Give a Festive Bouquet of Rosette Succulents Amazing tips

With the Fourth of July and Canada Day coming up, why not make your party host a festive bouquet of rosette succulents?

Why Canada Day

I recently spoke via Zoom to a horticultural society in Burlington, Ontario, and wanted to show them a fun, timely succulent project that's doable with only a dozen cuttings. Previously I had made one for the Fourth of July. Above: Canada Day (July 1) colors are red and white.

Fourth of July succulent bouquet

Why succulent rosettes

It's unusual, decorative, festive, shows you care (because you made it yourself), and is a gift that keeps giving. Succulent rosettes wired onto faux stems live off moisture in their leaves, so they last a long time. The recipient can remove the cuttings and plant them. After a few weeks, their bases may even grow aerial roots.

Bouquet of succulent rosettes from my online "Stunning Succulent Arrangements" class

Why colored sand

You certainly don't have to use it, but it looks festive in a glass container, anchors and conceals wire stems, and is a conversation-starter: "Say, those aren't flowers. They're not even in water!"

I keep a palette of colored sand handy as ballast for succulent bouquets

Materials

6 to 12 succulent rosettes, with stems about 1/2-in. long, each about the diameter of a pencil

Floral wire: 22-gauge, one 18-in piece per cutting.

Wire cutter

Stretchy green floral tape

Glass jar or vase filled with sand, pebbles or crushed tumbled glass for ballast

Art sand in assorted colors

Method

On Debra's website

On Debra's YouTube Channel

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12 Succulent Bouquets to Inspire You ~ When wired onto faux stems, succulent rosettes—despite having no roots, soil or water—make long-lasting floral bouquets. Echeverias, graptosedums, crassulas and kalanchoes lend themselves beautifully to bouquets because of their colorful leaves and floral shapes. They’re easy to attach to stems, need no water (because they live off moisture in their leaves), look…

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15 Thrifty Tips for Low-Water Landscapes Amazing tips

These 15 thrifty landscape tips are from a consultation I did for a popular wedding venue in Santa Barbara. They incorporate---but are not limited to---succulents. You'll want to apply my simple, economical fixes in your own low-water, mild-climate garden.

Rockwood's Dilemma

Imagine having 2-1/2 drought-stressed acres that have to look good for guests and visitors, but almost no money to make it happen. Such is the dilemma of the Santa Barbara Woman's Club at Rockwood, a historic Spanish-colonial building near downtown. Members are valiantly trying to keep the grounds looking good, despite minimal rainfall and a budget severely reduced by Covid.

Debra's Suggestions

1. Don’t try to tackle 2-1/2 acres all at once

Focus on a few special locations, and make them picture-perfect. Continually evaluate these spots from visitors' (and photographers') vantage points. To help you fine-tune, pose a friend where guests might stand and take your own photos.

This is what visitors see from the main parking lot. Margaret Lloyd, shown here, was grounds chairman during Covid. Her successor is Stephanie Ingraham (top photo, with Margaret).

2. Aim to create a set-apart ambience

When guests enter the grounds, whether on foot or by car, they need to feel like they're leaving the world behind. Keep that ambience in mind as you prioritize and enhance various locales, especially the entry drive and pathways from parking areas.

3. Repeat successful plants

In gaps, add more of those succulents that are already doing well: Agave parryi ‘Truncata’, Agave attenuata, aeoniums, yuccas, aloes, Portulacaria afra (elephant's food), and jade. This will lend design continuity and minimize maintenance. Do not, however, be tempted to add Agave americana.

Certain agaves, yuccas, aeoniums and other succulents that are already doing well at Rockwood are worth repeating

4. Add rocks of all sizes

You can never have too many rocks in a low-water landscape, especially one named Rockwood! Cluster boulders, and fill gaps with crushed rock. See: Why You Really Need Rocks.

5. Maintain existing plants

To look their best, Agave attenuata rosettes atop exposed trunks need to be surrounded by similar agaves or cut back and replanted. Pull out leggy aeoniums and replant as cuttings (keep the top growth and discard roots and stems). See: How to Refresh an Overgrown Succulent Garden. 

A prominent area near the parking lot needs more agaves and aeoniums, plus crushed-rock topdressing.

6. Refresh the soil

To make it easier for cuttings to establish roots, dig and turn the soil, and amend with compost.

7. Tackle eyesores

An awkwardly chopped tree trunk ruins what would otherwise be a great vignette. Five seconds with a chain saw and it’s fixed. Don’t assume eyesores can simply be photoshopped---not as easy as it sounds.

Removing the truncated limb of a poorly pruned tree is a fast fix.

8. Control and prevent weeds

In garden beds and those areas that guests see first or are likely to linger, be vigilant about weeding. Before winter rains, spread pre-emergent herbicide to minimize the number of seeds that sprout.

9. Add decomposed granite

After removing weeds from the woodland’s sunny areas, spread a golden decomposed granite to lend a finished look. It’s less expensive than gravel and suits the natural setting.

10. Check irrigation

To look their best, succulents need regular water during hot, dry spells. Make sure focal-point areas have efficient irrigation so plants stay lush and green.

High priority: Remove weeds surrounding the clubhouse entry sign

11. Use fallen leaves

Don’t bother to rake and remove fallen oak leaves, except from paved areas and pathways. Let leaves create a natural mulch that holds moisture in the soil and helps prevent weeds.

12. Pay attention to leading lines

Horizontal tree limbs, pavement curves, and even handrails all have lines that lead the eye. Keep them in mind when preparing focal-point, photo-op areas.

13. Add color and texture

Plant more bougainvillea. It’s colorful, romantic and low-water once established. Use it to soften walls and hard edges, thereby making the clubhouse more integral to its setting. As budget allows, add low-water flowering trees such as jacaranda and palo verde.

Bougainvillea brightens the front driveway garden

14. Add flowers in pots

Place pots of flowering plants along the top of the long, low rock wall in front of the clubhouse. Pick ceramic pots in sage, dark brown or bronze to blend in. Fill with succulent cuttings or trailing red geraniums that repeat the red of bougainvillea. Water and refresh as needed.

15. Obtain free plants

During Covid, members of the Santa Barbara Woman’s club generously donated succulents from their gardens. If you live in the area, do let the group know if you have Agave attenuata and other large succulents to share (see "Repeat Successful Plants" above). If you own a nursery, donating plants to a worthy organization is a great way to be noticed and appreciated by its members and the community.

In June, 2021 I spoke on the subject of "Designing with Succulents" at the Santa Barbara Woman's Club. 

If you're an intelligent, friendly woman in the Santa Barbara area who enjoys pleasant social camaraderie, luncheons, teas and interesting and informative speakers (!), do consider visiting and/or joining the Santa Barbara Woman's Club. If I lived nearby, I would.

Contact the Santa Barbara Woman's Club at Rockwood, 670 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA; 805/682-4546 office@sbwomansclub.com.

 

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See Hidden Agave Nursery’s Rare Agaves Amazing tips

Hidden Agave Nursery in Escondido, CA is more than a source of rare and unusual agaves, it's fast-tracking this popular succulent genus to its full potential. Owner Jeremy Spath's hybrids soon will make us wonder why we ever wanted thugs like century plants (Agave americana) in our gardens.

Agave parryi var. truncata 'Orizaba'

Jeremy specializes in species and cultivars that don't get overly large, perform well in gardens, and are exceptionally beautiful. I share his fascination with long, twisted spines and prominent bud imprints. And who doesn't love a variegate? Nearly every specimen at Hidden Agave has squiggles, scallops or stripes.

The remarkable specimens I show here are a small part of what he offers, and the selection is continually changing. See 20+ in the Gallery below.

Gotta Have Agave?

Jeremy sells mainly through his website. (His most avid customers are overseas.) But yes, you can visit Hidden Agave by appointment, select specimens from the greenhouse, and stroll through the test garden.

Wear hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes. The terrain is uneven and steep in places, and a Queensland Heeler may eagerly drop 18-inch sticks at your feet. As Jeremy threw one intended for me over his home's roof, he observed matter-of-factly, "No human has ever outlasted him."

Ranger (right) with variegated agaves 'Blue Flame' and bracteosa

Why agaves?

"Their bold structure is unmatched in the landscape," Jeremy says. "I love the interplay of soft foliage occasionally broken up by an agave’s strong form. Aloes and cacti can do it too, but to me an agave does it best."

Big news! Jeff Moore (left) of Solana Succulents nursery and Hidden Agave owner Jeremy Spath reveal a cool collaboration in my video. 

He continues: "Then there are the endless colorful teeth and forms that I can never get enough of. Big, small, medium, there is an agave that can beautifully fit any garden or container space."

Agave polianthiflora variegated

Jeremy began his horticultural career at the San Diego Botanic Garden (then Quail Botanic Gardens) and has traveled the world in search of unusual plants. His focus for the last decade has been on agaves and dudleyas (those silvery native succulents that cling to cliff sides). He also  goes on horticultural expeditions to agave habitats---mainly Mexico---with renowned experts Brian Kemble and Kelly Griffin.

Hidden Agave's test garden

The nursery is on a 7-1/2 acre hillside in the foothills northeast of San Diego. Frost, being heavier than warmer air, flows downward and so doesn't settle on tender plants. (Which is why citrus and avocados orchards are on hilltops in southern CA.)

Hidden Agave greenhouse

Jeremy and his wife sold their home in Encinitas, CA, and broke ground at Hidden Agave---which, located in north Escondido, indeed is somewhat hidden---in 2018. Typical of the region, rain falls mainly in winter, and late summer heat attains triple digits. The soil is perfect for agaves: coarse, fast-draining decomposed granite.

Along with the Spath family's home and test garden, the property includes a 2,400-square-foot greenhouse, and---remarkable for a small nursery---a tissue-culture lab. Jeremy propagates agaves from seed, cross-breeds them, evaluates their aesthetic and collectible potential, and clones the very best.

A section of Hidden Agave Nursery's test garden

The fact that he does landscape design professionally shows. Broad paths meander around elevated soil-and-boulder islands. Rocks not only lend interest and character to the terrain, they provide pocket microclimates for young plants.

Creating a textural contrast to bold, sculptural succulents is a perennial ground cover, the California native thymophylla. As if hundreds of agaves aren't enough, thymophylla's fluffy mounds of dainty yellow flowers make the garden unforgettable.

Agave horrida

Stunning species among the many hybrids include Agave shawii, notable for colorful teeth along leaves; versatile, cold-hardy Agave montana; and Agave horrida, which despite its name is prettier than a bridal bouquet. Those white teeth!

I hope you found my video and this post on Hidden Agave helpful and entertaining. My goal is to inspire you to enjoy using succulents in fun and creative ways in your own garden and outdoor living spaces. Please know I appreciate your comments here and on my YouTube channel! -- Debra

seen at Hidden agave

Agave albopilosa

Agave 'Blue Flame' x isthmensis

Agave 'Blue Glow', variegated

Agave desmetiana, white variegate

Agave guiengola, unnamed variegate

Agave gypsophila variegata

Agave gypsophila x isthmensis

Agave horrida

Agave margeritae

Agave montana

Agave parrasana x isthmensis

Agave parryi truncata unnamed variegate

Agave parryi var. truncata 'Orizaba'

Agave pintilla

Agave polianthiflora variegated

Agave potatorum 'Spawn' x isthmensis

Agave seemaniana (right), Agave titanota

Agave shawii

Agave titanota

Agave victoriae-reginae 'White Rhino'

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Laguna Beach Succulent Gardens Amazing tips

Whenever I go on the annual Laguna Beach Gate & Garden Tour, I hunt succulents. Most varieties thrive in Laguna's mild coastal climate. But what gets me every time are the flowering annuals and perennials that mix beautifully with them.

Many of these appealing combos are impractical where I live, a mere 15 miles inland. Am I envious? Uh...yeah. I suspect you may be, too, when you browse the eye-candy below.

The tour, a charity fundraiser, is hosted by the Laguna Beach Garden Club. Founded in 1928, it's one of California's oldest and largest, with 150+ members. The spring event is a must not only for locals, but anyone within driving distance who loves beautiful gardens and homes with charm and character.

Bette Davis House, Woods Cove, Laguna

This house for example, dating to 1929, belonged to movie star Bette Davis. Next to it is a sunny, mostly-succulent garden maintained by volunteers. Steps and pathways lead down to Woods Cove, a secluded beach popular with locals.

Laguna does have its challenges. Because the ocean defines this quaint community between Los Angeles and San Diego, traffic in summer can be teeth-gnashing. Homes facing the Pacific cling to rugged cliffs where views are stunning and parking difficult.

Laguna hillside homes

I managed to shoe-horn my car into a spot above these steps. I mention this not only to boast of my spryness (the tour shuttle was at the bottom) but also to show another appealing aspect of Laguna: its public art.

Stairs in Laguna

Because minimal rainfall also is problematical, the Laguna Beach Water District and the garden club work tirelessly to raise community awareness of water conservation. Succulents, being both beautiful and waterwise, are a popular landscape solution.

The Water District's headquarters has a marvelous succulent garden. In fact, you might say the Spanish colonial building celebrates succulents. It's also the site of Laguna's annual SmartScape Expo, a free family event with landscape experts, workshops, irrigation advice and more.

Laguna Beach Water District entrance

As you browse my garden-tour gallery, notice how the bold shapes of aloes, agaves and aeoniums contrast with finer-textured ornamentals. And if you happen to live along the coast of Southern CA yourself, well, what are you waiting for? Grab these ideas and get growing!

 

Succulents in Laguna gardens

Aeonium, ferns, heuchera, tilandsia

Aeonium, kalanchoe, crassulas

Aeonium, pittosporum

Aeoniums, crassula, hydrangea, iris

Aeoniums, crassulas

Aeoniums, daylilies, alyssum

Aeoniums, graptopetalums, dymondia

Agave attenuata, heather

Agave attenuata, statice

Agave, euryops daisies

Agaves, aeoniums, bird of paradise, sago palms

Bulbine, ivy geraniums

Bulbine, kalanchoe, plectranthus

Bulbine, violets

Cistanthe (calandrinia), sweet pea bush

Cistanthe (calandrinia), pelargonium, calyophus

Cotyledon, aeoniums, cordyline

Golden jade in succulent tidepool terrace

Graptoveria 'Fred Ives'

Kalanchoe, echeverias, aeoniums, parrot's beak

Kalanchoe, pelargonium, nasturtium

Kalanchoe, senecio, milkweed

Sansevieria, fountain at Laguna Beach Water District

Senecio, aeoniums, yarrow, daisies, bulbs

Vertical garden with aeoniums and grasses, Laguna Beach

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