In The Dish

Last December, I did something nice for a friend (can't even remember what it was).  I came home one day, and on my doorstep was a box which held this planter containing a variety of succulent plants, including a couple of small cactus.  It was from my friend, Denise, who made the arrangement herself, including the dish which is a broken kitchen light fixture to thank me! (The extra is a top down shot of the entire thing.)

I never had an indoor succulent arrangement so I needed to learn how to take care of it. So I did some research and this was what I found:

Succulents are booming in popularity for two simple reasons - they are beautiful and nearly indestructible. Even I haven't found a way yet.  (Not for my bamboo, either!!)

Technically, a succulent is any plant with thick, fleshy (succulent) water storage organs. Succulents store water in their leaves, their stems or their roots, which are close to the surface.  These plants have adapted to survive arid conditions throughout the world, from Africa to the deserts of North America. Fortunately for us, this adaptive mechanism has resulted in an incredible variety of interesting leaf forms and plant shapes, including paddle leaves, tight rosettes, and bushy or trailing columns of teardrop leaves. Succulents make excellent display plants in dish gardens.

No matter what kind of succulent you're growing, the rules are pretty similar between the different species. Here are the general rules for growing top-quality succulents:

Light:
Succulents prefer bright light (but be careful about direct sunlight because of possible burning), such as found on a south-facing window.  Many kinds of succulents will thrive outdoors in the summer. (Mine is a little underlit but I have no better place to put it.)

Temperature:
Succulents are much more cold-tolerant than many people assume. As in the desert, where there is often a marked contrast between night and day, succulents thrive in colder nights, down to even 40º/4º. Ideally, succulents prefer daytime temperatures between 70º/21º and about 85º/29º and nighttime temperatures between 50º/10º and 55º/13º.

Water:
Succulents should be watered generously in the summer. The potting mix should be allowed to dry between waterings, but do not underwater. During the winter, when the plants go dormant, cut watering back to once every other month.