Time to spruce up your succulent plants

Long dry spells experienced in the country’s climatic cycle need not be an excuse for not having vegetation in your garden.

There are a variety of cactus and succulent plants that can give ornamental value to your garden no matter the season. These plants show many adaptations for desert-like climate and can be blended in a garden setting to give a captivating view for any visitor.

The following are examples:

Agave
At first glance, you probably would not call agave plants rosettes as many of the common ones we see in the country are spiny succulents with leaves that jut out in often dangerous spikes.
There are lots of varieties in the agave genus including the large, stiff specimens that can grow to 20 feet in diameter. There are also small dish-sized agaves and agave plants with soft leaves and no spines. The small varieties are a perfect choice for indoor or outdoor container gardening. Most have leaves that end in a sharp point.
One large agave is all that is needed to make a sculptural focal point in the garden. Just make sure there is plenty of room to walk around it, so no one gets pricked.
They can also make nice border grouping, either by planting several of the same species or a tapestry of different varieties. They are textural and sculptural and make a vivid contract with other plants. Pairing them with ornamental grasses softens their hard edges.
In warm climates, agave are popular around pools and patios. Their leaves don’t brown and drop frequently and they stay attractive all year.

Crassula

Many of its species used in gardening are originally from South Africa and grow in sunny, dry areas. The plants are propagated by cuttings and leaf cuttings.

A little water every few days can harm the plants as this is not good for its shape. This is because the plant will grow too fast thus lose its beauty.  When the soil is too wet, there is also the possibility that the roots will rot.

Since the plant can do without water for weeks, ensure that the soil is soaked with water completely and then let it drain till all of it is gone.

Sedums

If you are looking for a beautiful plant that thrives even with virtual neglect, a creeping sedum just might fit the bill. Sedums strut their stuff where many other plants dare not venture.

They make themselves at home, for example, in the cracks of a garden wall or walkway, on roofs or the tops of gently sloping birdhouses, or even under massive trees where enormous roots monopolse most of the soil’s moisture. They also perform well in rock gardens, borders, and containers.

Creeping sedums, also commonly known as stonecrops, offer unending interest throughout the garden. They are among the most versatile, drought-tolerant, and easy-to-grow perennials a gardener can cultivate. As long as they’re not over-watered, they rarely suffer from any diseases or pests.

Cactus
These plants are able to adopt to harsh weather conditions and to conserve water with most of the species losing their leaves and only retaining their spines which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending the plants against grazing herbivores, the spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade.

Propagating the plants is easy. In most cases, you will get faster and more predictable results taking cuttings than you would planting seeds. It takes four to six weeks for the cuttings to root.

It is more common to propagate cactus indoors as here, the weather conditions can easily be managed and controlled than in an outdoor setting.

Aloe succulent plant

These are closely related to the cactus as far as the leaves structure is concerned. Aloe vera which has been widely grown as an ornamental plant has many aliases including the Miracle Plant, the Medicine Plant and the Burn Plant.

The plant has a clear gel inside the leaves that is used for a multitude of purposes and it is easy to grow. Its reputation for healing, soothing and rejuvenating is evident in the many products now on the market.

The species is popular with modern gardeners as a putatively medicinal plant and for its interesting flowers, form, and succulence. The clear gel inside the leaves can be applied directly to the skin, which explains why more people are opting to grow it in their gardens or potted plants.

You can either grow the plants indoors or outdoors where they can be watered only when it is dry. Like the cactus, succulents don’t like to have a lot of water