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Succulents
I've always, well, as long as I can remember, been a gardener.
When I was about 11, my dad would take me to craft fairs to sell
his pottery, and I would browse around some of the other stalls,
and try and decide what to buy with the few dollars I got for an
allowance. The one stall that invariably drew me like a magnet was
one selling succulent plants. I was hooked!
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| A bowl of succulents |
What is it about the pale blues and greens of the puffy little
plants? I don't know now what really attracted me, but whatever
it was it hasn't gone away! I love the rose like foliage of Echeveria,
and the 'bloom', not the flower, but the grape like skin of some
of them, which can be rubbed off with your finger. I love all the
differences of the many kinds, some with a little clear window to
let the light in. How fascinating is that? I really like them planted
together in a bowl or other container to contrast their forms and
way of growing. Haworthias, many kinds with different kinds of foliage,
some striped with barky corky rings, some smooth and pale with faint
markings like some kind of amphibian.
Aloes, blue or green spiky but fleshy foliage, and punctuated along
the edges of the fanned out leaves with hooks. Drapy types, upright
spiky types, softly bunching types - any and all, I like them!
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| A strawberry planter with a different
twist! Varied hardy succulent plants in a well drained soil
mix for best success. |
When I make dish gardens I put special rocks that I've collected
and a sandy mulch around the plants, and also build up the soil
in the centre of the pot to give more height. You can use any kind
of container, I pick up all kinds of things at our local recycling
centre, old tin pots, buckets, pans, and I especially like old clay
pots, the more used the better. You might be fortunate enough to
have a flea market nearby or a junk shop. Train your eye to pick
out anything you can use for a funky planter. You'll get hooked
in no time, I guarantee it!
Succulent plants require a very quickly draining soil, either with
extra drainage material such as sand with all dust and small particles
sieved out or one specially developed for cacti and succulent plants.
Also beneficial is a mulch of small stones or gravel to assist in
drainage around the base of the plant. Water thoroughly only when
the soil is quite dry and avoid watering altogether in cooler weather
and winter. Use fertilizer sparingly while plants are actively growing.
We suggest planting succulent plants in a clay pot, partly for their
good drainage, and also to prevent large heavy plants from tipping
over while drying out as recommended between waterings.
Pricing
Price for all succulent plants is $5.00 per plant in 2” pots.
A collection of 9 plants is $42.00, a saving of $3.00 over the regular
price. If you buy more than one collection at the same time, I'll
try not to duplicate the selection of plants.
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Succulents
Sedum
Thymus
Mandalas
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