GROWING SUCCULENTS IN A CONSERVATORY

While I am creating posts about the range of Sempervivum which I have just bought to grow outdoors in a terracotta pot in my garden, it made me think of the shallow dish of succulents I grew many years ago in a home of mine that had a conservatory.  While some might not think them very exciting, I thought they looked splendid on the table in the corner and they never gave a minute's trouble.  Every year or so I would repot the dish with 'cuttings' when the plants outgrew their space.  Most propagate so easily.  I'd just break a piece off when the dish was starting to get a bit full, stick the base of the piece into the grit and leave it until it formed a root. 

 

I'm sorry that I cannot remember all the names of the plants above.  The one in the centre of the dish is a Partridge Aloe: Aloe variegata, which is so slow growing I never had to replace it.  The dark one on the right might be a Jade Plant: Crassula ovata.  I think the ones hanging over the edge of the dish are types of sedum.



The following is an excellent website to visit if you are interested in succulents: Succulent Plant.com - Gallery of Succulent Plants.  I've never seen so many images of succulents on one page, you can scroll down forever!  Amazing. 



I have to say that I'm not overly fond of cacti.  While they look rather splendid they are absolute beggars to try and repot or deal with.  Ever been spiked by one?  I did grow the cacti 'Opuntia Microdasys' or Bunny's ears at one time but I think I overwatered it and it started to rot.  Even those innocuous looking cacti have little hairs that can embed themselves in your skin and irritate.  Not for me.  I shall stick to the fleshy succulents that don't spike the hand that feeds them.