Never mind how practical they are for waterwise gardens, what we really love about succulents is how they LOOK. The eye simply revels in symmetry, and no category of plants do it better. So, of all the succulents that are symmetrical, which are over the top? These are from my latest YouTube release, “Favorite Scenes from the Succulent [...]
Agave snout weevil is a half-inch-long black beetle with a downward-curving proboscis that enables it to pierce an agave’s core, where it lays its eggs. Grubs hatch, consume the agave’s heart, then burrow into the soil to pupate. The weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus)—once prevalent only in desert regions and Mexico—is spreading rapidly throughout the US and [...]
If there’s a good thing about our too-hot Southern California summers, it’s that heat makes certain succulents turn color. A case in point is Aloe nobilis, which in my garden grows in nutrient-poor decomposed granite with minimal water. In winter, the same plant reverts to green. Such “stressed” succulents—which seal moisture in their leaves as [...]
San Diego garden designer Laura Eubanks is helping me launch a series of events in my garden! Laura’s one-hour succulent tapestry installation takes place on Saturday, March 28 and includes catered refreshments and a tour of my newly refurbished garden located 45 minutes NE of San Diego. (Space is extremely limited. $150 per person. Email [...]
Spring starts for me this year at the Fallbrook Garden Club in north San Diego County on Feb. 24. Guests are welcome, and all attendees will receive a gift plant courtesy of nearby Serra Gardens Nursery. I’ll show photos of beautifully designed gardens and do a show-and-tell of outstanding succulents from Serra. Among them are: Echeveria agavoides ‘Lipstick’. Shown close-up [...]