Friday, September 7, 2007

Succulents - "They Keep Pulling Me Back In"


Ack. I've done it again. I breezily visited the gardening section at a local home improvement store while Corey was looking at house construction materials. And came across these. One of my Achilles' Heels of the garden world. Succulents. Including a living stone (!) - top right.

suc-cu-lent (suk'yoo lent) - adj. Bot. - having thick, fleshy tissues for storing water.

I have my cactus potting soil. I have a perfect indirect light spot in our kitchen. And I will vow to only water them when they are bone dry (remember the storing water bit). I will also offer up my prayers for the lives of these succulents. I mean well. I truly do.

7 comments:

Tree hugging said...

Did I give you any cuttings of the native succulents I grow? We've got some nice ones that grow on rock outcrops including:

Fameflower, Talinum teretifolium
Cliff Stone Crop, Sedum Glaucophyllum
Allegheny Stonecrop, Hylotelephium telephioides
Nevius Stonecrop, Sedum nevii
Beautiful Stonecrop, Sedum pulchellum
Woodland Stonecrop, Sedum ternatum
Native Agave(!), Manfreda virginica

...and that's just a few. I haven't even begin to discuss all the other different native rock outcrop plants native to the eastern U.S. There are also some really nice fuzzy cushion forming ones, and ones with extraordinary flowers (like the native campanulas).

You also might be interested to hear that I think Lazy S has a cold hardy south African living stone plant (but it's been a while since i looked at their catalogue). In fact, Lazy S tends to be a good place in general for those who who like to do a southern rock gardens.

Jennifer (Jen on the Edge) said...

That's so funny, because I've been really into succulents this year and keep looking for more to add. I've put them in the ground and more in pots and I'm hoping to eventually have a good-sized succulent garden near my front door.

Tree hugging said...

Hmmm... now that you've got me started, I figure I might as well expand this into a blog entry. I'll expand on that too, when I get the chance. Incidently, There's definitely a gaping hole in the gardening literature for southern rock gardening. Someone should really write a book.

Unknown said...

I'm a succulent.

Catherine said...

I love succulents too, I can't go in a store and see them & keep walking..:D

Your's are beautiful, the living stone is one I dont have, will keep my eyes out for that, very intriguing!!

I was visiting a new greenhouse earlier this summer, & commented to the owner how beautiful his succulents were..they weren't for sale...one was a burrow's tail..& the other was string of pearls..he gladly gave me pieces of both, & the string of pearls I simply put the cutting in the dirt and it has grown & grown, the burrow's tail I was told to keep moist in a damp paper towel, and when I could see little root's...looked more like little fine hairs, I stuck it in some cactus potting mix...it is growing too, but very slowely!
They are hard not to love!!
You have a wonderful site!

Catherine

Catherine

Tracey said...

I am totally digging this group's passion for succulents.

I was on some gardener's forum recently and one poster mentioned their 300-variety succulent collection. 300!

Now that's love!

Julie said...

How pretty all of them are there on that pretty plate together! I am about to make some teeny-weenie gardens of succulents in tea cups!
Julie