Stocking Up on Succulents

In late November, following our annual tree pruning process, I started a major cleanup of the moderate front slope in the southwest corner of my garden.  Although collateral damage in that area was limited this year, it was looking tired.  The Aeoniums were all overgrown and in need of replacement and it quickly became clear that it'd be easier to pull almost everything up and start fresh with cuttings and new plants.  I've been taking my time with the renovation and it'll be awhile yet before I'm ready to share it but I thought it was a great time to start stocking up on new succulents to use there, as well as elsewhere in my garden.

I was off and running with a succulent sale at Mountain Crest Gardens.

The Stenocactus multicostatus (aka brain cactus, shown in closeup on the lower right) was the initial impetus for placing an order.  Other plants included in my mail order included: 3 Graptoveria 'Fred Ives', 3 Graptosedum 'California Sunset', 3 Graptoveria 'Lovely Rose', and 3 Crassula 'Variegated Money Maker'.  Mountain Crest threw in a mystery succulent, one Senecio 'String of Pearls', and one Echeveria 'Perle of Nurmberg' as gifts with my purchase.

I picked up still more new succulents at my local garden center.

I picked up the following plants at my local Armstrong store: 3 Echeveria 'Lotus', one Crassula swaziensis 'Variegata', 2 Echeveria 'Violet', and 3 Echeveria 'Princess'

I used some other succulents I'd had on hand for quite some time to replant a pot in the back garden.

I'd acquired the Agave parryi var. truncata from Annie's Annuals & Perennials about 6 months before that nursery abruptly closed and was put up for sale - it was busting open its pot waiting for more space.  I added a Portulacaria afra 'Variegata', 3 Echeveria affinis 'Black Night', and the tiny Senecio 'String of Pearls' I'd received as a gift from Mountain Crest.

Mother Nature has also been working hard to add to my succulent collection.

I originally noticed 3 pups of Agave 'Jaws' surrounding the mother plant here.  When I lifted up some of its leaves and checked it from the back, I discovered that there are 8 pups.  It's overachieving in the pup department and I think it advisable to give the pups away (with suitable warnings about its proclivity).

Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba' is also an overly enthusiastic pupper.  These 2 are coming up between flagstones in the middle of my south-side walkway.

I also have a stash of assorted succulents looking for new homes.  Some will go into the area I'm currently working on, while others are destined to fill in empty spots in the succulent bed adjacent to the garage, which I renovated earlier this year.

Clockwise from the upper left: Agave titanota 'White Ice' (a gift from Hoover Boo of Piece of Eden) and a division of Kumara plicatilis (aka fan aloe, which came from another friend years ago); another division of the same fan aloe plus an Agave 'Blue Glow' bulbil; a noID Aloe; an assortment of succulent cuttings given to me by a neighbor earlier this year; and 2 pups of Agave 'Mateo'

Meanwhile, the mutant Agave 'Blue Glow' in my south-side garden is working diligently on its bloom stalks to give me more bulbils next year.

The 2 new bloom stalks have straightened up and one is already over 3 feet tall

I suspect that I already have more succulents than I need but we'll see.  Another succulent giveaway may be in order early next year.

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party