Becky Sell of Sedum Chicks plants cold-hardy succulents in repurposed wood-and-metal containers, hypertufa pots, wreaths and more. She grows the plants, too, where she lives in Turner, Oregon, near the Washington border. Becky’s compositions can overwinter outdoors in northerly climates (Zones 4 to 8), providing the potting medium drains well. Cold-hardy succulents such as stonecrops [...]
I’m often asked to recommend sources of succulent cuttings for wreaths, topiaries and other projects. Unfortunately, most online sources sell cuttings for around $1/apiece, which means a wreath—not counting its moss-packed wire donut—may cost $100 to make. But pre-made wreaths available this time of year not only cost much less, they’re also a great source [...]
The ideal Thanksgiving centerpiece… — Is low so guests can see over it. — Is festive, in keeping with the holiday. — Has colors that convey autumn. — Looks good with your decor and china. — Doesn’t take up too much table space. — Is simple to assemble and can be done days ahead. — Is [...]
When the current issue of The American Gardener from the American Horticultural Society arrived I immediately read about my friend Neil Diboll of Prairie Nursery fame and saw the You Tube interview. And then a nice story by Duncan Brine about naturalistic gardening. With apologies to fellow GG Wild blogger Debra Lee Baldwin, I did [...]
Face pots straddle the line between whimsy and kitsch. I photographed these while working on my last book, Succulent Container Gardens. Two made it into it. So what do you think? Any of these that you would want in your own garden…or that you particularly like or dislike? A hippo’s headress is Kalanchoe beharensis ‘Fang’ and graptopetalums. String of pearls [...]