Succulents and More™

The neverending fog seems to be behind us, replaced with two atmospheric rivers forecast to bring copious rainfall this Christmas week. The Sacramento area is expected to get only a moderate amount of rain, 2–4". Other parts of Northern California will likely see record rainfalls resulting in significant flooding. No matter what, the weather always seems to be one extreme or another. Raindrops on spiky plants are lovely, especially up close, so yesterday, in between breaks in the rain, I hauled out my big camera to take some photos. Looking for beauty on a small scale is a wonderful exercise — and a great way to distract yourself from the messiness of the bigger world out there. I hope these photos will bring a smile to your face. Aloe petrophila Lachenalia punctata Kniphofia ‘Christmas Cheer’ Aloe lukeana Aloe elegans Aloe speciosa × barberae Aloe maculata hybrid Aloe alooides Aloe distans Agave ocahui Agave titanota × ×Mangave ‘Bloodspot’ × Mangave ‘Inky Fingers’ × Manga...

The weather is never far from a gardener’s mind. That’s true at the balmiest of times, but especially now, when the weather can change quickly and too much of one thing can cause real damage to your plants. In a previous post I talked about the 400-mile blanket of fog that covered the Central Valley from Bakersfield to Redding for a solid three weeks, completely blocking the sun and keeping temperatures stuck in the low to mid-40s. That was a trying experience for us Californians who are used to seeing the sun on an almost daily basis. In fact, the longer the fog lasted, the more morose and melancholy people became. I have new-found respect and sympathy for folks who live in a place where this kind of weather is not unusual. On Tuesday afternoon, December 16, the sun made a valiant effort to break through the fog: December 16, 12:12 pm It didn’t quite get there that day, but it did on Wednesday afternoon. For a precious few hours, we were blessed by golden light and temperatures in th...

The following is a profile of Jeff Moore (Arid Adaptations, Tucson, AZ) that I wrote for the CSSA Journal , the quarterly publication of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America  (Volume 95-2, June 12, 2023). I've been meaning to repost it here on Succulents and More, but for some reasons I didn't get around to it until now.  Jeff is probably the best nurseryman I know. His propagation and growing skills are legendary. I've written about him and his nursery, Arid Adaptations, before (see “Related posts” at the bottom), but I thought you might enjoy this more detailed profile. —————————————— For succulent lovers, Tucson, Arizona is one of the hottest destinations in the country. The city is surrounded by spectacular scenery, ranging from the desert to mountains. Places like Saguaro National Park, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Tohono Chul Park allow you to get up close to the native vegetation of the Sonoran Desert without being afraid of getting lost in the wild. ...