“Everything looks better elevated,” says San Diego succulent designer Diana Clark, who has wood stands custom-made to enhance her potted compositions. Diana, who calls her business “The Perfect Plant” because she pairs vessels found at antique stores or estate sales with a “perfect” succulent, created the plant-pot pairings shown here. As you look at them, ask yourself: [...]
That red echeveria really did glow like it was plugged into a light socket. It was at the fourth annual Succulent Extravaganza, which took place at Succulent Gardens nursery near Santa Cruz, Sept. 26-27, 2014. “Attendance was up about 65 percent—approximately 2,000 visitors over two days,” nursery owner Robin Stockwell told me. Below: My GGW [...]
The secret to caring for any plant is to understand its native habitat and to try to replicate that as much as possible in your garden, greenhouse or home environment. Succulents by and large come from warm, dry regions with low humidity and minimal rainfall, and the majority can’t handle freezing temperatures. After all, these are [...]
Twenty years ago, cacti and succulents were oddball plants, little known among the nursery industry or gardening community. North San Diego county was where the wholesale growers were located, and many still are. But unfortunately Cooper’s Cactus and Succulents no longer exists; not since John Cooper passed away. The good news is that his plants live on, [...]
I recently produced and wrote a how-to article on topping pumpkins with succulents, for Country Gardens magazine. The designer we featured is Laura Eubanks, who originated the idea. The magazine sent photographer Ed Gohlich, who came to my home with his assistant, Matt. Ed does many of the Southern CA (and beyond) articles for Better Homes & Gardens’ [...]