Dramatic, bizarre garden succulents lend themselves perfectly to the enhancement of contemporary architecture.
Once banished to the rock garden, these plants are becoming more and more popular in and around modern homes.
As houseplants, succulents (the jade plant on the coffee table for example) almost take care of themselves, as ground covers succulents are the lazy gardener’s pride, and as specimens for accenting and emphasizing the landscape, they have no equal.
Using the many types of Succulents outdoors in flower borders gives a succession of bloom and provides a constant source of interest and pleasure.
Some particularly unusual ones like the “Desert Roses” are prized as oddities and many succulent collections rival those of the Orchids in beauty.
Certainly, in this wide world, no other plants have such weird forms, such beautiful flowers, or are so curiously adapted to a hostile environment.
Check out some of David Taormino's beautiful ideas below
This wonderful arrangement features a variety of succulents from the echeveria lineage and vines including String of pearl, donkey tail, string of dolphins.
The familiar green tone after combining a variety of easy-to-find succulents with chains makes the arrangement beautifully harmonious.
most ideas will be better with the presence of vine
Green combined with purple and pink looks fancy but also very unique
Sometimes using a series of string of pearls also makes perfect for outdoor arrangement
Lots of vines come together then leave room for a few easy-to-find succulents to fill in
Purple and green are the main colors of succulents, finding them is not difficult but to put them together requires a lot of ideas in mind.
This idea can be displayed on a stone table in the garden area, in the backyard or somewhere with a small area.
The discarded water container can also be reused to organize lots of succulents to fill
In periods of extreme drought, growing outdoor succulents will require a supply of water – one good drenching being better than several light sprinklings.
However, if they are growing as a potted plant, they usually require more frequent watering because of their restricted root system and the fact that the potting soil in containers dries out much quicker.
When Succulents are actively growing in the Spring and Summer, they need the most water, with much less water required as the cool Fall weather approaches.
In Winter, the plants should be watered enough to keep them from shriveling.
Although watering too much or too little can both be harmful (both extremes may lead to the death of the plant), it is best to err on the side of too little water rather than too much water
As a rule, most Cacti and other Succulents require a sunny location, but Epiphyllums and Sempervivums demand part shade.
Most also need to be screened from the cold wind. Usually, a Southern exposure against the house or a fence is ideal.
Because of their limited root system, some plants grown in pots cannot withstand the direct rays of the sun without protection
Also, less hardy succulents that have been overwintered indoors are often in a tender condition and damaged easily by the full sun.
On the other hand, desert Cacti, usually covered with long spines, (e.g., Prickly Pear – Opuntia), are better able to resist strong sun, even though they have spent the winter indoors.
When these “limited sun” plants are over-exposed, they may develop sunburn (a yellow or white spotting).
This condition, in which the affected area appears to be scalded or scorched, always occurs on the upper or South side of the plant.
Desert soils are usually quite rich. This is shown by the fact that, when they are reclaimed, usually only water is needed to make them productive.
Since desert soil (the native soil of Succulents) often contains a considerable amount of coarse and porous organic matter, you should incorporate some such matter when preparing your Cactus or Succulent bed.
Nitrogen forces growth and induces over-development of soft tissues, which is disastrous.
In the days when manure, guano, and other fertilizers were available in large quantities, it was strongly advised not to apply these to Succulents.
Similarly, most soluble liquid plant fertilizers that garden plants desire contain too much nitrogen for Succulents.
Any Succulent may be grown in any part of the country when grown in a pot and moved indoors when winter arrives.
Cacti and other Succulents, as a general rule, do very well in containers because they have a limited root system.
Growing Succulents outdoors in cold climates is also possible, however, and, if certain precautions are taken, many kinds can live in the ground permanently.
These precautions extend not only to the cold itself but to other factors encountered in Eastern or Midwestern gardens, e.g., standing for long periods in wet soil.
These other factors are often the real cause of the plant’s death for which freezing is erroneously blamed.
Some hardy Succulents capable of withstanding temperatures of zero, and slightly below, are Prickly Pear, the Sedums, and the Sempervivums.
Unless a Succulent is one of these hardy types, however, it should be taken indoors when the temperature gets much below 32° degrees Fahrenheit.