How I spent my weekend: succulent container gardening
Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer
Try keeping container gardens alive on my deck during the heat of July and August and you will find yourself a convert to succulent container gardens, too.
That's how I spent the weekend, assembling this collection of glazed pots and the very few varieties of succulents I could find in my quadrant of Maryland.
I mixed potting soil with a product called Soil Perfector, which did such a good job of providing drainage for my tulip containers over the winter. And I added a little time-release fertilizer.
This spot on my deck is hot as blazes, but close enough to the hot tub to benefit from the moist air there.
I have been enchanted by the idea of succulents in containers since I wrote about Debra Lee Baldwin's new book, "Succulent Container Gardens." These plants look soooo exotic.
We will see how this goes, but one thing is for certain. I won't have to pay a neighborhood kid to water this collection of plants while I am at the beach.
Comments
Good job! I agree that cactus (cacti?) are great for gardens, pool settings, and more. I'm always amazed they aren't more popular. They add texture and interest to the constant favorites of flowers and other foliage for those settings.
Thanks for the support! I just wish there was more selection and better prices. -- Susan
Posted by: ruth | April 20, 2010 8:54 AM
Hey Susan - Those pots look great. Isn't the transformative power of topdressing amazing??? What is Soil Perfector? Sounds like something worth checking out. I have to admit that I found some very nice and cheap succulents at Home Depot - I much prefer to buy at my local nursery, but these plants were beautiful.
The dressing is little stones...Soil Perfector is a gypsum type thing --- little grey bits that increases the drainage. And, hey, us East Coasters gotta get our succulents where we can! -- Susan
Posted by: kerry | April 25, 2010 9:37 PM