Why Cactus Snowflakes Are Worth Seeking Amazing tips

Remarkably, the spination of certain cacti suggest snowflakes, something I first noticed years ago at a succulent specialty nursery. I was there to photograph aloes in bloom, but I’d come too early in the season. I thought of leaving, and I’m so glad I didn’t! That afternoon forever changed my view of cacti.

There were a lot of columnar (ceroid) varieties shaped like fire hydrants and baseball bats, all with tapered tips. I looked down on one, was intrigued by how lower spines framed upper ones, and took a photo. Wow! I took many more. When the images appeared later in the Los Angeles Times, editors prefaced my photo essay with: “We thought we’d share our version of snowflakes with readers in colder climes.”

I hope you’ll hunt for succulent snowflakes in your own garden or cactus collection. I know that when I find one, it’s a delightful surprise. Now, for your enjoyment, here are a few of mine:

Do check for cactus snowflakes the next time you visit a nursery, too. It’s a paradox worth savoring: Spines on hefty desert plants resemble delicate, geometric ice crystals. To capture them with your camera, simply hold the lens horizontally above the plants.

P.S. If you search online for “cactus snowflake,” you’ll get images of succulents that look like cacti but aren’t. They’re Euphorbia polygona, the green form and silvery gray ‘Snowflake’…which has been renamed “Euphorbia horrida ‘Snowflake’. But as you can see, there’s nothing horrid about it!

Related info on this site:

Enjoy my article on succulents with spiral patterns: Many cacti and succulents form geometric spirals similar to those of sunflowers, pine cones and nautilus shells. Spiral leaf arrangements funnel rain to roots, and keep upper leaves from…[Continue reading].

 

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The 12 Days of Cactus Amazing tips

Feel free to hum along.

On the first day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

A dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the second day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the third day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the fourth day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Four claret cups, three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the fifth day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Five golden barrels, four claret cups, three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the sixth day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Six obesas blooming, five golden barrels, four claret cups, three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the seventh day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Seven saguaros spinning, six obesas blooming, five golden barrels, four claret cups, three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the eighth day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Eight mams a-milking, seven saguaros spinning, six obesas blooming, five golden barrels, four claret cups, three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the ninth day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Nine lithops dancing, eight mams a-milking, seven saguaros spinning, six obesas blooming, five golden barrels, four claret cups, three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the tenth day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Ten chollas jumping, nine lithops dancing, eight mams a-milking, seven saguaros spinning, six obesas blooming, five golden barrels, four claret cups, three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the eleventh day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Eleven trips to Tucson, ten chollas jumping, nine lithops dancing, eight mams a-milking, seven saguaros spinning, six obesas blooming, five golden barrels, four claret cups, three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

On the twelfth day of cactus, my true love gave to me:

Twelve ‘Sunburst’ drumming, eleven trips to Tucson, ten chollas jumping, nine lithops dancing, eight mams a-milking, seven saguaros spinning, six obesas blooming, five golden barrels, four claret cups, three hens-and-chicks, two agave pups and a dove in a prickly pear tree.

See the YouTube version, set to music:

Happy AloeDays, one and all! — Debra

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How Rain Benefits Succulents Amazing tips

Don’t be surprised if after a good rain, your succulents look brighter and more vibrant. Here’s how rain benefits succulents: It provides dissolved minerals and washes away dust that inhibits photosynthesis; it dilutes and flushes salts and harmful chemicals that have built up in the soil from tap water; and it provides nitrogen essential to growth, especially during electrical storms. It’s odd but true: Lightning nourishes plants.

To make the most of precious rain, collect it in buckets and use it to water house plants and in-ground succulents beneath eaves. When rain is forecast, move your container-grown patio plants where rain can soak them. (Once the storm is over, return them to their earlier location, lest sun scorch leaves—or if frost is a possibility.)

Succulents do best in regions where annual rainfall is less than 25 inches.  Excessive amounts can cause roots to rot, especially if soil stays soggy. Prepare for this by growing the plants in coarse, fast-draining soil, on a slope or atop a berm.

 

My blog post, Succulents and Too Much Rain, A French Solution describes a French botanical garden’s simple but effective method of protecting its cactus collection.

Of all succulents, cacti seem to respond the most dramatically to rain. No surprise; they’ve been waiting all year for it. If they weren’t rooted, they’d be dancing. Opuntia (paddle) cacti that have been doing a whole lot of nothing for months rapidly grow new pads that can double the size of a young specimen in a matter of weeks. It’s as though the pads were water balloons being squeezed; the resulting bulge is a new leaf.

And then there are ribbed cacti…those that look like round or columnar accordions. You can almost hear their crenellations pop and stretch as they plump with water. They’re such simple plants—not much more than balls or bats—and yet the way they grow is amazing. The process of becoming engorged with rainwater exposes more of their skin to the sun, enabling photosynthesis, which equals energy, which in turn fuels new growth. In the heat of summer, those same ridges and valleys deepen, shading and protecting the plant.

Now that succulents are hugely popular, I’m asked how to grow them in tropical climates that have a great deal of rainfall. It’s like asking how to grow monkeys in Alaska. Sure it’s possible, but is it worth it? By definition, succulents have the quality of succulence: juiciness. They’re expressly designed to get by without a lot of rainfall. The flip side is that they don’t survive well with it. So grow them in containers, and move them under shelter when the weather turns too wet. Even then, in humid climates, they may mildew. In which case, move them indoors, provide lots of sunlight and fresh air, and keep a dehumidifier going. (And get my book, Succulent Container Gardens. I wrote it for succulent lovers in challenging climates.)

Rainstorms are often followed by clear, windless nights, during which the temperature may drop near freezing or below. Many succulents are frost tender, meaning that at 32 degrees, the water in their tissues crystallizes, expands, and bursts cell walls. This can turn leaves to putty, irreparably damaging the plants. You can gain several life-saving degrees by covering your succulents with sheets, lightweight fabric, or frost cloth. But not plastic, which by trapping moisture and blocking light and air can cause more damage than it prevents.

If your succulents have been damaged by frost, they’re not necessarily goners. Learn more about this in my recent posts: Oh, No, My Succulents Froze! and Frost Damaged Succulents? Here’s What to Do. Notice the damaged tips on these aeoniums? No need to do anything. In a few months the older leaves will dry and fall off, and the rest will be hidden by new growth.

Related info

On this site:

How to Water Succulents Succulents—fleshy-leaved plants from hot, dry regions—are designed to live off water stored in their leaves and tissues in order to survive periods without rainfall. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t water them at all…[Continue reading]

Prepare Your Succulents for Rainstorms Succulents, which come from arid climates, may rot. Stems or trunks turn squishy and collapse. It may be possible to… [Continue reading]

Learn about pumice. No other soil amendment is as widely used by succulent growers and collectors as pumice (crushed lava rock). Here’s why…[Continue reading]

Succulents and Too Much Rain, A French Solution Want to protect your succulents from too much rain? Here’s how the Jardin Zoologique Tropical in southeastern France…[Continue reading]

Oh, No, My Succulents Froze!  Will succulents recover from frost damage? It depends. Here’s how frost-tender succulents looked before temps dropped into the mid-20s F, and after…[Continue reading]

Caring for Your Succulent Garden After Rainstorms, Checklist  Rain at last! Could the California drought finally be over? Well, no. It’ll take hundreds of years for underground aquifers…[Continue reading]

On My YouTube channel: 

Why Succulents Rot and How to Prevent It

Why Rain is Good for Potted Succulents

Post-Rain Must-Do’s for Succulent Gardens

Why Succulents Rot and How to Prevent It

Get all the info you need, all in one place: 

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Give a Basket of Baby Succulents Amazing tips

Want to launch a lifelong love of gardening? Give a basket of baby succulents.

When I was in my 20s, I had about 30 tropical houseplants. Before going on vacation, I asked a neighbor to tend them. To make it easier for her (ha), I labeled each plant with a number that corresponded to a hand-drawn map of my apartment’s interior, and a list that gave each plant’s watering schedule and amount. If that sounds a bit excessive—or obsessive—consider that #plantparent on Instagram now has over 20K posts and gains 100+ more every week.

So what does that mean for you, dear reader, since you’re probably not in that demographic? (Most of my subscribers are 40+. That’s who we are, and we’re proud of it.) Well, you now have an idea for that lovely niece or DIL you normally just throw a gift card at: a Plant-Parent Gift Basket.

In a nice basket or box, place a ceramic pot, eight or nine chubby succulents still in their nursery pots, and small bags of soil and pebbles. (You can of course plant everything yourself, if you’d rather give a finished arrangement.) Let the succulents breathe in bright light, protect from frost, and keep soil barely moist until a few hours before they meet their adoptive parent/s. Then tuck baby plants and their gear into the box or basket, and pad with tissue paper. Wrap the whole shebang in clear cellophane and tie with ribbon, perhaps with a pacifier attached (kidding…sort of).

Include a copy of Succulents Simplified or Succulent Container Gardens. Email me if you want autographed, personalized copies. Or if she likes videos, give my online class, Stunning Succulent Arrangements. Watch it together! 

An Easier Way (recommended if you’re shipping to the recipient): Send a gift arrangement from Succulently Urban. Owner/designer Marialuisa Kaprielian does gorgeous work, her plants are superb, and her prices are awesome. Plus her echeverias (shown here) are kitten-cute. Marialuisa will ship two-day or overnight until mid-December.

The Grand-Plant-Parent Way: Gather individual items at your local garden center or order them online. Good starter collections:

Altman Plant’s indoor succulents collection: set of 8 in 2.5 inch pots, $27

Mountain Crest Gardens Indoor Succulent Set of 9 in 2-in pots, $28

Add a pot that has a simple form in colors trending with 20-somethings: white or pale pink. One example of many on Amazon:

— 8-inch round white ceramic pot with tray $22

Thoughtful extras likely to be appreciated:

— Pebbles for topdressing: 32 oz. bag, $8.79

— Cactus potting mix, 10 qts, $13.61

Enjoy your grand-plant

When your gift gets squeals of glee, suggest that the giftee post occasional photos on Instagram. It’s a great way to stay connected and watch baby plants grow. About half of the photos on Instagram’s #plantparent and #plantparenthood are of succulents. Do tag @DebraLBaldwin in the comments—Auntie Debra wants to see them too!

Also watch my YouTube video in which I assemble a gift basket of echeverias for my own DIL.

Related Info on This Site:

Great Gifts for Succulent Lovers

Succulent Centerpieces

Buy and Shop for Succulents Online

Tips from a Top Succulent Container Garden Designer

My “Stunning Succulent Arrangements Class” 

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12 Great Gifts for Succulent Lovers Amazing tips

Much of what follows is my own wish list, but these 12 items make good gifts for other succulent lovers too. Some I already own and figured you’d like too. If you’re the giftee, you might want to forward this to the gifter. Note: Some links go to Amazon, where I’m an associate, so I do get a small percentage of any sales that result (doesn’t cost you extra). Please know I appreciate it—especially since, while doing this exhaustive research, I bought a few things. ;+)

Tools and useful items

Thorn Armor Gloves: These are the gloves that Phoenix artist Jim Sudal wore while assembling his prickly-pear holiday tree. His gloves were shot after two days and 250 spiny pads, but Jim says he wouldn’t—and couldn’t—have done it without them. Prices vary according to size, but expect to pay $50 and be pleasantly surprised if it’s less. I figure a pair ought to last someone like me, who doesn’t handle cactus much, a lifetime. In fact, they’ll likely become heirlooms.

Thorn Armor gloves

Joyce Chen scissors. Around $20. I have four pairs that I keep in various drawers and on my potting bench. I even have a pair in my car for…well…you know, the occasional overgrown succulent by the side of the road. Joyce Chen scissors don’t appear tough, but they can cut through finger-diameter branches. I use them mainly for precision snipping, clipping and deadheading. If I could keep one of pair away from the garden, I’d use it for its intended purpose: in the kitchen, cutting bones.

12-Inch Tweezers. Under $10. These are for fiddly instances when you have to reach into an agave or between spines to extract fallen leaves, weeds and bits of debris. Long tweezers also are good for picking up bristly succulents. However, for a plant much larger than a ping-pong ball, you really need tongs…which I suspect you already have (check the kitchen). Hm, maybe you should get a second set of those, too.

The Colorful Dry Garden, $23. Not only is author Maureen Gilmer a renowned expert on plants and gardening in the dry, hot Southwest, her explanations, advice and descriptions are engaging and insightful. Gilmer’s beautifully illustrated book presents an extensive assortment of flowering shrubs that make great low-water companions for succulents. It dovetails perfectly with my newly revised and updated second edition of Designing with Succulents. Want to win both? See the Giveaway below. 

Moisture meter. Worried about under- or over-watering your succulents? Ironically, highly nurturing succulent owners are most at risk of having their plants rot. If you tend to be a helicopter plant parent, you’ll find a moisture meter reassuring. Stick its probe into the soil, and if the indicator goes to the left of moist, it’s OK to water. If it zips to the right, back away from the plant. This particular meter also measures light and soil pH, and needs no battery—not bad for under $10.

Pretty, Cool Stuff

Commemorative Tile: It’s a win-win: You support a worthy cause; honor a cherished relationship for decades (if not centuries) hence; and you give the recipient a lifelong fondness for a public garden. This particular tile is in the Children’s Garden of the San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG), and whenever my grandson goes there, he looks for it. The SDBG is now raising funds for a 7,400-square-foot glass conservatory. Donor tiles are $250 to $5,000, depending on size. In the Bay Area, the Ruth Bancroft Garden—renowned for its succulent collection—is currently selling donor tiles to raise funds for a new building.

Cactus pad jewelry. I found the adjustable ring (above) on Etsy for $11. Matching earrings are $10. They’re made of “high quality resin” and come from Bulgaria, so if you’re interested, order soon.

Succulent leggings. No one would ever think of getting these for me (how sad is that?), so I consoled myself by adding them to my cart. If the pattern I chose is a too sedate for you, do a search for “succulent leggings.” There are dozens of styles, some insanely colorful.

Succulent shoes. These come in several patterns, including cacti. I can’t speak for the quality, but I’m intrigued. The seller won’t ship after Nov. 30 to ensure delivery by Dec. 25, so if you’re interested, jump. I’m a size 9. Just sayin’. 

On my Zazzle store

Wondering about my own designs? Thank you! Over the years, I’ve created dozens of gift and decorative items for sale online via Zazzle. Zazzle doesn’t make it easy to pass along discounts, but here’s a 15%-off code you can use through Jan. 31, 2019. Copy-and-paste it when you order: UQEYOJQKDMCOXQJQPRTP. But first see if they’re offering an even better discount (which they often do).

My 2019 Succulent Watercolors calendar, regular price $22.15. Nine of the 12 pages are shown at right.

Agave watercolor tile, 4.25″ x 4.25″, regular price $13.70.

Barrel cactus pillow, several sizes. Lumbar shown here, 13″ x 21″, regular price $36.65.

 

Blue agaves throw pillow, several sizes. Throw shown here, 16″ x 16″, regular price $31.35.

And now, My Giveaway!Mosey over to Instagram to enter to win two terrific books: Designing with Succulents by yours truly and The Colorful Dry Garden by Maureen Gilmer. If you’re also one of my newsletter subscribers, you’re eligible to WIN A THIRD ITEM: my Succulents 2019 Watercolor Calendar. Winner will be selected at random and announced on Instagram Sunday, Nov. 25 at noon PST. Sorry, no prizes mailed beyond North America.

Related Info on This Site:

Where and How to Order Succulents Online 

Tools, Books and Products for Succulent Gardeners

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