Debra authored the Timber Press bestseller, Designing with Succulents. Her new book (Jan. ‘10) is Succulent Container Gardens.
Her website is filled with plenty of gardening information and inspiration, plus some background on Debra. She also has a NEW WEBSITE that celebrates container gardening with succulents: www.succulentchic.net.
Join her at LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter @DebraLBaldwin.
That’s an Aloe cameronii rosette I’m holding. Right before I had this photo taken (by professional photographer Terri Rippee) I realized I needed a prop. Since we were doing the author shot for Succulent Container Gardens, I stopped by the garden to grab a succulent. I hesitated before yanking this particular aloe out of the ground; it was a cutting that had rooted nicely. But the color is spectacular—some aloes turn red in full sun, and Aloe cameronii is the best. Afterwards, I tucked it back into the garden, and it has looked the same ever since. Succulents are amazingly resilient. If only more were frost-tolerant! But that’s what inspired the new book—anyone, anywhere can grow these marvelous plants in containers, which can be overwintered indoors.
I love all kinds of plants, not just succulents, as well as touring gardens and taking photos. I sigh with delight whenever I see a flower I haven’t seen before. I become transported when I visit a well-designed landscape. One secret of happiness is to live fully in the present, and I am never more in the moment as when looking at a plant or garden with a camera. There’s something about framing a composition that is all-consuming. It’s creative and spontaneous. You never know when you’ll get lucky and the light will be magic.
My area—Southern California—is a region of infinite gardening possibilities. We really do live in paradise, wildfires and droughts notwithstanding. I tell friends, as we stroll through my never-flawless garden, that you can spend a month creating a perfect room in your house, from floor to ceiling, and if you close the door and come back six months later, that room will look the same. You can spend months making your garden perfect, and overnight—thanks to a windstorm or freeze or whatever—it’ll be a wreck. So, why do we bother? What is it that makes us wild about gardens and gardening? For the answer, all you have to do is look back through GGW postings, and surf the links to other gardening blogs.
It’s the beauty. It’s the creativity. It’s the joy of seeing something we ran across at a nursery grow, bloom and reproduce. Oh! Don’t you have to go outdoors, RIGHT NOW and see what’s going on in your garden?
I do. But I’ll be back soon.
Debra’s Gardening Gone Wild photo essays include:
Garden Adventures in Quebec, Part Two
Garden Adventures in Quebec, Part One
Dew Drops Dazzle (photo essay)
Rose photo contest winner (photo tips)
California Poppies in My Garden
Aloes Sizzle in Southern California
Sharklike Agaves: Why I’m Fond of Fangs
Feel free to contact Debra at Sunwriter7@cox.net.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Laurie Connable // May 9, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Cudos to my favorite garden writer and lecturer!
Here in Hilo, Hawaii up in the hills where I live, it’s, been raining for, would you believe, 3 1/2 months. Finally 2 days of sun!
We’re thawing out and enjoying the spectacular weather.
Next week I start work on my 6 acres. First mowing the waist high invasive cane grass, then new fence, sheep, and maybe
succulents. There are a few succulents that I see growing here, but, would appreciate your recommendations for extremely wet conditions.
I’ve completed my Master Gardener classes and exams through the UH extension. I’ve learned a great deal, but am a neophyte to Hawaiian gardening. Much different from the dessert climate and conditions of San Diego.
Warm aloha, Laurie Connable
Aloha, Laurie! Welcome to Gardening Gone Wild—a blog you’ll enjoy for its visual appeal and exuberant spirit that matches your own. How exciting that you are about to sculpt and plant your property in Hawaii. I saw lots of Agave attenuata growing in Hilo gardens when I was there. Its big, soft-leaved green rosettes form corsage-like clusters. Fortunately, Hilo’s volcanic soil drains well, and good drainage is the secret to growing succulents in your climate. Plant them in raised beds filled with crushed lava rock, or atop mounded soil. I can’t wait to see the results—your garden in San Diego was world-class! Debra
2 Kelsey // May 16, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Hi! I was at the talk in San Antonio this spring and I really enjoyed your presentation! I have tried to incorporate motion into more of my beds! Can’t wait to read your next book! Keep them coming!
Hi, Kelsey—I love Texas and Texas gardeners! I’m so glad you enjoyed my presentation. How cool that you’re adding motion (or the suggestion of motion) to your garden. I think barrel cactus are a designer’s best friend—such wonderful fuzzy spheres that appear to roll across the landscape. Keep me posted on your progress, OK? And thanks for writing! Debra
3 Kelsey // May 22, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Thank you! I love barrel cactus! Have a great day!
Kelsey, you’ve given me an idea. I think I’ll do a posting on barrel cactus. They’re so lovely backlit, and wonderful when grown in multiples. Stay tuned ;+) Debra
4 Jeannie // Jun 24, 2009 at 1:53 am
I’ll be looking forward to reading Succulent Container Gardens…I spent the winter nights carting succulents into the house to avoid the frost…I’m looking for another method! Plus, I’ll be doing a garden club talk on succulents next January and I don’t want to be instructing them on the art of schlepping plants in and out of the house. Jeannie
Sounds like schlepping is unavoidable unless you have cold frames or a greenhouse, or plant only cold-climate succulents. The book does go into this but it’s primarily design ideas–how to show these marvelous, geometric plants to advantage in container arrangements. — Debra
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