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

Mar 31 2020

Contrast Colorful Succulents with Colorful Pots

An important, easy secret for effective plant-pot pairings is to contrast colorful succulents with contrasting, colorful pots. Like glazed pots, succulents come in all colors

Finches at Debra's feeders (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Mar 17 2020

What I’m Doing While Staying Home

I'm home, and I'll bet you are too. From my office I can see the red-and-blue glow of the living room TV, with talking heads and banner headlines. There's a dreamlike quality to all this. So much, so fast. Call me crazy, but

Agave in wrong spot w pups (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Mar 9 2020

12 Mistakes Beginners Make with Succulents

My what-not-to-do's are simple to avoid, but not especially easy to remedy. A smart succulent owner learns what may be expensive to fix, can cause prized plants to look dreadful, and may even kill them.

Feb 26 2020

Succulent Garden Maintenance: Tasks

Do these succulent garden maintenance tasks seasonally to keep your succulent garden healthy and looking good: Trim damaged or excessive growth Prune succulents to show the beauty of the plants and keep them tidy. Use cuttings to

Feb 26 2020

Succulent Garden Professionals: Referrals

Where to find or recommend a succulent garden designer or maintenance professional. Do you know or need someone skilled in this? Tell us!

Portulacaria afra in ground (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Feb 11 2020

How Succulents Combat Global Warming

When you grow succulents in your garden, you're helping combat global warming. The plants are especially efficient at scrubbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It has to do with

Feb 9 2020

Jim Bishop’s Steep, One-Acre Garden

Jim Bishop's steep, one-acre terraced garden in San Diego is unlike any other, except perhaps Jardin Exotique d'Èze near Monaco, overlooking the Mediterranean. "But there, they have to dig basins into

Pairing succulents with a teal pot (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Jan 28 2020

Pick the Perfect Succulent for Your Pot

If you have a special pot that needs pairing with the perfect succulent, take the pot with you to the nursery or have it nearby when you're shopping online. Plant-pot pairings are a lot like picking throw pillows for your sofa or a

Succulent flower garden (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Jan 23 2020

A Succulent Flower Garden by Linda Bresler

Recently I visited a succulent garden with many more flowers than most. The home's front and side yards of billow with waxy succulent blooms. These overlap plants with colorful foliage such as red

Succulent lantern with Portulacaria afra 'Variegata' (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Jan 17 2020

Plant a Succulent Lantern

[With Video] Candle lanterns make lovely containers for succulents. Plant the succulents in a small pot and tuck it into the lantern, or if the lantern can hold soil, plant directly into it. Most aren't watertight---a good thing, because when you water the succulents, the lantern will drain (leak).

Art in Succulent Garden (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Jan 6 2020

Add Art to Your Succulent Garden

Make your succulent garden even more inviting with outdoor art. By using it as an outdoor gallery, you'll engage in a fun pursuit that expresses your personal style.

Dec 18 2019

Ten Tips for Establishing a Succulent Garden

These ten tips for establishing a succulent garden are from "Celebrating the Joy of Succulents" newsletter subscriber George Tabora of Riverside, CA (between Los Angeles and Palm Springs). His tips are hard-won, based on trial and error.