Succulents and More™

Last month, I introduced you to one of my favorite companion plants for succulents, a groundcover from Europe called Artemisia pedemontana ( read this post for details ). Today, I want to show you another companion plant/groundcover that is becoming a staple in my garden, Plectranthus neochilus ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ — a fun name for a cool plant: Plectranthus neochilus in Kyle’s garden, the variegated form ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ on the right and the all-green species on the left (actually, ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ losing its fuzzy wuzzy) Like so many awesome plants, ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ was originally introduced by San Marcos Growers (SMG), the legendary Santa Barbara wholesale nursery that closed its doors earlier this year . For 40+ years, SMG was a reliable source for special plants; through introductions like ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’, its legacy will live on. Here’s what the SMG website says about ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ : A perennial, aromatic, succulent herb, which grows as a ground-hugg...

I’m not much into seasonal decorating because I feel like I just don’t have the eye for it, but there’s one thing I love at this time of year: pumpkins. When I was younger, you had very orange pumpkins and less orange pumpkins. Now you have not only a variety of colors, but also wrinkles, warts, and bumps. Perfect encapsulation of the season, seen at Green Acres in Sacramento The best pumpkin display I’ve seen this year was at the Sacramento location of Green Acres , a family-owned garden center chain. The sheer number of pumpkins, and the variety, was beautiful to behold: And pumpkins at Costco (best price, of course): I did get a net of small pumpkins at Costco and set up a modest display near the front door: Costco pumpkins and Mangave ‘Bad Hair Day’ in a face pot Maybe next year I should try to grow some ornamental pumpkins? They do take up a good chunk of real estate, but I should be able to find a sunny corner somewhere. If you grow your own pumpkins, please share your experien...

Another month (half gone already!), another “This and that” post covering random sights and happenings since the end of September. Change is definitely in the air. Not just in the weather, but also in the quality of light. Daytime temperatures are still comfortable (highs in the 70s), and the light is much warmer than in the summer. All things considered, it’s a wonderful time of year. MY ATTEMPT AT SEASONAL DECORATION I have no natural knack for decorating, which is probably why I rarely even try. But this year, I’m making a bit of an attempt. Check out the wooden crate on the left: I was given a face pot a while ago, and I filled it with a Mangave ‘Bad Hair Day’. The five mini pumpkins came from Costco. Maybe I’ll splurge on a larger pumpkin or two... LATE-AFTERNOON GLOW It seems no “This and that” post is complete without a couple of late-afternoon photos of the front yard. I do love how the sun lights up the plants: SEDUCTIVELY FUZZY, POTENTIALLY PAINFUL I noticed this prickly pea...