Succulent garden design is appropriate for warm, temperate, and even cold season locations. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to have a succulent garden outside in cold climates, but you can grow them indoors in containers.
Learn a little about how to plan a succulent outdoor garden and bring some fun shapes and textures to your landscape.
Garden Design
Succulents are generally drought-tolerant plants that have thick leaves where they store moisture. Although they tolerate dry conditions, succulents need water, especially during the growing season.
Succulent garden design should consider the location, soil type, configuration, moisture level, and plant types. Some succulents are more drought-tolerant than others. Research the wide variety of succulent shapes and sizes before starting a succulent garden outside.
For instance, cacti are succulents and hold water in their stems and pads. Other succulents are not spiny but have swollen leaves with many growth habits. There are spreading or drooping types, such as Sedum morganianum, broad spiky plants like Agave, or tall columned varieties, such as Cephalocereus senilis. Plan the design with enough space for the plants to fill in as they grow.
Plant Selection
Growing a succulent garden outside starts with plant choices. If you are a novice, begin with easy and foolproof plants. For example, Sedum and Sempervivum are easy to grow and adaptable to bright, sunny locations or even slightly dappled areas.
Whatever types of plants you choose, succulents need well-drained soil. They can thrive in cracks, crevasses, rockeries, and sandy or gritty soils. Succulents in cool-season areas will do best in containers that can be brought indoors for the winter.
Try some Kalanchoe, Aloe, Echeveria, and Aeonium. Have fun with the unique sizes, shapes, and textures of these plants. Use succulents outdoors as part of the garden's xeriscape area to conserve water and provide interest and color.
Planning Your Garden
When you have chosen your plants and are ready for planting, you must know how to plan a succulent outdoor garden. First, choose a sunny location and plot the space you want to fill.
Check the soil conditions and drainage by digging a hole at least 1 foot (30 cm) deep and filling it with water. The soil is sufficiently porous if the water drains within a half hour. If not, mix in 3 inches (7.5 cm) of sand or other gritty material to increase the texture and drainage.
Use taller specimens at the center of the area and spreading species at the edges or dotted among the larger plants as ground cover.
Top the area with a layer of pebbles or small rocks to act as mulch. This will help prevent weeds and conserve moisture while allowing excess water evaporation.
Garden Care
Succulents tolerate periods of dryness but should receive regular water during the growing season. When the soil is dry a couple of inches down, water deeply and then let the soil dry out again between waterings.
The most common problem with succulents is rot. Keeping the stems out of the soil and providing drying periods between irrigation will help prevent this. Water from the plant's base to keep leaves dry.
Watch for insect pests and combat them with water sprays and horticultural soap spray.
Remove dead stems and offsets during the care of succulent garden plants. Offsets are easy to start as a completely new plant. Put them in a well-drained potting mix and care for them until their roots are full and healthy, then plant them in a new garden area.
Source: gardeningknowhow.com
Links
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus