Contain Yourself

If you’re able to somehow over-winter tender plants like agave & sedum – DO IT.😉😘 Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor' gains mass each year kept bone dry in a lightly heated cold frame from November to March. The acid yellow margins on the leaves of this collectible Mexican agave make it the undisputed star of every container it lives in. (He don’t play.) Classic urns like this should be planted asymmetrically so that they’re interesting from every angle – but also to mess with their inherent formality. Notice how the agave & unbelievably funky Golden Monkey Tail Cactus (Cleistocactus winteri) are off to one side? These pieces – a seasonal installation for a distinguished client & friend – prove that like fine wine, planted urns get better over time.⏳ The goal with containers in our Zone 5 is to compose tight compositions that are spilling/bursting/glowing by the end of July. Always group plants with the same needs together, but vary the texture. We’re on our way…

Wondering which of your indoor plants can go outside first? Trust your succulents to brave the cool evening temperatures of May.🥶 Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (commonly referred to as ‘Flapjack’) requires gritty, fast-draining soil & strong direct sun. It comes from the grasslands of southern Africa after all. Stress it out this summer (little water & hot direct sun) to make the leaf edges turn bright red.☀️🔥❤️

This morning’s flurries gave me winter flashbacks - & reminded me of this batch of Mammillaria gracilis.❄️❄️❄️ Made as door prizes for a recent work event, this cute mutation with shorter thicker white spines called ‘Arizona Snowcap’ looks like a pile of snowballs.
(Remember when kids were allowed to have snowball fights?😆) Drop your fave Gen X term/phrase in the comments below.⬇️⬇️⬇️

Welcoming spring with a blast of Aeonium ‘Medusa’, showing
off it’s long-lasting leaves in happy hues of violet, coral & lime.💜🩷💚 (No these are not the flowers.) Footed blue pots in sky blue glaze make the perfect home for my nifty telescopic sea flowers. The colour actually intensifies in cool weather! Aeonium (from the Canary islands) love full sun & little water. They are super easy to propagate from stem cuttings (or snappings☺️) & attract attention as the focal point of any container planting.

😁😁😁Happy Succulent Sunday!😁😁😁
(Monadenium ritchiei variegata)

Anyone in the mood for a slice of echeveria pizza?🍕 What do you do to distract yourself from the bleak & hostile snowscape?🥶

Can’t wait to wheel Rosa’s urn to its outdoor position in 54 days!☀️ This is hands down the heaviest of all my outdoor planters. In winter it’s kept in a cold-frame where it stops growing as it experiences dry, cool, winter rest. Like all of us I guess.🥶 Agave 'Kissho Kan' is usually solitary but this guy produces lots of off-sets (pups) which I separate & plant in other containers. A Japanese cultivar with creamy white margins, the leaves are soft & rigid, with sharp cinnamon teeth.

Always good to look back at what you did right & what you did wrong.😳

What are your plant goals for 2026?🤔

"The windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason." - Jelly Roll😎