Friday, May 4, 2007

Green Thumb: In Praise of Succulents

I have a bit of a succulent fetish. They're just so ... weird. And otherworldly. And fleshy. And textural. And cool.

And, let's not forget, practically death-proof. It's true: If you leave succulents out in the burning sun and forget to water them for months at a time, they'll be fine. I give a mixed pot of them to my mother (a notorious black thumb) every year, and even she can't kill them.

Bigger succulents can be pricey, but they grow quickly and multiply like mad, so I like to buy the cheap, tiny ones in 2-inch containers at the Easy Bay Nursery in Berkeley or the big Rockridge Longs off Broadway. When I'm a bit more flush, or after some unusual varieties, I hit the Dry Garden in North Oakland. One of these days, I'm going to make it up to Sebastopol's Lone Pine Nursery, the wholesale succulent and cacti grower that stocks most of the nurseries in the Bay Area.

Next time you're shopping for plants, grab a basketful of echeveria, euphorbia, or agave, then group them together in an interesting pot for a weird -- and wonderful -- living arrangement.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know this is an older post, but hope you'll see the comment. Sounds like you live in the East Bay - you should really check out the Cactus Jungle on Fourth Street near Cedar. They have a great selection of cacti and succulents and nice planters as well.

Leah said...

Hi Amy,

Thanks for the tip!

I did stop by the Cactus Jungle when they first opened. I wasn't totally blown away by the prices or selection then, but they *were* just getting going. I'll make a mental note to visit again!

All the best,

Leah

Anonymous said...

I LOVE the way these look. Your photos are awesome. Thanks for posting!

 

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