Succulents and More™

Larger projects get their own time to shine on this blog, but most of the work done in the garden is in the form of smaller projects. And there’s never a shortage of those. Here are eight projects I worked on in June. Project #1: grounding my boojum tree ( Fouquieria columnaris ) After growing to a fairly good size, the ocotillo ( Fouquieria splendens ) in the front yard died for reasons unknown. I’m still puzzled because it had sailed through winters far wetter than the last one. The silvery canes were attractive even dead and I considered leaving them for their sculptural look. But with space at a premium, it just didn’t make sense. Ocotillo right of center The replacement for the ocotillo was growing ten feet away in a terracotta pot: a Boojum tree ( Fouquieria columnaris ), an ocotillo relative native to Baja California where it’s known as cirio. I’d been wanting to put it in the ground for a while but didn’t have a suitable spot. Until now. It will be much happier in its new home....

The news of Annie’s Annuals abruptly closing its doors on October 3, 2024 sent shockwaves through the gardening community here in Northern California and beyond. Even though its eponymous founder had sold the nursery the year before, Annie’s Annuals was still a beloved institution, with thousands of customers far and wide eagerly looking forward to receiving their catalog in the mail four times a year. Those who lived too far to shop in person at Annie’s retail location in Richmond were able to buy plants through the website. The thought of Annie’s simply not being there anymore was, well, unthinkable. The last catalog ever of the OG Annie’s Annuals The future looked bleak, but within a matter of weeks after the bad news had broken, one of Annie’s former managers announced that she and her mother had acquired the Richmond nursery, plants and all, and would resume operation under a new name, Curious Flora. The collective sigh of relief breathed by Annie’s fans and devotees could be hea...