Strolling the Succulent Alley

  A small strip of patio that becomes less passable as the season wears on is home to the cluster of succulent pots , many of the specimens having become de facto  bonsai as they require a move indoors over the winter, and the containers  must be small enough to remain portable. I pine for a  for a greenhouse .

 I have always possessed a modest collection , going back far enough to remember when it was not easy to find a nice selection in a garden center, and there was often travel involved to locate new plants. I've been to more than one little mom and pop cactus nursery with inconsistent labeling , presided over by passionate collectors who had no interest in a 'real' job, and managed to eke out a living propagating and selling oddities that only a small percentage of the plant buying public had an interest in. I always suspected they might have 'other crops' on the side to prop up the revenue stream.

 Many years ago, I moved from USDA10 to USDA9 , and brought the cactus and succulents with me. One zone seems a small matter, but that first  winter in my ignorance I lost many prized plants , and no longer worked in an industry that facilitated their easy replacement. The difference between 50 degree nights and 30 degree nights is vast, especially if you're an Aeonium.

 There is other stuff in the Succulent Alley.. this year it's the Coleus , most from Rosy Dawn . I love the way their lush electric colors meld with the laid back succulents.