A Succulent Bath Not Just For Birds

Happy Earth Week!

A few years ago I was bitten by the succulent bug.  I had a slow leaking birdbath that BF hauled from southern Missouri, and I repurposed it into a container for succulents. There is something very peaceful and soothing about them, especially when displayed together or scattered in flower beds. The various shades of green make a beautiful showing and the flowers just top it off.  Below, I’ve listed some of my favorite reasons for blending succulents into flower beds.

 5 Reasons To Consider Succulents 

1. Low maintenance.  I am referring to watering and soil.  The size of the leaves and stems and the amount of sunlight will determine how often to water.  For soil, succulents need drainage and adding perlite, crushed lava or pumice to your soil will do the trick.  I’m really not an expert on succulents, so I’m sending you to Robin Stockwell’s article “Succulent Care: A Slightly Different Point of View”.
2. Easy to carry over from year to year.  This I love.  In the picture above you’ll see a pencil cactus. My brother Paul (#6) gave me this plant which he stored in his basement for the winter.  I brought it home and planted it directly in the ground.  In the fall I dug it up popped it in a bucket and my brother Mike (#4) carried it to my basement.  (he happened to be in town that weekend)  If you are wondering about our basements, Paul and I have older homes with unfinished basements and minimal heat.  Mine was by the south window.
3. Fun to propagate and share with friends.  Back to the pencil cactus.  Before taking it to the basement for the winter, I topped off the plant and placed it directly in a bucket for the winter.   The jury is out on it, but so far so good.  The color is great, it feels very secure and grounded (no pun intended) like it has taken root.  My hens and chicks also spent the winter in the basement along with an airplane plant.
4. Larger cacti can be planted directly into your landscaping adding fabulous texture.
5. The various shades of green make for a showy display.

The Succulent Bug

I hope you’re feeling the succulent bug and you’re already plotting where to incorporate a few into your flower beds and landscaping.  The following is a list of succulents included in the photos.

Pencil Cactus – Euphorbia,  Moss Rose – Portulaca,  Mother-in-law Tongue – Sansevieria,  Hens and Chicks- Sempervivum.

Have a very earthy week and thanks for stopping by.   Rose