Friday, June 2, 2017

Succulent Pot Rehab

When we moved in 6 years ago, I brought a few terracotta pots I'd formerly had positioned on top of a wall that separated our property from that of a next door neighbor.  With no idea where to put them, I dumped 2 of them on a metal plant stand just outside the back door - and proceeded to ignore them.  Filled with small succulents, they didn't need much attention but they deserved more than they got, which amounted to little more than an occasional splash of water.  Replanting the pots was one of those easy projects I never seemed to get around to, until now.

I failed to get a photo of the sorry-looking things in-situ but I did photograph them when they were seated on my potting bench as their rehab was underway.

I'd already pulled some sad Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi' and some of the small noID Aloes when I took this photo

I took cuttings of the plants that were still usable in both pots


The identity of the small orange Aloes included in both pots is a mystery.  My best guess is that they're some form of Aloe haworthioides.  Their perennial orange color may be due to the stress created by my ill treatment; however, their persistence in the face of adversity warranted recognition so I took cuttings for use elsewhere in the garden.

I cleaned up the dead leaves on the Aloes and rescued a few green pups, collecting more than 2 dozen tiny plants to add to the garden


My local garden center had a 20% off Memorial Day sale on 4-inch succulents, which gave my rehab effort a boost.

This replanted pot contains 2 Rhipsalis neves armondii, 2 Aeonium urbicum 'Salad Bowl', and one Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 'Flapjacks'

This one contains 2 Echeveria 'Serrana', 2 Sedum 'Blue Spruce', and 1 Kalanchoe tomentosa nigrum


I put the 2 replanted pots back on the back patio but wasn't really satisfied with the way they looked.

The large gap between the top and bottom shelves bugged me


I had one more of these terracotta planters sitting on my potting bench (with a few succulents that got watered even less often than those by the back door), so I decided to pot that up with cuttings from elsewhere in the garden and add it to the mix.

Cuttings used to fill this planter include Aeonium arboreum, Senecio vitalis, a few of the noID Aloes, and another noID succulent


Here's the completed assemblage:

Assuming I do a better job of watering the plants, the Rhipsalis in the top planter should grow and hang down and the Senecio in the middle planter should grow taller and fuller, both helping to fill the space


Pleased with how the 3 planters looked, I also planted up a pot I'd recently purchased as a gift but replaced when I realized it was too big.  The black pot doesn't match anything else in my burgeoning pot collection but I found a spot for it by my potting bench.

The pot contains Aeonium arboreum 'Purpureum', Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' and Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Lime Versa'


Voila! Easy projects that made me feel as though I'd accomplished something and a temporary distraction from the political news that continues to send shudders down my spine.  I don't tweet but, in solidarity, #Make Our Planet Great Again, #Paris Agreement, #DumpTrump.  I'm proud that I at least live in a state that supports constructive action on climate change.  Kudos to Governor Jerry Brown!


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party



16 comments:

  1. I've had a couple of days of doing little chores like this too lately. They do make you feel like you've accomplished something! Yours look very nice, and I like the way you've planned for those Rhipsalis to hang down, and the Senecio to grow upward. I'm glad I live in a state with a governor who agrees with yours and who joined him in his climate change initiative. Kudos to Governor Inslee too! Over the last couple of months my garden has been a balm to my soul and a respite from the political news.

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    1. My garden is my refuge too, Alison. When I want to scream (or cry) I go out and pull weeds. Luckily, with all the rain we got earlier this year, there are plenty of those. I'm glad your governor is on board too.

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  2. and also to a video clip from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
    Sounds as if California at least is getting it right.

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    1. I listened to Schwarzenegger's statement following receipt of your comment, Diana. He stands with many who are appalled by #45's decision.

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  3. They all look great, but my favorite is the one with the Kalanchoe tomentosa! Love the colors!

    I hope more governors will join those of California, Washington, and New York, to show our embarrassment-in-chief that most of the country doesn't support him.

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    1. I love that Kalanchoe too, Evan. I think there is a groundswell of opposition to #45's decision from both government and business, a sector he may respect more than he does experienced politicians, but as this is a man who can't admit even the simplest of mistakes, I'm not sure he's capable of learning from their views. We need to campaign to elect an adult to the White House in 2020 - and trash the GOP in the 2018 elections.

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  4. You have made me feel guilty about the state of some of the rectangular pots I have. What a great refurb. you did. I need to get busy, spend a few dollars and follow the leader. I love your combinations.

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    1. As I let those pots languish for over 6 years, I was woefully slow about refurbishing my pots. I have others that could also use a re-do...

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  5. What a wonderful redo on the pots, Kris! Your Aloe reminds me of the struggles I've had with "Crosby's Prolific", which I keep moving around the garden to keep it from toasting orange in too much sun. (At least it's very easy to transplant!) It always ends up in too much shade later, so I never get flowers... Your solution looks much more practical as well as attractive, so perhaps I should try it in a container!
    So glad to see state and local governments thinking for themselves despite federal pressures!

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    1. I just looked up Aloe 'Crosby's Prolific'. That could be what my mystery Aloe is, although the growth habit seems different. I'll watch the cuttings I've moved out into the garden to see how they develop now that they have room to spread out.

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  6. Love your arrangements . I have only one pot/stand of succulents and I'm happy to say most plants survived our bitter winter here in 7a . You have a selection new to me but then again they're all new to be. Happy weekend.

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    1. We have a perfect climate for most succulents, Patsi, and, as it's grown hotter and drier here, I've developed something bordering on an obsession with them. I imagine they're much harder to find and more difficult to grow in your climate, although Sempervivums seem to appreciate areas with colder winters like yours.

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  7. Great result with all three of them potted up and arranged as you've shown them! The senecio fills in the middle gap nicely.

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    1. Thanks! Senecio vitalis has become another of my go-to plants when I find myself with an empty spot in the garden. It grows fast from cuttings and I always seem to have more of it than I can use.

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  8. Your did a great job with the rehab of the pots & I especially admire the way you filled the gap between the two shelves. Very crative!

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    1. More luck than inspiration, Peter - I just happen to have a plentiful supply of that very accommodating Senecio vitalis.

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