2016 Succulent Extravaganza plant porn (2 of 2)

Continuing my coverage of the 2016 Succulent Extravaganza at Succulent Gardens in Castroville, CA. If you haven’t seen part 1 yet, it’s here.

Saturday, September 24 was a hot day for Castroville. The afternoon high was 86°F, a good 10 degrees above the historical average. Inside the retail greenhouse, I’m sure it was in the low 90s. Usually people seem to focus on the plants. This year I heard a lot of complaints about the weather. California, what can I say!

By noon, I was beginning to feel hot as well but I forced myself to soldier on for the sake of my blog and you, my intrepid readers. Fortunately, that was not a difficult thing to do, considering how many stunning plants there are. No matter where you look, there’s something to ooh and aah over.

The aeonium equivalent of “Ebony and Ivory”

Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ and Aloe cameronii

Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ and Aloe broomii

Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ and Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga

Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’

Dudleya pulverulenta

Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ and (possibly) Aloe vaombe

Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’

Agave attenuata and Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’

Aeonium ‘Sunset’ (flowers and a rosette with virtually no green)

Not a great shot but it shows you the large clumps of aeoniums (and aloes) where many of the photos above were taken

Agave ‘Kissho Kan’

Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’, a much sought-after cultivar where the leaf tips turn a very dark purple in strong sunlight

Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’

Another Aloidendron ‘Hercules’

Another Agave attenuata ‘Boutin Blue’

Plectranthus, most likely P. neochilus, unfortunately only hardy to 32°F

This bed of Agave ‘Blue Flame’ (top) and Agave ‘Blue Glow’ (bottom) continues to delight year after year

Agave attenuata for instant impact in your garden!

Trunks of an Aloidendron ‘Hercules’ trio

Aloidendron ‘Hercules’ trio with ornamental grass at its autumn best

Aloe distans

This planting replaces the Succulent Wave installation by Steven Sutherland (see this 2014 post). It consists of six succulent species from North America (four dudleyas and two sedums) as well as four from South Africa (two cotyledons and one crassula). The rock placement is pretty fantastic, too.

For me, the standout plant in this area—and of the entire Extravaganza!—was this Cotyledon undulatum ‘Clam Shell’

I had never head of Cotyledon undulatum ‘Clam Shell’ before, but it’s appropriately named. Unfortunately, Succulent Gardens didn’t have any for sale.

Dudleya lanceolata

Dudleya nestled between two rocks. Based on the species list posted, I think this is Dudleya brittonii × cymosa.

Possibly Dudleya brittonii × cymosa

Growing area behind the greenhouses. Very few people ventured back here although the area is not off limits.

Aeonium sp.

Agave montana and Kumara plicatilis

Aloe sp.

Boxed aloes, possibly Aloe thraskii

In-ground plantings and potted sale plants mixing it up outside the retail greenhouse

Not my style, but a great contrast to the potted succulents

Look at that massive ruffled echeveria!

Succulent treasure chest

Echeveria elegans ‘Mexican Snowball’ growing out of a rock wall

Does this succulent shopping cart qualify as shabby chic?

People seem to love or hate these ruffled, caruncled echeverias. In previous years I wouldn’t have touched them with the proverbial 10-foot pole but I feel my resistance slipping…

Mature fan aloe (Kumara plicatilis)

The inside of the retail greenhouse was quite toasty thanks to a surprise heat wave. I must admit I didn’t spend as much time in there as I usually do. But I was happy to see that the checkout lines were long. I hope this translated into good sales for Succulent Gardens. After all, the more successful they are as a business, the more likely it is that they will continue the Extravaganza tradition.

Agave attenuata

Cactus galore

Agave ‘Blue Glow’

Aloe barbadensis, the real aloe vera (hence the red cross sign)

This stopped people in their tracks: Agave attenuata ‘Boutin Blue’ and Cistanthe grandiflora

Same from the other side

Just to give you an idea how tall some of these aloes are

I overheard a lot of people talking about these moss containers. An intriguing idea. While I don’t typically associate moss with succulents, or vice versa, I see how this could work.

Several Succulent Extravaganzas have had a signature piece that had people talking. Remember the succulent globe from the 2013 Extravaganza? This year it was this new living mural:

Many people were taking pictures in front of it—of friends or family or, even more frequently, of themselves. I skipped the selfies but took a few snaps of others, including friends and fellow succulent fanatics Deana Rae McMillion and Laura Balaoro:

Deana Rae McMillion and Laura Balaoro

Deana proudly wearing her succulent-decorated hat at Debra Lee Baldwin’s presentation on bullet-proof succulents

And my friend Noreen Fenton snapped one of me and Candy ‘Sweetstuff’s Sassy Succulents’ Suter:

Gerhard and Candy

Expert presentations are a big part of each Succulent Extravaganza. Each day (Friday and Saturday) features five or six talks. Some are held in the speaker tent, others are walks around the growing grounds and demonstration gardens. The 2016 schedule is here if you want to take a look.

I had time for only two presentations on Saturday: Bulletproof & Beautiful Succulents for your Garden by Debra Lee Baldwin (she needs no introduction) and Companion Plants for Succulents by Ryan Penn, horticulturist at the Ruth Bancroft Garden. Ryan focused heavily on California natives as well as Australian plants—one of my current obsessions. Yes, they do complement succulents phenomenally well.

Debra Lee Baldwin holding an Echeveria ‘Mahogany’

Ryan Penn with a Banksia blechnifolia

Since I had a 2½ hour drive ahead of me (which, as bad luck would have it, stretched to over 3 because of horrendous traffic), I decided to leave right after Ryan’s presentation ended at 2:30 pm. But before I headed to the parking lot, I snapped a few last photos of the plantings along the road.

An entire row of agaves in bloom along Elkhorn Road. The flower stalk on Agave ‘Mr. Ripple’ is particularly tall and stout.

Agave parryi var. truncata

Agaves along Amaral Road: Agave montana, Agave colorata, Agave guadalajarana, Agave ‘Blue Flame’

Agave guadalajarana, Agave attenuata ‘Kara’s Stripe’

Bye, Succulent Gardens. See you in September 2017!

RELATED POSTS:

All Succulent Extravaganza posts