Succulicious Foliage Follow-Up

April 16, 2016


I get succulent fever every time I see a display like this. A luscious succulent fountain dripping with string-of-pearls senecio — what better way to introduce a “watery” feature into your garden without using much actual H2O?


Let’s take a little field trip to Hill Country Water Gardens & Nursery this Foliage Follow-Up and bask in the succulent goodness.


They’re like candy, aren’t they? HCWG really has a flair for displaying their plants and pots. I wanted one of each…but resisted, as I have cuttings of my own to use right now.


Back at home, this image may be a bit of a cheat for Foliage Follow-Up because the soaring bloom stalk of Moby, my whale’s tongue agave (A. ovatifolia), is all you notice right now. That giant asparagus spear will eventually support a candelabra of flowers at its tip, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. For a little while longer, though, Moby is still the best-looking foliage plant in my garden.

This is my April post for Foliage Follow-Up. Fellow bloggers, what leafy loveliness is going on in your garden this month? Please join me in giving foliage its due on the day after Bloom Day. Leave a link to your post in a comment below. I’d appreciate it if you’ll also link to my post in your own — sharing link love! If you can’t post so soon after Bloom Day, no worries. Just leave your link when you get to it. I look forward to seeing your foliage faves.

I welcome your comments! If you’re reading this in an email, click here to visit Digging and find the comment link at the end of each post.

_______________________

Digging Deeper: News and Upcoming Events

Come see me at Festival of Flowers in San Antonio, May 28, time TBA. Learn more about water-saving gardening during my talk at San Antonio’s 19th annual Festival of Flowers. Get a signed copy of my book after the talk. Tickets to the all-day festival, which includes a plant sale and exchange, speakers, and a flower show, are available at the door: $6 adults; children under 10 free. Free parking.

Do you review? Have you read my new book, The Water-Saving Garden? If you found it helpful or inspirational, please consider leaving a review — even just a sentence or two — on Amazon, Goodreads, or other sites. Online reviews are crucial in getting a book noticed. I really appreciate your help!

I’m on Instagram as pamdigging. See you there!

All material © 2006-2016 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

36 responses to “Succulicious Foliage Follow-Up”

  1. I always crave those succulents. They don’t get to looking so great here. They don’t overwinter here very good. I don’t have enough light for them. Moby is looking quite spectacular with that huge asparagus stalk.

  2. I think all your ideas for water features without water or just a bit of water are one of the best parts of your book. It’s full of brilliant ideas like this one with succulents and I will say my low bowl of water is almost as satisfying as our pond. Some favorite foliage plants are coming up in my garden and our very warm weather for the next few days will really jump start things up here.

  3. Kris P says:

    I’m going to miss Moby! I hope you have Moby 2 in training somewhere – he’ll have big footsteps to fill. I’m afraid I’ve used this month’s foliage follow-up as a part of a therapeutic process to talk myself off the ceiling (i.e, a rant). Here’s my post: http://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2016/04/whats-garden-without-trees.html

    Thanks for hosting, Pam.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      I have a Moby 2 in mind, Kris, but since I’m not sure how long Moby #1 will last, I’m holding off for now.

      I just read your post, and I have to say, if this is the same neighbor who accosted me when I was leaving your house last fall, she’s a piece of work. I’m glad you’re holding firm this time. Good luck! —Pam

      • Kris P says:

        I didn’t know you had an interaction with one of my neighbors, Pam. If she was very short and getting on in years, it could be the same person but, if she’s bothering my visitors now, that’s a new low.

        • Pam/Digging says:

          Yes, I’m sure it was her. When D. and I were in our car after visiting your garden, preparing to leave but checking the map on my phone, she accosted us, knocking on the car window and asking, “Can I help you?” There was no mistaking her meaning, which wasn’t helpful but rather, “What are you doing here, parked on my street?” I simply replied, “No,” to her “offer,” but D. is nicer than I am and explained that we were just leaving. 🙂 —Pam

  4. Evan says:

    That succulent fountain is gorgeous! If I could grow succulents like that year-round here, I’d be tempted to do something similar. Perhaps sempervivums, sedums, and hardy ice plants could produce a similar effect…

    My mind went straight to a bad, dirty pun regarding Moby, which I won’t share here out of respect for a beloved plant that is putting on one last impressive show. I hope you have a Moby 2 waiting in the wings.

    I’ve caught spring exhuberance bad, and struggled to hold back on my foliage follow-up post: http://practicalplantgeek.blogspot.com/2016/04/foliage-follow-up-april-2016.html

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Oh, believe me, Evan, phallus jokes are all one can think of when faced with an agave flower spike. Regarding succulents, as I mentioned to Lisa above, many are not hardy here either. But we have a long summer, and I think they’re totally worth growing as annuals. —Pam

  5. What an amazing nursery display!

    Today, I’m watching Gunnera leaves push up through their winter protection at a nearby botanical garden here in Stuttgart.

    https://enclosuretakerefuge.com/2016/04/16/gb-foliage-follow-up-for-april/

  6. Oh yes, that’s a special place! I noticed more garden centers up here are offering succulents–many that are cold-hardy and can be left outside, and many that can be overwintered in pots in the garage or a greenhouse or a sunny room. Thanks for hosting, Pam.
    http://plantpostings.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-bright-side-of-yo-yo-spring.html

    • Pam/Digging says:

      That’s how we treat succulents here too, Beth: many must be given winter protection. But they are totally worth that trouble, as they provide 3 seasons of beauty and require very little care. —Pam

  7. Those succulent displays are amazing and I would take those over the fountain anytime! I can grow Hens and Chicks as well as some different looking varieties of Sedum here on Long Island, but not to the degree as seen in your photos. Thanks for sharing and for hosting Foliage Follow-Up. Here is my foliage contribution for this month: http://landscapedesignbylee.blogspot.com/2016/04/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-foliage.html#.VxKnSvkrKUk

    • Pam/Digging says:

      And you don’t need an electrical hookup to have a succulent fountain — one more reason to like it! I really love that photo you shared of the bird in the weeping pussy willow, Lee. Such a perfect spring scene. Only the magnolia blossoms rival it. —Pam

  8. jenn says:

    That candelabra will dry out. You might keep it and wrap it with lights!

  9. Anna K says:

    I bet having Moby bloom will feel a little like having the kids move out of the house. A sense of loss, for sure… That fountain is beautiful! I was just today drooling over one of those bluish Echeverias, but I left it, as I generally don’t have much luck with that sort of thing. I push my shady boundaries enough as it is. I apologize for a recycled combo-post – there is a little bit of both in here: https://flutterandhum.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/blooms-and-foliage-april-2016/

  10. Ray says:

    “They’re like candy, aren’t they?” Why, yes they are!!!! Your photo made them look like a box of assorted chocolates. Which would we pick up first?
    Ray

    • Pam/Digging says:

      I like to take a nibble out of each chocolate just to see, so I guess that means we’re going to need one each of these succulents. —Pam

  11. Jean says:

    Oh my, I would have a hard time passing those up as well! Glad I didn’t venture that far when I was in Austin. The plants at Zilker Garden Fest were hard enough to resist!

  12. Hannah says:

    That succulent fountain is really mouth-watering, Pam, so much dripping variety. I enjoy some of the hardy types of Sedum for ground covers, and my trusty Graptopetalum and Jade plants. I don’t have much success with some of the others. Moby is really a glorious attraction in your garden. I’m concentrating mostly on the spring foliage that abounds, my link is-
    http://weedingonthewildside.blogspot.com/2016/04/foliage-follow-up-april-17-2016.html

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Hannah, that ‘Sister Ghost’ maple you have is stunning. Does it green up in the summer? Thanks for joining in for Foliage Follow-Up! —Pam

  13. Peter/Outlaw says:

    Succulents are so tempting, beautiful, and as you said, like candy! The fact that they’ll grow in just about anything with sufficient drainage and sun is a bonus! My FFU contribution is late this month (sorry) and can be found here: http://outlawgarden.blogspot.com/2016/04/combinations-for-foliage-follow-up.html

  14. Alison says:

    That fountain is spectacular! Sorry I’m so late commenting. It actually posted on the 16th, but I was away on vacation, so it posted automatically, and I never got around to putting in my link to your blog and my comment. Anyway, long story short, here it is: http://bonneylassie.blogspot.com/2016/04/foliage-followup-april-2016.html

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Your last photo made me do a double-take, Alison. That’s an unusual perspective! Thanks for joining in again with your local combos. —Pam

  15. rickii says:

    I keep reading that the succulent “fad” will soon run its course. Never gonna happen, with places like this. I finally got around to posting a FFU: http://bannersbyricki.com/archives/5400