by Murray Hill Theater.
“The few people that knew about them would be like, ‘Oh, I love succulents!’ And would show me pictures of theirs at home,” Lang says. “It was really fun to just be able to talk about my plants with people. That first market, I think I sold like seven plants. Sure, a few of them were to my friends, but still, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing.’”
Helping achieve a fun, thrifty look while considering the environment, Lang uses upcycled containers for her plants, varying from “quirky, vintage mugs,” according to her official website, to Maxwell House coffee tins for sustainability.
“There are so many cool housewares or vintage containers lying around in thrift stores or garage sales,” Lang says. “I love that I get to recycle them and give them a new purpose. I also drill drainage holes in all of my planters, which I think makes it a lot easier to keep them alive. It also helps keep the prices down because pottery, rightfully, is so expensive.”
So not only are Lang’s creations eco-friendly, but inexpensive as well. And each one is as original as the next.
But Lang doesn’t limit herself to her own planters. In fact, she’s limitless when it comes to her work and is eager to work with clients to create their desired arrangement.
“A lot of people have pottery that they love and have had for a while, but don’t know what to do with it,” Lang says. “So, they bring it to me, and I can make a really pretty succulent arrangement. Or for example, you can tell me you want a white, square container and I can go find it and fill it up for you. Just give me your budget.”
Another example of Lang taking Succulent Strong to the next level is her upcoming floral arrangements and wedding designs. She says she’s fallen for flowers and has been working with Marble & Pine, a florist in St. Augustine, on some wedding projects.
Overall, Lang describes her floral designs as fun and bohemian with either modern or vintage details, depending on the occasion.
“While I like a little structure, wild and loose bloom bouquets are my favorites to make,” Lang mentions on her website. “Colorful florals give me heart eyes, but I can also get down with classic and neutral color palettes. I love to combine succulents with florals to create something really special. There’s just something incredible about the color and texture that succulents bring to a floral bouquet.”
While scrolling through her gallery, one can see the array of plants and florals she’s worked with, a rainbow coalition of color, texture and design.
Her favorite? The haworthia, a small succulent that closely resembles a miniature aloe plant.
“There’s one that people call, ‘The Zebra Plant,’ and it’s green with white stripes on it,” Lang says, explaining the different kinds of haworthias. There are a lot, by the way.
“They’re kind of funky-looking and are a little more hardy than the softer variety of succulents,” Lang continues. “I recommend them for beginners because I think they’re a little bit tougher.”
Although there are some “tougher” succulents that require less maintenance, the overall care for any succulent is quite minimal, Lang says.
“I think all succulents are easy to maintain, especially if you have them in the right environment,” Lang says. “You just have to make sure that that the container is well-drained.
“People always ask me, ‘Succulents don’t like water, right?’ That’s not necessarily true,” Lang continues. “They just don’t like to sit in it all the time, but they grow faster, are healthier and happier if you water them regularly just like any other plant. They hold water so that they can go long periods of time without it. That’s what makes a succulent a succulent; it’s that they can hold water in their leaves.”
Knowledgeable, dedicated and passionate, Miranda Lang has truly found her calling and it shows — and all thanks to the internet.
“The internet is your tool, guys. You can teach yourself anything,” Lang advocates. “I think the fact that I kind of made my job is my favorite part. I wanted it and I made it happen. Working for myself every day, getting to make my own schedule, it’s just really amazing. I’ve definitely worked harder than I ever have in my life, but it’s all good. It’s all worth it.”
For more information on Succulent Strong and Miranda Lang, visit www.SucculentStrong.com or follow her Instagram @SucculentStrong.
