~Sunday, October 21, 2012
In the past, I’ve spoken about
my mother’s passion for her garden. In
my book, You
Never Grow Old at the Dinner Table, I tell the story of her amazing
cactus garden that has been 50 years in the making.
When I first bought my own home
eleven years ago, I couldn’t wait to apply my color “know how” in creating a
spectacular garden as well; however, I didn’t fully realize the task at
hand. Thankfully, before I completely
did away with the "old” to bring in my new
perfect picture, I listened to my mom’s insistence on leaving the low
maintenance plants intact. Yet, my eyes
were always bigger than my planter space and I went completely crazy at the
nursery—petunias, rose bushes, marigolds,
and more! There was one major oversight in my grandiose plan: I already had a full-time job.
It took about three years, (and
many mornings of setting my alarm clock to get up to plant petunias before work
in the morning!), before I grew to appreciate my mom’s love for succulents and
cacti. I found that they not only came
in a wide range of shapes and sizes, but both of these plant families were
known for their incredible water retention, which basically translated to LOW
MAINTENANCE: Planning a two week vacation?—roll up the garden hose, lock up the
house, and take off! Your plants will be
just as you left them upon your return.
I also used to think I needed a Spanish house to landscape these “spiny friends” with; however, if
you use enough succulents as ornamental accents to surround your cactus, you’ll
be surprised how they will soften the tone.
Many of my succulents are in decorative pots, and hanging in different
colored ceramic containers to add extra pizzazz (my pictures should help you
with ideas). The last important detail I want to share is almost all of my
succulents were planted as cuttings from my mom’s garden, which I will share
the “how to” details in a future blog!
For now just have fun visiting your local nursery, (perhaps one that
specializes in cacti and succulents-which will have a larger selection to
choose from), and bring home a new “friend.”
