Spring Plants

Gearing up for Spring and here is the one plant I cannot kill…

I love seeing the grass start to green-up and plants starting to bud, flower bulbs emerging and shrubs start to bud.  It’s just nice to see the sun shining!   Now, if Mother Nature would only stop with the snow and freezing rain on the weekends.   

I try to grow some plants in-doors year round to provide texture, color, and to remind of us spring and summer.  However, I really suck of keeping them alive.  I have managed to kill off multiple rosemary and lavender plants, which makes me pretty sad.

So, one plant that I can keep alive is a succulent!  Thank god, they are hardly, easy to care for and tolerant for most environments (like me forgetting to water them for weeks at a time).  I was drawn to succulent plants about a year ago due texture and color of the plants.  Plus, I had heard they were easy to keep alive.  I have managed to keep a number of them alive well over a year.  And I have added to my collection of succulents. 

The most common varieties of succulents include Echeveria, Graptopetalum, Crassula Ovata, and Sempervivum (otherwise known as hens and chicks).  Other really popular succulents include air plants and cactus.  They are also very easy to transplant as well. 

I purchase cactus potting soil but any well-draining potting soil is good.  I will also add gravel or small rocks to the bottom of the pot to help with drainage, then add the dirt on-top of the rocks.  However, you can plant or pot succulents in pots and jars (and lots of objects like tea cups, terrariums, etc.) that don’t have drainage.  The key to keeping the plants healthy in these types of containers is not to over-water the plants.  If the plants sit in water or their roots, they can mold.

Succulents like sunshine but not super harsh light.  But they are very adaptive to their environments and will grow towards light, like most other plants.

These little plants are fun and easy to grow and add elements of color (shades of green, blue, pink) and texture to any room.  If I can keep them alive, anyone can.