Succulents and More™

The New Year is still shiny and sparkly, so I want to focus on the good things going on in the garden right now. Soon the new will have worn off and there’ll be plenty of opportunity to go into problem areas. But not yet! This post is short on text. I’ll let the pictures do the talking. Aloe lukeana #1, dark orange flowers Aloe lukeana #1, dark orange flowers Aloe lukeana #2, light orange flowers. Both plants are about the same size and essentially look the same, but I prefer the darker flowers of #1. The most recent addition to the garden, Lophocereus schottii ‘Woolly Rhino’. The spines are more like coarse bristles, not very sharp. Over the years, quite a few people have asked me what these “flowers” are growing between the ocotillo canes. They’re actually metal tumbleweed stakes by Omar Wysong/Topanga Patina Arts. One of two Corten bowls with dudleyas. Last summer was hard on dudleyas, but the ones that survived are doing well, now that the winter rains have returned. A very whi...

Last March, my buddy Kyle helped me put together a 7 × 8 ft. greenhouse manufactured by a Canadian company called Yardistry . Made of solid cedar and UV-resistant polycarbonate panels, it’s so well built that it’ll probably outlast me. Back of the greenhouse Some of you have asked for an update, now that I’ve been using it for 10 months. I’m happy to oblige. Front If I had to rate my greenhouse on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give it a solid 8. There are two things I wish were different: The greenhouse comes with lower and upper shelves on two sides. I wish it also had shelves on the third side (on the left in the photo below). I added a metal rack that matches the lower shelves in height and am considering adding an upper shelf as well. The polycarbonate panels only go down to the lower shelf. I wish they went all the way to the ground so plants under the lower shelf received sufficient light. As it is, the area under the lower shelf is only good for storage. (OK, storage is important, too...