Succulents and More™

Last December Morningsun Herb Farm in Vacaville, one of my favorite nurseries, had a 50% off sale, and one of the plants I bought was a passionflower hybrid called ‘Blue Eyed Susan’ ( Passiflora × ‘Blue Eyed Susan’). I was super excited because the flowers look incredible . When I bought it, it was just a small thing in a 4-inch pot, and I planted it at the base of one of the front porch posts, behind a clump of ‘Knee High’ echinacea. It took a long time to get started, probably because it was overshadowed by the echinacea during much of the growing season. (I choose this location specifically because I wanted the roots of the passionflower to be shaded by the echinacea so the ground stays relatively cool and moist, conditions Passiflora prefers.) However, after I trimmed back the echinacea last month, my passionflower went into overdrive, its inquisitive vines extending in all directions. It was time to do something.

Commenting on yesterday’s post , fellow blogger Loree of Danger Garden wanted to know what that “long drippy plant” in my arrangement was. Her choice of words made me laugh, but it is a perfect description of the plant. But before I tell you what it is, let me show you some photos of another specimen I have growing in a pot on top of the short section of fence next to the entrance to our front yard.   I love how it drapes down in a cascade of silver, softening what would otherwise be a pretty boring sight. Of course the string of pearls ( Senecio rowleyanus ) and the burro’s tail sedum ( Sedum morganianum ) are pretty nice, too.