Succulents and sedums

As Seattle summers seem to grow hotter and dryer, I like growing these plants in pots. And the sedum breeders are smart by creating all sorts of beautiful varieties, and then giving them cute names that appeal to impulse shoppers like me. Last summer I bought "Pork n' Beans" and "Frodo" at the West Seattle Nursery. "Frodo" barely escaped our harsh winter with his life, and was clinging by a thread when I re-potted him in March. After that he was almost finished off by a squirrel but made a remarkable comeback from a teeny, tiny nub. "Pork n' Beans" spent the winter in the kitchen greenhouse window and is outside again. I don't have an outdoor greenhouse so lose a few every winter, but most are surprising resilient. The pots look ratty and dead by February when I pull them apart and replant with fresh potting soil and a big dose of fertilizer. It is a day of dirty, cold work which puts me in a bad mood-- but after that they just take off for another year.

What I like best about succulents is their lovely quality of filling the shape of whatever you plant them in-- old pots, baskets, boots, whatever! I used to have a beautiful living wreath of succluents, but the squirrels ripped it apart don't ask me why.

And I'm not naming any names, but in my family I've heard "Hens n' Chicks" unkindly referred to as "old lady plants." But they are easy to propagate, and I love sharing them with other succulent lovers like Amanda.