Succulent Summer

I’ve gotten into a succulent kick lately, but have been lazy about actually caring for them. How so? I buy the succulents at a local farmer’s market, set them on my bench outside my apartment, and pretty much let them be. No re-potting, no attempt at creating a succulent harmony, nothing, nada.

I know, I”m a horrible wanna-be gardener.

I was saved from utter succulent abandonment by a good friend who was better about following up on her succulent ambitions. We scheduled a Sunday for succulents, plus she gave me a list of of items to buy:

  • quarter and cent-sized pebbles
  • potting mix (Lowe’s had a special potting mix specifically for succulents, woot!)
  • mini M&M-sized pebbles
  • containers for the succulents

With much trepidation/excitement, I headed over to her place. Since it was ridiculously hot as only a San Diego summer can be, we ended up setting up station on her massive kitchen island. We laid out garbage bags to cover the whole island, then put our implements on the table.

For my first succulent garden, I used a container that did not have a water drain. I learned that for containers that do not have water drains, to compose the first layer of a good base of rocks or pebbles, depending on how large your container is. Then you put in a lot of potting mix almost up to the brim. Hopefully by this point, you have an idea on how to compose your garden. My friend suggested I find a focal point, then add everything around it. To transplant the succulent, gently squeeze off all the soil that surrounds the roots, making sure that the roots are still intact. Then, make a hole in the potting mix wide enough and deep enough. Place the succulent in the hole, and secure with more potting mix. Repeat with the other succulents. Make sure you have a lot of potting mix, as you’d be surprised just how much you need. When your garden has finally finished, use the small mini-M&M-sized pebbles as an extra layer.

SO. Here’s my first ever succulent garden:

Succulent Garden 2

I thought it turned out pretty well:

Succulent Garden 3

I was SO proud of my first succulent garden, that I made a couple more:

Photo Jun 30, 8 44 34 AM (2)

And a couple more:

Other succulents

Suffice to say, I have successfully moved from procrastinating succulent maker, to over-productive succulent creator!

What summer projects do you have going on?

 

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