Succulents and More™

Day of the Dead , or Día de los Muertos, is still six weeks away, but I suppose it’s never too early to start decorating. Look what I spotted at our local Trader Joe’s this morning: At $4.99, these Day of the Dead succulents are quite a steal. I didn’t get any when I was at Trader Joe’s this morning, but I’m tempted to go back and grab a few of these cats: Trader Joe’s is a nationwide chain of neighborhood grocery stores with an eclectic assortment of products at surprisingly low prices. Most products are unique to Trader Joe’s and not available elsewhere. Quite a few of them have a cult following . Trader Joe’s plant offerings vary from store to store, but you can often find cool things. If you spot something you like, grab it. Chances are it won’t be there the next time. Which is why I need to go back ASAP to get those cactus kitties. UPDATE: I have two cactus kitties now. Thank you, Michele, for picking them up! © Gerhard Bock, 2024. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts b...

Last night, I accompanied a friend to the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek for Garden of D’Lights . This holiday light show, now in its fifth year, transforms three acres of succulents into a dazzling wonderland of light, color, and sound. This year, there are more lights and lasers than ever before, plus four large light-up sculptures by Richmond-based artist Paige Tashner . I know not everybody is thrilled when their favorite botanical garden – a place that’s all about plants – becomes a spectacle of fantasy and whimsy, but events like Garden of D’Lights draw folks who might not be all that interested in plants. In my book, that’s a good thing because some of these plant-agnostic visitors may well become converts. Plus, increased attendance means more revenue, and that’s always a positive for perennially cash-strapped non-profit organizations. When we arrived at the RBG last night, my initial thought was, "it’s so dark, you can’t make out any details." But of course th...

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Merry Christmas , Happy Hanukkah , Joyous Kwanzaa , or whatever else you might be celebrating at this special time of year! Relax with friends and family, and forget about the turmoil in the real world for a little while. This year I fell hard for holiday light laser projectors . After I saw our neighbor’s, I had to have my own. So instead of agaves decorated with glass balls , I give you bamboo with pulsating twinkles.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful time surrounded by family and friends. And may Old Man Winter be kind to you until spring arrives. No more of that arctic blast, please!

Happy holidays to everybody, no matter what holiday you are celebrating. I hope you’re having a wonderful time with family and friends!

I made an exciting discovery today at our local Dollar Tree store where nothing costs more than—you guessed it—one dollar. A poinsettia in a can! First I thought it was a type of jack-in-the-box that jumps in your face when you open the can. Typically those are clowns, snakes, ghouls or other ghastly figures, but hey, it’s the holidays, so why not a euphorbia to startle you! But I was wrong, it is a miniature poinsettia growing station. Needless to say I was itching to get going. First I pull the tab on the bottom, which basically just creates a hole for the water to drain from. Then I pull the tab on the top which removes the entire lid. The “soil” inside the can looks to be 100% vermiculite. The instructions say to add 3-4 ounces of water… …place the seeds on top… …and cover them loosely with “soil.” The instructions state that sunlight is not required for germination so I put the can in a dark corner of my home office. Germination is supposed to take 14 days, so instead ...

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I hope you’re having a festive day surrounded by friends and family.