Succulent Symmetry

While wandering around the garden, I realized just how many succulents are beautifully symmetrical. I just wanted to show the loveliness.

Aeonium Love

Aeonium has been a successful year round succulent in my yard. It is such a lovely plant forming rosettes of succulents atop branching stems. I have grown them for years in full sun. Those have stayed fairly compact, with the branches being a cool sculptural feature. Last summer I planted two small 4" and 6" aeonium starters in a new bed. The bed gets morning and afternoon sun, and unknown to us at the time, a broken leaking sprinkler head that provided constant water even through winter. Those grew atleast 10 times their beginning size in less than year. They have turned into large aeonium bushes, stems hidden under large lush rosettes.
Aeoniums are cool season, winter growing succulents. They hunker down in heat and go dormant, still looking lovely. They LOVE Water, obviously flourishing with the excess we unknowingly provided them. I have never lost one to frost or heat intolerance. Snails love them though, so sprinkle bait.
Propagate your aeoniums by snapping off a branch and tucking it in the ground. Easy!
Photos show the difference in their growth habit depending on where I have them planted. I like both looks, though it's very exciting to finally have the huge lush aeonium bushes. 

Aeonium bushes left and right, getting morning and afternoon sun and excess watering

Aeonium Tabuliformae

Aeonium Schwarzkopf

new cuttings rooting in a succulent cone

One aeonium plant with different color variations

new Schwarzkopf plantings

Aeonium in full hot sun with less water, keeping it sculptural and small

Gift plant from a vendor at the Sacramento Cactus and Succulent show. Aeonium Leucoblepharium

Aeonium Schwarzkopf

Aeonium Cyclops

The tiny Aeonium Silver Edge starter back in July 2012.

a peek under the large bush showing the branches.

aeonium canariense "silver edge" -huge amount of growth since July 2012.

Ghost plant, invisible plant.

I spent part of today removing rocks and filling in color around the graptopetalum paraguayense (the mass of white rosette type succulents pictured below). It really is the "ghost plant". It is lovely when you can see it. Unfortunately it blends right in with the river rocks, and looks less than exciting on dirt. I built up an area behind it and planted some sanseveria that needed a home. I was hoping that would help draw your eye to it. NOPE. I filled in the lovely yellow sedum nussbaumeranium with lonely sprigs from other places in the garden. Um, nope. Ok. So I added some  blue Echeveria sproutlings. They will reach atleast 8 inches across. Now if they would only grow fast. My mom got me an Echeveria gibbiflora ruffles yesterday, so that found a new home. I'm still not happy with the look.

A few new ideas.  I MAY pull the graptopetalum out at some point and use it for a dramatic pot. Or maybe, find a sedum that contasts really well and under plant it. It's also getting leggy. I may cut the rosettes off and stick them back in the ground (easy propagation!) All leaves that fell off have been tucked in the dirt around it. Maybe a tighter bunch would help. What an annoying, yet lovely, little white plant.

After pictures and before picture. Yep, you still can't see it.

Succulent Cone revamped

I decided to make another wire mesh cone today. I wanted brighter colors and different plants to stand out against the fence. After creating it, I decided the fence just wouldn't do them any justice and moved them to the white wall. MUCH BETTER. Anyhow, see the previous post, sempervivum cone, to see directions. To revamp them, I added bright green sedum varieties, blue sedum, aeonium and some graptopetalum paraguayensis. The sedum is easy to tuck into the wire mesh, even with roots on. I found hanging them with two nails, one at top and bottom, held them in place better. I added extra soil after they were securely hung as well, topping off with pea gravel.

Cement and Pumice containers

Succulents can be grown in a great assortment of creative containers. Some of my favorites so far are simple concrete cinder blocks, recycled cement blocks and pumice stones.

Cinder blocks are cheap, locally a little over $1.50 each. Push a square of fine gauge wire inside to keep the soil in. Many people have made cinder block container walls which are nice looking. We decided a more sculptural container would be fun. The blocks are glued together with construction adhesive.

Single cinder blocks are fun too.

Pumice stones are cheap at Rock Yards. Take the pumice stone and hammer out a bowl. They are really light and can easily be moved around for a different look or to change growing conditions. I make sure to add a lot of gravel into the soil to keep the roots from sitting in water. Water lightly.

Make the hole any size you want, but deep enough to hold the plant in.

Cement blocks recycled from removing our shed makes a nice looking tall sculpture.

Easy Propagation of Succulents

     Succulents are very easy to propagate. Some leaf attachments are very fragile and will drop off with the lightest touch. Those leaves however will drop and root where they fall. If you are trying to spread a plant around you can pull some lower leaves and stick them in the ground. They will also grow. I have read to let the ends seal up for a day or two before planting, but I am too impatient, and just stick them in the ground.

a fallen sedum nussbaumeranium leaf sprouting

Sedum robrotinctum leaf sprout

old dead leaf sprouting in rocks and leaf mulch

    Stem cuttings will also grow roots. I have a graptopetalum paraguayensis (ghost plant) that I accidentally broke off a large branch of. I stuck it in dirt and it grew. That is how I always add additional plants now. Sedum, echeveria, aeonium, cactus etc... Be careful not to overwater causing rot. If rot happens, cut off the rotted tissue and replant.

Cactus pad that fell off, already rooted.

broken bit of graptopetalum

     Aloes and Agaves will send "pups" up from the base. Those are easily separated by pulling them out at the base. They will already have roots and are ready to be planted.

aloe with a lot of pups

easy removal of pups

aloe saponaria and pup

nice roots on this aloe saponaria pup

      Sedum of various sorts is an easy ground cover. It spreads by shallow roots. You can easily pull up pieces to add elsewhere in your garden. Even large chunks can be cut out and moved. Just take your shovel and lightly cut about an inch into the dirt under the piece to be moved.

sedum angelica