There are several elements that make up a well thought out landscape: they include structure, shape, texture, scent, and movement. But for the majority of us home gardeners, the first element we take into consideration when designing our own personal paradise is color. But there are some people who really trust an expert like Drake’s 7 Dees logo to make their garden healthy and beautiful.

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Thanks to renowned garden authors like Penelope Hobhouse, who wrote Color In Your Garden,  Rosemary Verey, author of Making of A Garden, and Christopher Lloyd’s Gardening Year, (just to name a few), I became enthralled with color in the garden when I first became a passionate gardener in the late 80s. Although I had worked with design and colors for several years in other arenas, learning how to use it effectively in the landscape was something all together different.

Below are 12 Tips About Color Design that I’ve learned over the years.

1. Color is one of the easiest ways of setting a tone and expressing your personality in the garden.

2. Before buying, hold plants up against each other at nursery, lay pots out on the ground prior to planting, do the exercise from my book, Digging Deep, called Playing with Flowers, or pick up a slew of paint swatches from a paint store and experiment with different combinations at home.

3. Know the basic principles of color design.

Primary Colors are red, yellow, and blue
Secondary Colors are created by mixing two primary colors together: orange (red and yellow), green (yellow and blue) and purple (red and blue)
Intermediate or Tertiary Colors are colors that are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color, for example, blue-green
Neutral Colors – black, white, and brown

4. Warm vs. Cool Colors

Bright colors (reds, oranges, and yellows) jump out at you and look best when used in a sunny location.

Photo above: a smattering of dark and bright colored tulips at Tennis Court Garden at Chanticleer in Wayne, Pa.

Cool colors (blues, purples, and greens) recede into the background and are most effective when used in a partially shady location or in a climate that experiences a lot of grey skies.

Pale colors, yellows, and whites reflect light and brighten shady spots.

Cool colors and pale shades create a sense of depth in the garden while bright colors make a garden look closer.

Pastels fade in bright sunlight while very warm colors sizzle and come alive.

5. Red infuses a garden with excitement and excitement. Unless creating a ‘hot’ cottage garden, use it sparingly.

Photo Above: Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii, Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ and red poppies in Sorin Garden, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

6. Keep in mind that, like musical notes, how colors are perceived change depending on the context in which they are used.

A color’s intensity will decrease when placed next to a complementary color but will increase when planted next to a contrasting color.

7. When designing a garden, use the same color repeatedly throughout the border to create a cohesive tapestry.

8. Use dark colors sparingly on a light background to create a powerful combination. The opposite is also true: By using a smattering of light colors on a dark background, the intensity of the design will be heightened.

Photo Above: Primula Japonica at Chanticleer Gardens

9. Remember that your color palette changes throughout the season. Be mindful of what plants bloom at the same time to make sure that they work well together.

10. The colors of leaves can make as powerful of a statement as flower blossoms. Include them in the equation when you are deciding what to plant where.

Photo above: Strobilanthes dyerianus (Persian shield), pink salvia, and carex sp. in Sorin Garden, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

11. Don’t think of green as a boring color. You can create an outstanding composition by using silver, light, dark, deep, and chartreuse leaved plants. Keep in mind that the texture of the foliage of the plants has an effect on the design.

*Photo above:  Cotinus coggygria ‘Ancot’ GOLDEN SPIRIT creates a magnificent contrast against the grass.

12. Discard what the doyennes of taste or experts advise when deciding how much and what colors to use in your garden. Follow your instincts and create a color palette that pleases your eye!

Now it’s your turn! Share a color combination that you’ve used in your garden and love.

Please note: A source for some of the information for the above article is from NYBG’S Color Theory In The Garden.

The results of a multitude of research is now showing what gardeners have intrinsically known for generations –

that gardening is good for your health.

Now more than ever, as our culture becomes more technologically obsessed and increasingly nature deprived, this information is critical to digest and embrace. The reason why? Because our country is in a national health crisis with substantial economic and social implications.

Here are some statistics that bear this out:

• The U.S. public spends more than 90% of their time indoors, leading an extremely sedentary, disconnected, unhealthy, and unnatural lifestyle.
• The latest statistics show that 33% of U.S. adults are obese, incurring $148 billion in medical costs annually and contributing to 18% of U.S. adult deaths.
• Publicly available data shows U.S. healthcare costs are the highest per capita in the world—and that amount continues to increase.
• Recent research funded by Disney shows that 65% of U.S. parents see it as a “very serious” problem that their kids are not spending more time outdoors. According to the survey, this is equal or a close second to their concerns about bullying, the quality of education, and obesity. Preschoolers spend about 12 hours a week outside, and by the age of 16, our children are spending less than 7 hours a week in nature.

Ideally, these statistics will put some fire in your belly to spend more time outdoors in nature and gardening. But those of you who may need more hard core facts to help galvanize you to get your hands in the dirt, below are

13 Reasons Why Gardening Is Good For Your Health

1. Gardening can reduce your risk of stroke (along with other activities as jogging and swimming) as reported in “Stroke: Journal of The American Heart Association”.

2. Gardening burns calories. Gardening is considered moderate to high-intensity exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you can burn up to 330 calories during just one hour of light gardening and yard work — more than lifting weights for the same amount of time. The National Institute of Health goes so far as to recommend 30 to 45 minutes of gardening three to five times a week as part of a good strategy. If this is something that interests you and your garden is in need of some TLC, don’t fear! You can buy any appliances and tools you need from somewhere like https://buyersimpact.co.uk.

3. Heavy gardening is not only helpful in weight maintenance but also in reducing the risk of heart disease and other life threatening diseases. Just 30 minutes of moderate-level physical activity a few times a week can prevent and control high blood pressure. In fact, gardening scored a place on the The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute‘s recommendation list for battling high blood pressure.

4. Gardening decreases the likelihood of osteoporosis. When you dig, plant, weed, and engage in repetitive tasks that require strength or stretching, all of the major muscle groups are getting a good work out.

5. Gardening is a stress buster. As a matter of fact, it may be an even more effective stress buster than other leisure activities. In a study in the Netherlands (as reported by CNN), two groups of students were told to either read indoors or garden for thirty minutes AFTER completing a stressful task, while there are great products like the HHC for sale that also help with this. A wide variety of cbd strains canada may also help relieve stress. Alternatively, you may explore organic products from Kratom Earth that offer numerous health benefits including stress-relief.

The group that gardened reported being in a better mood than the group that read. And they also exhibited lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. This links well considering the marijuana plant can be cultivated in your garden with little maintenance, while providing you two compounds that can also decrease stress as well as having many other health benefits, look into getting some cheap CBD thanks to these cbdMD coupons.

6. Being surrounded by flowers improves one’s health. In behavioral research conducted at Rutgers University by Jeanette M. Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., the results showed that flowers are a natural and healthful moderator of moods and have an immediate impact on happiness, a long term positive effects on mood, and make for more intimate connections between individuals

7. Gardening is a way of making meaning out of our lives. Being in the garden and feeling a profound connection to the land affords us the opportunity to focus on beauty and inspires us to experience feelings of awe, gratitude, and abundance. Appliance Hunter has helpful guides on picking the best gardening appliance especially for beginners.

8. The act of gardening enables us to enter the ‘zone’, also known as an altered state of consciousness – similar to what a jogger or one who practices yoga or mediation can experience. This transcendent state is a magical and spiritual place where one experiences the best of who she/he is.

9. It is likely that gardening and flowers serve as a means for survival; or in Darwinian terms, ‘survival of the fittest’. For more than 5000 years, people have cultivated flowers. There must be a reason why this practice continues to exist. As Michael Pollan has written, “It was the flower that first ushered the idea of beauty into the world the moment, long ago, when floral attraction emerged as an evolutionary strategy.”

10. Digging in the soil has actual health and ‘mood boosting’ benefits.

Larry Dossey, M.D. who wrote the new foreword for The New Revised Edition of Digging Deep and author of One Mind: How Our Individual Mind is Part of a Great Consciousness and Why It Matters writes: “The importance of gardening and “digging deep” is written into our physiology. Evidence for what’s called the “hygiene hypotheses” is abundant. Briefly, we know that children who are exposed to dirt in the formative years develop healthier, stronger immune systems when compared to children whose parents keep them squeaky clean, and they have a lower incidence of asthma, eczema and allergies later in life. Exposure to dirt in childhood promotes good health.” 1

Christopher Lowry, Ph.D., an assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has been injecting mice with Mycobacterium vaccae, a harmless bacteria commonly found in soil, and has found that they increase the release and metabolism of serotonin in parts of the brain that control cognitive function and mood — much like serotonin-boosting antidepressant drugs do.

11. Gardening Improves Relationships and Compassion. Research shows that people who spend extended lengths of time around plants tend to have better relationships with others. “This is due to measurable increases in feelings of compassion; another effect of exposure to ornamental plants. Studies have shown that people who spend more time around plants are much more likely to try and help others, and often have more advanced social relationships. People who care for nature are more likely to care for others, reaching out to their peers and forming shared bonds resulting from their common interests. Extended exposure to nature and wildlife increases people’s compassion for each other as it increases people’s compassion for the environment in which they live. In short, being around plants can help to improve relationships between people and increase their concern and empathy toward others.” 2

12. Gardening may lower the risk of dementia. Some research suggests that the physical activity associated with gardening can help lower the risk of developing dementia. Two separate studies that followed people in their 60s and 70s for up to 16 years found, respectively, that those who gardened regularly had a 36% and 47% lower risk of dementia than non-gardeners, even when a range of other health factors were taken into account. The impacts of dementia can be life changing so prevention is very important.

13. Gardening strengthens your immune system. While you’re outdoors basking in the sun, you’ll also soak up plenty of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. In turn, calcium helps keep your bones strong and your immune system healthy, especially when paired with high-quality supplements tailored to your fitness needs.

Some of the material from this article has been sourced from:

1. New Revised Edition, Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening

1. Ellison Chair in International Floriculture

2. The Daily Mail

3. Health.com

Please check out my recently published, New Revised Edition of Digging Deep Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening, which maps out how to get unstuck, awaken your innate creativity through gardening and experience a life of joy, abundance, and well-being.

To sign up for my newsletter, in order to receive inspirational and informational posts on gardening, spirituality, creativity, and well-being, click on: Fran Sorin

As always, if you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends on social media. The more the word gets out about the incredible benefits of gardening, the more positive change will happen. Sharing is a simple yet important act of generosity.

And now it’s your turn. I’d love to hear how gardening has had an impact on your health and well-being. Your thoughts are important to me so please comment!!

With love and blessings, Fran

All of us at GGW want to wish each of you a magnificent and fun holiday season

I am also taking this moment to let you know we are closing up shop at GGW. We’ve had an incredible eleven year run as a group gardening blog. For the past two years though, with my interest no longer solely focused on the gardening world but rather on ensuring that all of humanity gains access to real food on pennies a day through my participation in Peter Diamandis’ Abundance 360 group of entrepreneurs, GGW has been able to maintain a presence through Saxon’s and Debra’s postings.

At this point though, both Debra and Saxon have their own successful blogs and mailing lists so you can keep up with all of their inspirations, thoughts, and awesomeness through their personal websites.

But because we have such a strong and interactive community that it just makes sense to continue sharing thoughts, updates, and happenings on our GGW Facebook page. So please continue responding and questioning anything you want on that page.

To say that we are grateful for the support that you have offered all of us throughout these years would be understatement. It has been a true privilege to participate in such a stellar and responsive gardening community.

I know I speak for Saxon and Debra when I say that we wish all of you blessings, joy, health, and an abundant future.

With much love,

Fran

You’re invited to subscribe to my “Celebrating the Joy of Succulents” newsletter!

You’re invited to subscribe to my “Celebrating the Joy of Succulents” newsletter—a fast-growing community of several thousand subscribers. 

I’m primarily interested in serving a select and savvy group who share my passion for “plants that drink responsibly.” 

Recent “Celebrating the Joy of Succulents” topics include Succulent Windowsill Pots DIY, How Rain Benefits Succulents, How to Grow Succulents Indoors, and The Secret to Happy Succulents. I also take my subscribers on virtual tours of noteworthy gardens I’ve visited, such as Jim Gardner’s Succulent Showplace in Palos Verdes.

If you and “Celebrating the Joy of Succulents” seem a good match, go to https://www.debraleebaldwin.com. At top, type your full name, email, and click “subscribe.” Voila! You’re now a valued member of a vibrant, cutting-edge group of sophisticated, joyful succulent aficionados.

I’ll soon send out my next newsletter. You won’t want to miss it and all the upcoming eye-candy I’m eager to show you!

Joyfully and succulently yours, Debra Lee Baldwin 

Finally!  Hope ! Something we can actually do about climate change.  The Green New Deal is an actual plan.  Read on.

Energy old and new – oil well pumpjack and windmill, Oklahoma

(I hope our readers at Gardening Gone Wild and gardeners everywhere will recognize this is not a political issue and turn your heads and cringe.  This is positive news, gardeners understand the Earth is not going anywhere  – it is us who need to figure out sustainability. – Saxon Holt)

When young activists stormed the Congressional office of Nancy Pelosi last week demanding an environmental plan in the wake of the Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives, I wondered why go after one of the most liberal members of Congress, in the most liberal city in America, in the heart of the environmental movement.

Is there a plan ? Is this just an attention seeking stunt by naive, idealistic newbies to politics ?  Actually no. There is an extraordinarily detailed bold plan: The Green New Deal.  Modeled after the New Deal that pulled us out of the Depression, this new New Deal proposes a massive restructuring of resources and is a real template that reorganizes our jobs and economy around a resilient future.

Old school politicians wake up !  Why delay ANY longer ?  What is it about climate change you do not get ? Urgent action is an understatement.   And let’s no make this a right vs left political issue, there is work to be done by everyone.

We have cooked the planet already, there is no turning back; but that is not an excuse for giving up.  Somehow or another humans will survive and there must be a new methodology to coexist in a sustainable future.  Here, in the Green New Deal, is something we can ask friends and communities to support in their own way, gardeners, farmers, ecologists, urban dwellers, and suburbanites alike where we can all see our own role; and a plan and we can pressure elected official to make a stand.

First publish by the policy wonks at Data for Progress here at the key points, each one a definable goal.  

Download A Green New Deal

TRANSFORM TO A LOW-CARBON ECONOMY

— 100% Clean and Renewable Electricity by 2035

— Zero Net Emissions from Energy by 2050

— 100% Net-Zero Building Energy Standards by 2030

— 100% Zero Emission Passenger Vehicles by 2030

— 100% Fossil-Free Transportation by 2050

FULFILL THE RIGHT TO CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER

— National Clean Air Attainment

— Cut Methane Leakage 50% by 2025

— National Lead Pipe Replacement & Infrastructure Upgrades

— Guarantee Access to Affordable Drinking Water

— Protect Two Million New Miles of Waterways

RESTORE THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE

— Reforest 40 Million Acres of Public and Private Land by 2035

— Restore 5 Million Acres of Wetlands by 2040

— Expand Sustainable Farming and Soil Practices to 70% of Agricultural Land by 2050

— Cleanup Brownfields and All Hazardous Sites

STRENGTHEN URBAN SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE

— Establish a National Fund for Urban and Rural Resilience

— Expand Public Green Space and Recreational Land and Waters

— Modernize Urban Mobility and Mass Transit

— Zero Waste by 2040

— Capture 50% of Wasted Methane by 2040

Each of these goals is real and tangible – a plan.  We need to start with  a plan.  The policy paper goes on to promote the benefits of jobs and details many specific policy issues that need to be addressed.  It has been adopted by a number of advocacy groups, especially among young progressives.

Yes, this is hugely ambitious but it is specific and provides a road map. Lets’ get started.  Get informed and ask your congressional representative to get informed. Contact Congress.  We can not wait.

An article in The Nation details the recent history of this movement.

The Sunshine Movement is activating young progressives on climate change with planned demonstrations and events.

350 Action is actively supporting political candidates for environment change in support go the Green New Deal.

The climate has changed.  Let’s stop wringing our hands.

Delta Fire aftermath; Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California

Stand up for working with the earth, not destroying it.

Redwood Trees, Sequoia sempervirens, some of the oldest trees on Earth.

Looking for great succulents for your garden?

Plant aloes in well-draining soil and “they’ll soon become your favorite succulents,” says Bill Schnetz, one of Southern CA’s most sought-after landscape designers. Bill uses aloes of all sizes in mild-climate residential gardens. For a natural look, he suggests mixing one or two kinds with tough, drought-tolerant ornamental grasses and flowering perennials. For a contemporary look, he recommends planting similar aloes “in rows and geometric blocks.”

Bill’s 14 Favorite Aloes

I asked Bill if he’d share which aloes he uses most often in clients’ gardens, and why. This list was compiled by Schnetz Landscape, Inc. with Rebecca Simpson.

Small aloes. These tough, toothed aloes handle adverse conditions.  Height: 8 to 18 inches.

Aloe x nobilis, Aloe aristata, and Aloe humilis all grow tight and stay low.

Aloe ‘Rooikappie’ is Bill’s favorite small aloe. It gets a little bigger than the three above and is a good fit for small and large landscapes. It’s a repeat bloomer and transplants easily.

Mid-size aloes are good for borders and large-scale massing.  Height: 18 to 36 inches.

Aloe striata has nice plump leaves and good floral color.

Aloe vera is dramatic planted en masse, and yes, the gel is useful for burns and cuts.

Aloe x spinosissima is a 2- to 3-foot sprawler great on hillsides and rocky soil.

Aloe cameronii is Bill’s favorite 2-foot aloe. Stays red all year if given full sun.

Tree aloes tend to be slow growing and may not look their best in cold winter months. Don’t plant them near foundations or under eaves—they do get big.

Aloe bainesii is a moderate grower, 15 to 30 feet tall. Leaves may turn yellow and get black spots, but with summer warmth and feeding they’ll green up.

Aloe dichotoma is slow-growing to 15 to 20 feet. It has nice gray leaves and is very drought tolerant.

Aloe ferox is slow growing to 6-10 feet with a single trunk that holds dead leaves.

Aloe ‘Hercules’ is a faster-growing hybrid with a thick, strong trunk. Give it plenty of room.

Shade-tolerant aloes useful as firebreak plants are fast-growing and spreading.

Aloe ciliaris is a sprawling succulent that will climb palm tree trunks. Take care that it doesn’t get buried in leaves and melt away. Sometimes called ‘Fire Wall’ aloe, when grown on a slope, the plants form a 3- to 4-foot mat of fire-resistant growth.

Aloe arborescens is probably the most commonly grown aloe in the world. If you have room for it, you can’t go wrong. It solves a multitude of landscape problems, and thrives everywhere—coast, low desert, foothills—from Mexico to San Francisco. Originally from South Africa, it’s also found all around the Mediterranean. This multiheaded aloe makes a good background plant and tolerates filtered shade beneath tall trees. For a dense barrier, plant 6 to 8 feet apart in a line or triangles. Height: 4 to 8 feet and spreading.

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More Info

In my books: Designing with Succulents, 2nd ed., pp. 182-190; Succulents Simplified, pp. 185-197.

On my site:

Aloe Photos and IDs 

My photos of aloes on this page are identified according to genus and species, and sometimes common names… [Continue reading]

What’s Your Ultimate Aloe?

My ultimate aloes are any large, sculptural species with brilliant, Popsicle-like flowers that make striking garden plants even… [Continue reading]

On my YouTube channel:

View my YouTube video: Spectacular Aloes in Flower

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I first suspected that agave snout-nosed weevil had arrived in my rural community north of San Diego when I noticed a collapsed Agave americana in a friend’s yard. I could barely believe it. She lives atop a rocky hill surrounded by acres and acres of chaparral. Either the weevil had arrived via infested nursery stock (on a different agave most likely, seeing as the dying plant was part of an old colony), or it had walked in. Yes, walked. It’s a flightless beetle. Maintain a pest-free space with effective pest management solutions. Not long afterwards, I saw telltale signs of snout weevil infestation a block from my home: An agave’s center was upright but its lower leaves had collapsed. (It’s shown here between two healthy ones.) Need a pest control company Chesapeake contact Chesapeake Termite & Pest. I’ve since observed that it takes a captive weevil ten days to die despite receiving no water nor food. “Mine” traveled about 4 inches per second and was a good climber. Consider: If a dying agave hosts dozens of grubs that turn into beetles, and they scatter in different directions, one or more will certainly find another agave. This fast-spreading pest prefers variegated (striped) Agave americana (century plants) but will go after other species and members of the Agavaceae family. It leaves behind collapsed plants with gooey, grub-infested cores so make sure to contact specialists at https://pestdoctors.com.au/ the moment you see signs of these pests. A professional pest control service can help implement preventative measures to safeguard your plants before the infestation takes hold. The snout-nosed weevil, which originated in Mexico, is on the march worldwide. It is now ranked among the 100 worst by the Global Invasive Species Database.  If you live where agaves thrive in landscapes and gardens, snout-nose is likely in your area or soon will be. Because the beetle is most active in spring, now is the time to pre-emptively treat healthy agaves. Find out what experts recommend. Go to my website’s Snout Weevil page for… How to tell if you have an infested agave. How, when, and why the beetle attacks. How to protect your plants from infestation.  Which varieties are most and least at risk.  Safe ways to grow agaves in weevil areas. How to remove an infested agave. Updates on weevil controls.   Also see my YouTube video: Agave Snout Weevil Prevention and Treatment.  Finally, DO get the word out to your friends and neighbors (especially your neighbors!)

Here in California, a spring garden’s most vivid blooms often are those of succulent ice plants. Aloes, bulbine and numerous arid-climate companions are bright and beautiful from March through mid-May. Increasing temps tend to put the kibosh on delicate spring flowers. If you live near the coast, you’ll enjoy a longer spring, but you may not get the sun and heat that makes many flowers blaze.

Spring is the season of flowers, so get outside and enjoy them. Soon enough, come summer, those hot colors will fade and your garden will go back to being mainly shapes and textures—which of course succulents do best. What many people  don’t realize is that flowers are ephemeral—they flash and fade, and then you’re left with foliage. (I like to say that sentence in my talks. Try it. The alliteration is luscious.)

Above: A normally uninteresting corner of my garden is stunning in spring because of all the flowers. Red ones at center are Sparaxis tricolor, a bulb from South Africa. Easy-grow shrub daisies (Euryops pectinatus) echo the yellow margins of Agave americana ‘Marginata’—which though nearly engulfed, still makes a bold statement.

California poppies pop in spring. These bright orange annuals reseed every year. Behind them is Drosanthemum floribundum (rosea ice plant). Adding contrasting form is spineless opuntia. Almost incidentally, fruit on citrus trees repeat the poppies, and elevate their color to eye level.

Scilla peruviana, returns every March. It produces large, purple-blue snowflake flowers and then disappears for nine months. It was planted by the previous owner and I don’t do a thing to keep it going. But like all bulbs, it leaves behind droopy, messy foliage which you need to leave because it feeds the bulb for the next g0-round.

And as for ice plant, don’t plant just one variety. Combine several—not curbside, though, lest they cause an accident.

Related articles:

Succulent garden design essentials

How to grow succulents

Debra’s own garden 

My succulent meditation garden

YouTube video: Debra Lee Baldwin’s Succulent Garden in Spring.

Flowering Plants in My Spring Garden: Inland Southern CA, Zone 9b

Spring (peak): mid-March to early April

Annual: California poppies

Bulbs:

Babiana stricta (baboon flower)

Scilla peruviana

         Sparaxis tricolor

Succulents:

Aeonium arboreum

         Aloe maculata

         Bulbine frutescens ‘Hallmark’

Gasteria sp.

Ice Plants:

Delosperma congestum ‘Gold Nugget’

Drosanthemum floribundum

                  Drosanthemum speciosum

         Sedum ‘Firestorm’

Perennial shrubs:

Euryops pectinatus

Gazanias (African daisies)

Pelargoniums (geraniums)

Rose, climbing: ‘Altissimo’

Wisteria

From my YouTube video: “Sedum Chicks at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show”

Becky Sell of Sedum Chicks plants cold-hardy succulents in repurposed wood-and-metal containers, hypertufa pots, wreaths and more. She grows the plants, too, where she lives in Turner, Oregon, near the Washington border.

Becky’s compositions can overwinter outdoors in northerly climates (Zones 4 to 8), providing the potting medium drains well. Cold-hardy succulents such as stonecrops and hens-and-chicks will also grow in Zones 8 and 9 if protected from heat in excess of 85 degrees and scorching sun. Some varieties, notably shrub sedums, die to the ground in any locale and come back the following spring.

In her designs, Becky often combines sedums (stonecrops), sempervivums (hens-and-chicks), and Delosperma ice plants. Of a little-known Rosularia species with soft, light green leaves, she says, “When people ask which plant is my favorite, this is definitely on the list.”

There are about 35 species in the genus Rosularia. The sempervivum-like succulents come from Europe, the Himalayas, and northern Africa.

Find more photos of succulents for Northern climates—including many of Becky’s favorites—on my website’s new Cold-Hardy Succulents page. I photographed the designs shown here during the Northwest Flower & Garden Show at the Sedum Chicks booth, which won an award for outstanding visual appeal.

Below: This bright red vertical container was a hit. At right, I darkened the photo to make plant IDs, in white letters, stand out, so you can see them better.

Below: Sempervivum ‘Jade Rose’ repeats the teal blue of a Sedum spathulifolium cultivar.

Below: In a cold-hardy wreath, Becky surrounded a large sempervivum rosette with smaller sedums, Delosperma cooperi (at lower left), and Sedum confusum (lower right).

Below: I’ve ID’d the three sedums in this wreath at right. Becky gives her plants “hair cuts” to keep them compact.

“I like its dark edges,” Becky says of Sempervivum ‘Black’, shown below in dramatic contrast with chartreuse Sedum ‘Lemon Coral’. At lower right is a succulent native to Oregon: Sedum oreganum.

Becky and husband Paul create planters from repurposed wood and metal. The bronzy succulents below are Sedum confusum, which blushes red-orange in a sunny location. When less confused, it’s bright apple green.

For wreaths and vertical gardens, Becky uses sphagnum moss to help hold plants in place. She emphasizes the importance of good drainage, which is true for all succulents, but especially those in rainy climates. Succulents from cold climates tend to have thin or small leaves and want a richer potting soil than thicker-leaved varieties from desert regions. Becky recommends Black Gold’s organic mix.

In my YouTube video, “Sedum Chicks at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show,” Becky explains how to select, cultivate and beautifully combine cold-hardy succulents.

Learn more about succulents for northerly climates:

On my website:

— Find tips for care and cultivation, plus resources at How to Grow Succulents in Northerly Climates

— See labeled varieties of excellent, readily available varieties on my Cold-Hardy Succulents page.

On my YouTube channel:

— Growing Succulents in Northerly Climates: Part One of my presentation at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show. See gorgeous new Sempervivum cultivars and inspiring, eye-catching design ideas.

— Growing Succulents in Northerly Climates, Part Two of my presentation at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show. More cool succulents for cold climates and how to select, grow and design with them.

— Sedum Chicks at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show. Pacific NW designer/grower Becky Sell explains how to select, care for and beautifully combine cold-hardy sedums, semps and other succulents.

— Make a Frost-Hardy Succulent Wreath with Hens-and-Chicks. Simple steps to a stunning wreath!

In my books:

— See the Cold-Climate Succulent Gardens section of Designing with Succulents (2nd ed.).

— Find info in all my books about succulents in the genera Sedum, Sempervivum, Delosperma and more.