Coral Aloe at UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
Recently, I made several "field trips" that heightened my awareness of just how useful, gorgeous and interesting most succulents are. The first was a tour of private gardens in Berkeley and other East Bay neighborhoods. All were planned, some by big-name designers, with water conservation in mind, and all used succulents with abandon. The gardens were inspiring in their variety, with the succulents supplying vivid color, form and texture. Though many of the succulents were in bloom, it was primarily their bold leaves, in many bright colors and forms, that gave the gardens their appeal. I came away totally inspired to use more succulents in my own garden.
Agave attenuata at Koko Crater Botanical Garden
Soon afterward, I paid a visit to the growing grounds of Succulent Gardens in Castroville. You may have visited their retail shop in the Barnyard, at the mouth of Carmel Valley. If so, you know that it is filled with fascinating succulent plants and plant-related materials, such as pots and garden art, all arranged so that the customer is invited to explore and develop ideas for his or her own garden.
But as it happens, the growing grounds are even more a plantaholic's delight. More than an acre of covered space is filled with more than 400 varieties of succulents, plus another half-acre outside. I had not realized that the growing grounds are also open to the public. In fact, they not only welcome retail customers but are closer than the Carmel store to those of us who live at the north end of the Bay.
Succulent Gardens was featured in the August 2006 Sunset Magazine. Robin Stockwell, the owner and manager, reminded me that his plants also filled the Best of Show display garden this year at the San Francisco Flower Show. He has not only some extremely rare plants, but also many large mature specimens for those looking for plants worthy of using as focal points. Or for those who must have instant gratification.
Robin chose the site of his growing grounds because he knew that the climate is ideal for raising his plants without heated greenhouses. When asked about any injuries sustained in the cold spell this past winter, he said that most succulents are actually quite hardy, and that only about 1 percent of his stock received noticeable damage from our winter spell of freezing temps. Most need sun but many are also tolerant of bright shade. There are succulents appropriate for just about any situation a local gardener might have, except for those with poorly drained soil.
Some of the lovely plants available at the growing grounds include the hard-to-find Aeonium tabulaeforme [dinner plate succulent] with its fringed leaf tips and unusual flat growth pattern to 18 inches across, and Echeveria "Afterglow" with pinkish-lavender leaves that have a brighter pink edging, to about 16 inches. A paradise for succulent lovers, the growing grounds are at 2133 Elkhorn Road, Castroville. They are open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 632-0482 for details. For both stores, visit www.sgplants.com for detailed information. Robin will happily answer questions and then wax poetic about the finer points of his favorite plants, the versatile succulents.
Echeveria 'Lola'
-Sharon Hull
