Autumn in the succulent garden

Cooler, balmier days have arrived. I just love Autumn. Checking on my succulents yesterday, I saw that a few of them are flowering. Soon the Aloes will be starting, which means lots of visiting Sunbirds.

For the first time in over a year that I acquired my Faucaria last Feb. 2015, it is also flowering now! Thank you to the rain!

Crassula perfoliata ssp. falcata (Propeller plant) sporting three new bright red flowers. I think it's getting a bit big for the pot, needs transplanting or to be moved into the garden.

Pleiospilos nelli on the left and Euphorbia horrid looking good in Autumn! Sharing the pot with the Euphorbia is a little self-seeded piece of Crassula imperialis, a succulent which likes LOTS of sun and LOTS of water, so has been thriving on all the rain.

My Aloe juvennae, acquired last Feb 2015 and which was just as big as the 3 pups it now sports, has grown in leaps and bounds! 

Just a couple of months ago, the Aeonium and cactus were still rather small, perfect for the pot, and now they're going to have to move to a new home.

My Pleiospilos compactus is showing a fair amount of damage from the hail we had recently, but it still seems happy enough and is flowering.

In the succulent bed, I'm struggling to keep on top of all the growth since all the beautiful rain we had. The Crassula imperialis (just to the top left of the Echeverias) in the wire basket has formed a thick, curly mass, hiding all the Echnipsis oxygona cacti inside there somewhere. Will have to transplant the cacti, they struggled to push out their large flowers amongst all those curls!

The tiny. slightly hairy, little mass of succulent has spread very fast over the last few weeks. I have no idea what it is (can anybody help?) and I'll have to start a really in-depth search to try and find out.

With winter not that far away, I'll have to start sorting out which of my succulents I'm going to be winterizing inside - I have far too many now to bring the whole lot it!

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Succulents and lots of rain

All the rain has greatly benefited one of my succulents, my grass Aloe (A. cooperi) - moist soil, perfect conditions for these damp grassland species. This is the first time it has flowered since I acquired it early last year.

Indigenous to South African grasslands, A. cooperi grows singly or in small groups from offshoots at ground level. The flowers of Aloe cooperi vary in colour from greenish-cream to apricot and salmon pink. Easy and lovely in the garden and smaller than most Aloes, Aloe cooperi is hardier than most too – down to 10 degrees F (-12℃ - although we've never had it that cold here in Tarlton (Gauteng, South Africa). The blooming stalks grow to 3’ (1m) tall and bear very attractive flower heads. The thin leaves are held in a fan shape & are evergreen in milder climates. Aloe cooperi forms offsets freely. The leaves & flowers are eaten by the Zulu people. It is also used traditionally to ease birth.

The base of A. cooperi - I think it's ready to go into the ground now

Another succulent which just loves lots of water, expecially if it is in full sun, is Crassula imperialis. They then get bright green and put up a gorgeous show of masses of curly tendrils. This one is planted in a wire basket but stands in the garden in full sun.

Hail damage on my Pleiospilos compactus

Not benefiting from the rain so much, and especially the hail we had, is Pleiospilos compactus. As soon as the flowers get wet, they shrivel and die almost immediately.

Seemingly unaffected by the lots of rain and hail, are both my Euphorbia horrid and Pleiospilos nelli on the left. In fact, they both seem to be loving it! But all the pots do have excellent drainage, which contributes to their healthy looks.

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On my patio this Month (February 2016)

The rain has been very welcome...

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Aloe aristata

Aloe aristata (Guinea-fowl Aloe, Lace Aloe) is a species of evergreen flowering perennial dwarf aloe in the family Xanthorrhoeaceae, from South Africa. It is commonly cultivated as a garden plant around the world. It prefers well-drained soils, but can tolerate a range of rainfall systems. It can also tolerate temperatures down to -7°C, due to its adaptation to cold mountain tops. However it may need to be grown indoors or under glass in extremely cold temperate regions, to give it some winter heat. This clumping species readily produces large numbers of off-sets, which can be separated and planted as a means of propagation.

My original Aloe aristata now with lots of pups

It is easily identified by the white markings on its leaf surfaces and the thin pointed leaves. Aloe aristata has no papery bracts along the peduncle, a characteristic it does not share with other dwarf aloes.
When not flowering Aloe aristata is often mistaken for a Haworthia specie.

Plants are stemless and form clumps of up to twelve rosettes that are between 100mm and 150mm in diameter.

My Aloe aristata flowered for the firs time this last spring and I was absolutely ecstatic!

Light: Light-shade to full sun.
Watering: Will tolerate slight over-watering and drought conditions.
Flower: Flowers are a dull-red or pinkish colour, tubular in shape and slightly curved down at the end of a fairly long stalk. Plants flower during the month of November.

I've been bringing mine in every winter, but I have quite a few now, propagated from the pups, and I'm considering leaving one or two outside for this coming winter to see how they react.

Aloe aristata sharing an enamel bowl with some peanut cactus and an Haworthia

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Mother-in-law's tongue

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm

 

A watercolour sketch of Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii) in a pot.

Indigenous to South Africa, it is also known as the Snake Plant. It is a truly remarkable and striking easy care house plant native to tropical West Africa from Nigeria east to the Congo. I remember my dad having one on a windowsill in our house, where it stood for absolutely years without any seemingly extra care. The modern trend in the average home is to keep the plant separate from others and have it standing bold and alone.

Summer growers. As with all succulents, Sansevierias require a well-drained mix and moderate watering. Water frequently during the warmer months and keep fairly dry through winter. To maintain their best shape and colouration they are best grown in dappled sunlight. Grows up to 3 or 4 feet tall.

Propagation is by division or leaf cuttings. Sansevieria is easy to divide because it has shallow roots. Simply turn the pot on its side and pull out the entire plant. Use a sharp knife to cut through the thick roots and pot each clump separately. To propagate Sansevieria by leaf cuttings, cut leaf into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces and place them right side up (the way they were growing) in moist perlite or cactus potting mix.

I don't have one of these plants, so getting one is next on my list!

Image Credit

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Wishing you a simple 2016!

Euphorbia pseudocactus

If it were only all about organizing, spending less money, de-cluttering, or removing objects for the sake of simply owning less stuff, I would never have considered adopting simple living.

Take pleasure in the things you already have or want to buy. Living a simple life doesn't mean you can't appreciate beauty or own beautiful things. Be awed by the beauty and exquisite craftsmanship of your R10,000 handbag, and appreciate the painstaking hours it took to cultivate your magnificent cactus. The point is to remove all the extraneous stuff so that you can have the space – literally and figuratively – to focus all of your energy on the things that you value the most - your succulents!

Happy New Year and here's wishing you a simple 2016 filled with JOY, LOVE and HAPPY HOURS OF SUCCULENT GARDENING!

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Hatiora gaertneri (Bladroos)

A native of south-eastern Brazil, Hatiora gaertneri (also known as the Easter Cactus) is a tropical cactus that requires a certain amount of regular water in order to survive. The fully grown cactus resembles a shrub. In the wild, these cacti grow on trees or rocks only, so they require a special potting mixture to keep them healthy in your home.

Immediately after flowering has finished, this cacti requires a one month resting period. During this month, restrict water to keep the soil moist only, and do not offer fertilizer. After the month, resume watering and fertilizing on a regular basis.
- Name kindly supplied by Roger - (Info from House Plants Expert)

At the beginning February 2014, a friend sent me a cutting (above) and after being "lost" in the post for almost a month, it finally arrived on the 26th February 2014, looking slightly worse for the wear. I immediate potted it up and waited. To my utter horror, it seemed to die within a couple of weeks! I left the "dead" looking plant in the pot, carefully pampering it and keeping an eye on it and it wasn’t long before, to my utter delight, new stems started to emerge (below).

 By this time the cold weather was starting to settle in so, as a precaution, I brought my precious little epiphyllum indoors, to spend the winter safely in my flower room inside.

Then in September, as soon as it was warm enough, I took it back outside and within a week I was promptly rewarded with a couple of flowers.

Litrosies of bladrosies se blomme is verskillende groottes en so ook die stammetjies of takkies. Mens kry dié met die lang aaneenlopende blare wat aan die kante gekartel is, en hul dra gewoonlik die groot blomme. Sommige lyk nogal na orgideë en kom in al die kleure van ligroos, rooi tot geel en oranje voor. Sommige blommetjies het ook dubbel blaartjies en die buitenste is byvoorbeeld rooi en die middelblaartjies wit of ligroos. Die ander litroos is die kleiner tipe met die ballerina blommetjies. Die plant se blare is in litjies aanmekaar en die blommetjies is kleiner. Hierdie blommetjies het ook dubbele blaartjies met verskillende kleure aan een blommetjie. Daar is ook die gewone ou rooietjie wat enkelblommetjies dra met sy geel stuifmeeldrade. Hierdie is nogal ’n baie sterk plant. Hulle groei maklik van steggies en groei ook baie vinnig en blom ook sommer vinnig. Al behoort hulle aan die kaktusse, hou hulle nogal in die warm somer van genoeg water. Hulle is wel gevoelig vir baie koue en ryp. Hul kan in volson of semi-skadu geplant word en sal oral baie goed blom.

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The happiest season of all!

Christmas, and summer time. Everything is in full flower. Surely it must be the happiest season of all! Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a festive season filled with LOVE, JOY and INSPIRATION!

The joy of succulents in pots

Although succulents and cacti and are renowned for their 'easy care' and drought and heat tolerance, many succulents you may have in your garden might not be suited to your specific climate - some may prefer little water, some may thrive on lots more water, some may even prefer the shade and many might not be tolerant of too much cold or heavy frost.

Echeveria imbricata - doesn't tolerate frost and thrives on lots of water

That is the situation I have with many of my succulents. Here where I live (in Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa), we can have winters with extremely heavy frost. Even though we rarely experience temperatures below -2℃, which most succulents do not have a problem with, I have lost many an Echeveria because of the frost at temperatures well above freezing.

Another problem is the beautiful, rich, deep topsoil l have in my garden. That brings it's own set or problems - the soil is extremely porous and well-drained and even heavy rain tends to sink right down to well below where the plants can get hold of it (most succulents and cacti have very shallow root systems).

The joy of having your succulents in pots is the fact that you can control temperature by moving them either into the sun or into shade, you can tend to each one's water requirements separately and, if your pot is well-drained, even over-watering is hardly ever a problem. It's wise to pot your most precious and rarer succulents, ensuring that you may enjoy their beautfy for many years to come.

Shade- and water-loving Crussula imperialis

Echeveria imbricata in Terracotta pots that are easy to move under cover for winter

A young Aloe ferox starting its life in the safety of a pot, avoiding frost in the early years

Euphorbia cooperi (Transvaal candelabra) which I raised from a baby but lost one winter because I forgot to being it inside. It is mostly found in wooded grassland and rocky places from KwaZulu-Natal, through Swaziland and up to Messina in Limpopo, all basically frost-free areas.

Keeping my Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Eve's Needle) in a pot, reduces the chances of this weed-like opuntia spreading all over the garden

This Cactus trichocereus echinopsis hybrid is in a pot just because he's so beautiful and I love to look at him!

Echeveria imbricata thriving in dappled shade on my patio with protection from the frost from some overhanging branches

An Haworthia, some Aloe aristata (Guinea-fowl Aloe or Lace Aloe) and Peanut Cactus in an enamel bowl on my patio table. I often use some of my potted succulents as centre pieces for breakfast or lunch parties.

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