Succulents
sometimes are referred to as “fat plants” because
they are able to survive arid regions by storing
water internally, hence their “fleshy” look. Many
also developed hard outer layers or skins to minimize
evaporation.
Succulents
are tough not to love. They’re easy to grow and
easy to maintain. They do well indoors or out and
can survive dry desert sands or cold Ontario winters.
Some prefer partial shade; the majority can handle
full sun.
Common
easy‑care examples include aloe (ornamentals
said to have some medicinal qualities but that also
look good in pots), sedums (many of which flower
and make good ground covers) and the blue agave,
which provides the makings for tequila.
“It
has been years since I gave someone a house key
to come in and water my potted plants when I’m away
because I’ve converted all my containers to succulents,”
Baldwin said in an exchange of e‑mail messages.
“I
just water them before I go (if I remember) and
they’re fine the entire time, even if it’s midsummer,
they’re on the patio and I’m gone for three weeks.”
Succulents
are also among the most accommodating plants, generally
willing to be placed anywhere,
from rocky slopes to the simplest of containers
(think bricks and concrete blocks).
They’re
versatile enough to thrive in trendy rooftop gardens,
be shaped into topiary or serve as blaze‑resistant
fences around wildfire‑prone residential areas.
Certain kinds of cacti, notably the
prickly pear, can act as a barrier plant for security‑conscious
gardeners who don’t mind working around their many
barbed spines.
“You
can also cultivate succulents very easily once you
get them started,” Baldwin said. “They’re ideal
for people with brown thumbs. They don’t require
a high degree of maintenance. In fact, they kind
of resent it if you fuss with them too much. These
are not Bonsai.”
Succulents
propagate readily from the smaller “pups” or from
cuttings, the latter not unlike geraniums,
she said.
“Because
the cuttings are viable for weeks, they are well
suited for shipping, provided they’re not exposed
to freezing temperatures. So thanks to the Internet,
a wide variety of succulents–which used to be a
regional specialty–now are available to people who
live anywhere in the world.”
Many
people who specialize in succulents favor cacti,
with their entertaining shapes and spiky
skins. While all cacti are succulents, not all succulents
are cacti, Baldwin writes.
“Unlike
other succulents, cacti have areoles– points from
which spines (which are modified leaves), pads,
flowers or new branches grow. Another important
distinction is that cacti are indigenous to the
Americas.”
Cacti
generally prefer more light and less water than
other succulents, Baldwin said.
Succulents
grow well in soil mixtures containing sand, peat
moss and wood chips–coarse combinations that drain
well. Moisture‑retaining clays, for example,
simply won’t do. Succulents also prefer a soil pH
low in acids, or a growing medium augmented with
agricultural lime. Try for a pH somewhere between
6 and 7, she said.
Baldwin’s
hillside garden in north San Diego County is slowly
evolving into a succulent‑rich setting.
It’s within USDA hardiness Zone 9, a decomposed‑granite
and clay setting where temperatures dip below freezing
in winter and top out above 100 F in summer. Rainfall
averages about 12 inches a year, so water is a constant
concern, she said.
“My
focus initially was flowers, but as sophistication
with design and the look of landscape grows, you
realize it’s more about foliage and not with flowers,
which come and go. You want some contrast year‑round.
Hardscape. Some structure. A large plant with dominant
foliage.
“
... My garden is now at its spring peak,” she said.
:I still have about 40 rose bushes and everything
is blooming. The rest of the year, though, the succulents
are the most interesting and everything else is
cut back. Succulents add interest to your garden
nine months of the year.”
For
a long time people had the idea that a garden had
to consist of a grassy lawn with flowers and annuals
arrayed around it, Baldwin said. “That was the English
style of gardening– something that required a lot
of love and maintenance.
“What
do you see in the Southwest and around San Diego?
You see a lot of Eastern gardens that have been
transferred westward. But that culture is changing.
Not only is aesthetic appreciation changing, but
lifestyles are changing, too. People don’t want
high maintenance (plants) anymore.”
