Plants & Varieties
Bizarre Succulents
To me, a bizarre succulent is one that suggests something it’s not in an eerie way—i.e. a cancerous growth, reptile or body part. When I take a second look and ponder what on earth it is, I experience a deliciously unsettling ah-ha (or bwa-ha-ha) moment.
Read MoreTen Edible Succulents and How to Prepare Them
These ten edible succulents can go from garden to kitchen. Most are fairly easy to obtain, cultivate and prepare. The mucilaginous (goopy) texture of certain edible succulents makes them—to spin it positively—great in soups and stews. Vitamin C is
Read MoreAgave Dermatitis: How harmful is agave sap? Are you susceptible?
You’re already wary of poison oak, cactus glochids and the milky sap of euphorbias. Add agave sap to the list. In susceptible individuals, it causes the skin condition “agave dermatitis.”
Read MoreFuzzy Kalanchoes: Varieties, Uses, Tips
I’m eager to share with you my fondness for fuzzy kalanchoes. The varieties and design uses of these unusual succulents are diverse and wonderful. Included are important tips to ensure your success.
Read MoreWhich Shade Succulents Are Best for You?
You requested more info on low-light succulents, and I happily complied. I’ve added a Shade Succulents page to my site and created a YouTube video of the same name. My site’s new Shade Succulents Gallery shows a whopping 80+ varieties, many growing in my own climate-challenged garden.
Read MoreGrow Shade-Loving Fairy Crassula
Fairy crassula (Crassula multicava) is a great succulent ground cover for shade. In winter, like jade (Crassula ovata), it has dainty star-shaped, pinkish-white flowers. Here are 15+ reasons to grow it in your garden.
Read MorePlant an Echeveria Garden in Pots
Echeverias do great in containers, so why not plant an echeveria garden all in pots? Because echeverias have great color, symmetry and resemble fleshy flowers, my own potted collection suggests an exotic flower garden.
Read MoreSee Debra’s Idea-Filled Garden
Welcome to my site’s “Debra’s Garden” page. This is where you’ll find photos of plants in my half-acre succulent garden, as shown in my recently released, 15-min. video:” See My Idea-Filled Succulent Spring Garden.” The video came about as a result of my garden looking amazingly beautiful after a rainy April here
Read MoreHow 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
Read MoreHow to Behead and Replant Echeverias
Fancy ruffled echeverias—those large, flowerlike succulents—eventually need to be beheaded and the rosettes replanted. This is a bother, but it comes with a benefit: New clones will form on old, headless stalks. But not always. Here’s how to ensure success.
Read MoreMeet Snake-Leaved Medusa Succulents
This essential info on medusoid euphorbias (snake-leaved plants) is from “Spiny Succulents: Euphorbias, cacti, and other sculptural succulents,” by renowned nurseryman Jeff Moore, owner of Solana Succulents near San Diego. I highly recommend his brand new book.
Read MoreSuper Fall Succulents
Those plants that made the final cut are lovely year-round, especially in autumn. These tall, medium and low succulents combine to create a balanced, aesthetically pleasing landscape. And if you have an entire yard to fill, they’re wonderful repeated.
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