Goodies from friends, part 1

In the last few weeks I received plants from two generous gardening friends. Is there anything better than a living gift that brightens your garden and constantly reminds you of how wonderful friends are?

Today I want to show you the contents of a mystery box that arrived in the mail yesterday. It come from Laura Balaoro, the founder of the Succulent Fanatics group on Facebook. Inside were a variety of cuttings…

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Miscellaneous succulent cuttings

…and an entire plant. This one is very special. It’s a Dudleya virens ssp. hassei, also known as Catalina Island live-forever. It’s native to Santa Catalina Island off the Southern California coast where it forms mats several feet wide but only 6 inches tall. The flowers are white with yellow centers.

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Catalina Island live-forever (Dudleya virens ssp. hassei)

I haven’t had much luck with dudleyas in the past because they don’t much like our summers, but I’ve learned my lesson and will keep this specimen away from the direct sun.

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Catalina Island live-forever (Dudleya virens ssp. hassei)

Here are the other plants that Laura sent me:

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Aloe ‘Christmas Carol’

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Echeveria ‘Glitters’

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Cape Blanco stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’)

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Gold nugget iceplant (Delosperma congestum)

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Mystery sedum. If anybody knows what species it is, please leave a comment below.

Laura’s box also contained four cuttings of Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’, one of my favorite aeoniums.

I put the Delosperma congestum in its own pot because it will go in the driveway succulent bed on the weekend. The other cuttings, and the Catalina Island live-forever, went in a shallow azalea-type pot. I quite like this impromptu arrangement!

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I will overwinter the plants in this container and then plant them out in the spring.

Tomorrow I’ll show you what else I was given recently, this time by Candy ‘Sweetstuff’s Sassy Succulents’ Suter.

Comments

  1. Gardeners are such a generous lot aren't they? Most anyway and you're lucky to receive goodies from them too. Great plant and especially love the Dudleya!

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    Replies
    1. I don't think I'd ever seen this particular dudleya species before. I love being surprised like that.

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  2. Gift plants are the best! I especially love the Echeveria ‘Glitters’...although that dudleya is pretty great too.

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  3. Glad to see my packing is getting better.

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    1. You did a fantastic job, not only with packaging but ESPECIALLY with plant selection!

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  4. Wooh how awesome! You got some cool succulents there buddy!

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  5. Nice, I think when Istart making a garden, I will make a huge party and tell everyone to bring what they have to share :)

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