Success With Succulents

Discover succulents with Debra Lee Baldwin, bestselling author of
Designing with Succulents, Succulent Container Gardens and Succulents Simplified

Welcome! I'm continually updating my site, now with 100+ pages on every aspect of succulents. Want a plant ID? Go to TYPES OF SUCCULENTS. Worried? Go to PESTS AND PROBLEMS. Want to grow the plants perfectly? Go to SUCCULENT CARE BASICS. Need garden maintenace? See REFERRALS. Looking for something specific? Check the MENU or use the SEARCH bar above. Feeling overwhelmed? Browse until you're better, or CONTACT me. Now relax and have fun. You've come to the right place. ~ Debra Lee Baldwin

HOW-TO'S, TIPS & IDEAS

SUCCULENT DESIGN

Discover how to plan and design lovely, carefree succulent gardens in containers and in the ground. Also under Design you'll find firewise landscaping info, DIY gifts and projects, and holiday decorating ideas - all beautifully showcasing succulents.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

SUCCULENT CARE

Get expert advice on growing, caring for and propagating succulents. Find out how to water, fertilize, control pests and diseases, overwinter succulents, grow them indoors, and by season and region. Under Varieties, view hundreds of labeled photos of easy-care kinds.

LOCAL & NATIONAL

SUCCULENT RESOURCES

Wondering where to find and purchase top-quality succulents? Which tools, books and supplies you need? It's all here under Resources, along with nurseries, public gardens and destinations in America's finest succulent city (San Diego) and beyond.

Subscribe to My Newsletter and Receive

Debra's 7 best succulents

In this free PDF exclusively for subscribers to my "Celebrating the Joy of Succulents" newsletter, you'll learn the 7 best easy-care succulents that thrive in pots and landscapes. Whether you're new to growing succulents or an experienced succulent "parent", you'll love these 7 beautiful plants.

Succulent Updates and Articles

Crassula falcata variegated (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Mar 21 2021

Rojas Succulents Nursery Tour

If you're looking for a great succulent nursery to tour, head for family-owned Rojas Succulents on 1-1/2 acres in Fallbrook, CA. They do everything right. Superb plant material ranges from garden succulents to collectible rarities, including unusual variegates (striped or multicolored leaves).

Aloe leaf cut open (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Mar 11 2021

What Makes Succulents SUCCULENT?

Become a better plant parent by learning the "how's" and "why's" of these lovable chubby plants. Discover what makes succulents so efficient. Slicing and squishing may seem unkind, but be assured there's method to my madness.

Cactus vs Euphorbia (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Feb 28 2021

Euphorbia or Cactus? How to Tell

How can you tell a spiny euphorbia from a cactus? Observe key characteristics: the type of spines, flowers and leaves (or lack thereof). As I compiled my site's new Euphorbia page, I happily acquired the ability to tell at a glance which is which. Sure, you can scratch a plant, and if it drips milky sap, it's

Agave damaged by snout-nose weevil (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Feb 25 2021

Treat Your Agaves Before It’s Too Late

The agave snout-nosed weevil exists in greater numbers and is more active than ever before. Don't wait for signs of infestation; take preventative measures now to protect your agaves, furcraeas, beaucarneas, nolinas, mangaves and yuccas.

Feb 16 2021

Vinyl Wraps Make Utility Boxes Succulent Artworks

Watch photographer Lee Sie wrap a utility box with laminated vinyl, transforming it from ugly to lovely. Succulents are a favorite because their geometric patterns work from any perspective. Lee explains the benefits of wrapping versus painting utility boxes. The power company loves it because taggers leave wrapped boxes alone.

Jan 26 2021

Kelly Griffin Collectors’ Group

If you're into aloes, you're probably aware of highly collectible Kelly Griffin hybrids. Kelly, a premier plant breeder, is responsible for dozens of cultivars in the commercial marketplace. Naturally he has a following

Jan 5 2021

Bird Puzzle Feeder: A New Way to Enjoy Your Garden

A "puzzle feeder" is a fun, novel way to observe and enjoy backyard birds. When given a challenge to solve, birds show persistence, determination, and how clever they are---or not. In my new video you’ll see nine different wild birds, from darling titmice to badass orioles. Find a list of simple, inexpensive supplies below.

Echeveria garden in pots (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Dec 28 2020

Refresh Your Echeveria Garden

Eighteen months after I planted it, my multipot echeveria garden was looking ratty. Over time, as new leaves formed from the centers of echeverias, lower leaves dried and clung to ever-lengthening stems. Bloom spikes I'd left intact for hummingbirds were several feet long and untidy. Watch me rejuvenate it in my new video: Refresh Your Echeveria Garden (6:31).

Echeveria being sprayed (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Dec 9 2020

How to Deal with Mealy Bugs on Succulents

If you grow succulents, sooner or later you'll deal with mealy bugs. For newbies, mealies often come as a surprise. Suddenly the plants are dotted and webbed with what looks like lint. Veterans are more vigilant. We check for

Add soil to fill gaps (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Nov 30 2020

Make a Mounded Succulent Arrangement

Many eye-catching succulent arrangements are mounded, meaning plants are massed atop the container. Mounded arrangements look established right away and are quick and easy to assemble.

Nov 24 2020

Brody’s Lovely, Low-Cost Succulent Garden

Celebrating the Joy of Succulents subscriber Brody Scotland says her home and its lovely, low-cost succulent garden are a result of "artists and weirdos"---herself and husband Ben---who love bright colors.

Nov 16 2020

Succulent Lovers’ Favorite Tools

Do you own the favorite tools of your fellow succulent lovers? Consider: We differ from other gardeners in that our prized plants can turn on us. Cacti, agaves, euphorbias and even aloes can act like dogs who resent having their nails trimmed. (I don't know about yours, but my Chihuahua is a two-person job.)