Monroe County Master Gardener Association

Let’s discuss some drought tolerant, interesting and colorful foliage. Ranking on top for this gardener are succulents.

Succulents are easy to grow and propagate. They are often grown for their striking and unusual appearance. They are quite drought resistant. Their leaves and stems are usually thick and fleshy. This aids the plant in retaining water in dry climates. Many do have spectacular blooms and add additional interest beyond their foliage. Let’s take a look at the forms of these interesting plants. Many appear to be artwork and add an interesting architecture into the garden.

In our Michigan climate we are most familiar with the following:
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’

During the summer it gives you an interesting mound of green. Each stem has an open rosette shape making a nice cluster of green. As a bonus in the fall, you get a wonderful cluster of small florets that form a bloom.

It also has great winter interest. The dried blooms pop up through the snow and add an interesting element in the winter garden.

Another great one to grow is Sedum ‘Frosty Morn’. It can get a bit leggy and floppy, so it needs pinched back in early summer. In cooler areas like Michigan it gets a pink bloom. It will be white in hotter climates. It has great variegated foliage when not in bloom.
Enjoy the deep burgundy color of Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’. Although it does have a great blooming quality, I still want to include it for the great colorful wine color.

Sedum has a wide range in colors. The blue and yellow greens are a favorite.

Sempervivum (hens-and-chicks)
This group of succulents typically are found in a low growing rosette form. They carry a wide range of colors and are a great addition to a fairy garden or rock garden.

Below you see them scattered in this camping fair garden. The babies are great for the miniature gardens.


Or at the base of a grass near my pond:
Prickly pear cactus
Another that will grow in our area. I once had this in my garden, but have removed it due to the thorns it develops. It gave interesting form and some structure, but the benefits didn’t outweigh the thorns to me. In spring and summer is would develop a gorgeous yellow bloom however. Sorry, I just don’t have a photo of it any longer. It will spread fairly quickly.
I also use succulents that are not winter hardy. Although they can be costly, you can clean them off in early fall to overwinter in the house. Keep them near a sunny window if possible and don’t overwater. It sometimes can be tricky figuring out where to put them.

I enjoy using these succulents in some unusual ways. Experimenting is part of gardening. Here are some photos of unusual plantings with this succulents.

Yes, I planted them in a pillow. I made a small slit in the pillow to insert a small fabric pouch of soil. They don’t require much soil. I’ve even had success with just the pillow media. They sure added interest and a great conversation piece in the garden.

This is a shadow box frame with soil. Wire, landscape fabric and moss can be added to keep the soil from falling out. Floral pins were used to keep the moss in place. Remember when designing there will be growth. This means you may have to space them accordingly. After determining a pattern (or no pattern) plant them. Cut small openings where you wish to place them. A dowel rod or pencil will help you push the root into the soil below. Now you have some living art. Vertical gardens are one of my favorite things to do. Here is another one planted:

I use a spray bottle to water them. That keeps the frame from getting too wet and falling apart.
Succulents can be planted in some unusual containers. A decorative dress form was used here:

A low container with an added fairy give a nice decorative planting to a table. I included a blue fescue grass and a Heuchera as well. They seem to survive well with a moistened soil.

Here is a wooden container with a variety of succulents incorporated: As you can see I enjoy adding decorative garden items within my plantings.
Succulents can be combined with plants that need higher levels of water. Just add them into a second container. Give the outer section the abundance of water those plants need, while adding less water in the succulent container. You can see the smaller container within the large container separating the wet and drought tolerant plantings.

You may recall the following photo from my coleus posting. The agave thrived very well in this container.

Here’s a closer look at the beautiful rosettes and spiked contrast of the agave. By the end of the season, the agave was so large (about 18”) the pot could no longer handle it. I repotted it into a larger, much heavier container and took it in for the winter. I lost it last year to a freeze. I just didn’t get it inside in time. They grow fast and I will again add it to my garden. Caution, they do have a sharp spine like needle at the end that can do some damage.
Yucca
Yucca is another good container plant. They seem to do well in the microclimate on the north east side of my house. This one has great variegated colors. Notice that the one is different than the other two. At first glance they all appear the same. The two in the foreground have green on the edge of its sword shaped leaves and yellow green centers…the large one in back is reversed in color. They have not bloomed in the containers, however when planted in ground, they often have a tower of bell shaped flowers on a stalk. They can be aggressive and will send out roots that form new plants. The root of the Yucca is edible. According to a few internet sites I visited, it helps with the immune system, cholesterol levels, heart rate, and diabetes. It’s great to hear the benefits of our plants.
There are also some non-winter hardy plants you can use outdoors then transfer indoors.
Bromeliads:

Bromeliads are another interesting drought tolerant plant. When watering you add the water in the base of the plant. It will store the water there until needed. A decorative fish brings out colors in the bromeliads and succulents on a table.
These interesting plants like to be watered in the center. It holds the water there until needed.
Vertical gardening is one of my favorite things to do. I use a product called a wally pocket. It’s made from recycled materials. Here you see them used in a commercial garden wall. The bromeliads are repeated in a pattern. This makes for a stunning art piece. Cost may be prohibitive in doing a project this large, however, a scaled down version can work on a garage or shed wall.
I have a large photo library from botanical gardens visited. There are so many more interesting drought tolerant plant that have great shapes.

I hope you add one or more of these this year to your garden.