Succulents and More™

A crevice garden is a unique style of rock garden designed to mimic the conditions where plants grow in the cracks of natural rock formations, for example in alpine, desert, or cliff environments. Flat slabs of rock are set vertically, or at a slight angle, with narrow gaps (crevices) between them. This vertical placement creates a unique microclimate that is highly beneficial for plants that don’t like to be wet for long durations. The narrow crevices are filled with a lean, gritty, or sandy soil mix, which drains exceptionally well, keeping the plant’s crown dry. The rocks channel water deep down, encouraging roots to grow long and deep into the cooler, more consistently moist soil below. This helps protect them from surface drought and fluctuating temperatures. Compared to traditional rock gardens, crevice gardens offer better water conservation, lower maintenance once established, and a more effective way to cultivate difficult-to-grow, moisture-sensitive alpine species. Plants sui...

For a while now, I’ve been noticing that the succulents in this planter are losing leaves at an alarming rate: What used to be a relatively lush grouping of sedums, aeoniums, and friends has become a place of sadness: My once proud Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ reduced to nubbins: I’d been putting the blame on rats because, well, because they’re my go-to scapegoats and always up to no good. But I was wrong. I finally caught the culprit in the act: Here it is, merrily chewing on a Senecio ‘Skyscraper’: It stopped momentarily when it saw me, but then it continued nibbling with no care in the world. Only when I got to within three feet did it scamper away. Here’s what’s left of Senecio ‘Skyscraper’: None of the succulents in this planter are irreplaceable so I’m letting the squirrels do their thing. I figure they need to fatten up now in preparation for winter. And I won’t apologize to the rats — I’m sure they’re responsible for something . © Gerhard Bock, 2025. All rights reserved. To receive a...

Yucca rostrata , or the beaked yucca as they call it in its native Texas, is one of my favorite large landscape succulents. It’s easy to see why: Yucca rostrata at Tucson Botanical Garden Its thick trunk topped with one or more perfectly symmetrical pom-poms of silvery blue leaves makes it a stunning focal point. In addition, it’s super tough: It can withstand intense summer heat and survive temperatures as low as 0°F. Yucca rostrata at the Ruth Bancroft Garden (December 2021) Mature Yucca rostrata at Poots Cactus Nursery John Kuzma’s and Kathleen Halme’s garden in Portland Even smaller specimens with little visible trunk are highly architectural, as seen here in a commercial landscape in Irvine, California The only maddening thing about Yucca rostrata is its speed of growth. Or rather, lack of it. Even under ideal conditions — lots of heat and regular summer water — it takes 10+ years for it to reach its mature height of 10-15 feet. This also means that larger, more mature specim...