Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Succulents on the rocks for a lush vertical garden

The San Antonio Botanical Garden (SABOT) is one of those places I never tire of visiting.  On Monday I joined a group of local gardeners in front of this gorgeous succulent wall just inside the main entrance of SABOT.



The occasion was a talk by Don Clowe, retired attorney and volunteer at the SABOT, who created and maintains the wall.  Don's own inspiring garden was featured on Central Texas Gardener back in 2009.

Starting with an existing stacked-stone wall of Texas limestone, Don began by planting the crevices with succulent cuttings from his own garden.  It didn't take long for him to realize he needed a lot more plants to fill this large-scale space.  In addition to shopping local nurseries, Don scouts estate sales looking for unusual or interesting succulents to add to the collection.  I was immediately drawn to the purple and silver combinations mixed among the greens in this planting scheme.


Don doesn't work with a plan and prefers to move things around until they look just right.  A few plants in plastic pots are set into the wall while others occasionally need help to stay in place.  Unlike most succulent arrangements, letting these plants get leggy stems actually makes it easier to keep them secured in the crevices.  He doesn't limit his artistry to succulents and includes ferns, dichondra and other appropriate plants in the mix.



Don shared a few tips and tricks for keeping all those succulents in top shape.  Two of his favorite tools are a weed digger and a fish hook puller because they make it easy to slide plants in and out of the narrow spaces.  During freezes, the wall is covered with frost cloth which works well in this protected microclimate.  This scene reminds me of water seeping down canyon walls.


Don said the best compliment was when the SABOT management decided to move the exhibition signs from the front to the top of the wall so visitors could enjoy unobstructed views of the planted wall.


When I heard we would be learning about succulent walls I pictured one of those vertical frames that have been popular in recent years.  This is even better and, while it's probably not easy, the results look so natural and appropriate to our region.  By the end of the talk many of us were thinking of places we might try this in our own gardens.



I'm linking with Pam at Digging for Foliage Follow-Up.  Visit the comments section at Digging for links to garden bloggers celebrating foliage in our gardens.

About those Lego displays mentioned on the SABOT signs--that's a post for another day.

26 comments:

  1. That's really pretty, and while it looks very natural I'm sure it takes a good deal of maintenance to keep it looking so good. Kudos to Don for creating such a nice feature!

    I look forward to hearing about the Lego exhibit in a future post.

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    1. It was so special and the Legos were fun too.

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  2. The wall is well done! I've been planning to plant my dry stacked wall for some time and haven't gotten to it. Now both you and Alison (of Bonney Lassie) post on the same topic on the same day - I feel the universe pushing me along.

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    1. I love Alison's wall, it's coming along beautifully.

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  3. How lovely, do you have any idea how long he's been at it?

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    1. It's just over a year but I'd need to ask more specific info.

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  4. That's a very nice take on vertical gardening, in fact possibly an original take of it (apart from growing climbers on walls). It looks great and with little extra care matures beautifully.

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    1. I have seen wall plantings and demo videos on the subject. This went above and beyond in its variety and scale.

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  5. I like this more natural looking approach to vertical gardening. A beautiful wall. Thanks for sharing it!

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    1. This approach avoids that problem of icky green stuff accumulating at the bottom of the wall.

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  6. Love the wall! I will put this on my list of places to visit next time I am in San Antonio : )

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    1. It's a must-see for gardeners who visit our fair city.

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  7. Thank you for this! I wonder how many of us are heading out to a rock wall over the next few days with snippets of succulents in hand...? So inspiring and deceptively simple looking. I bet achieving and holding that look has taken a fair amount of skill and persistence. I know I simply must try this on at least a small scale now. How could anybody resist?

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    1. I'm sure the larger echeverrias take a good bit of work but many of the draping plants can be left to grow.

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  8. It's a work of art, and yet approachable. How great to hear a presentation by the person who created it.

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    1. His enthusiasm was contagious. It's wonderful to see someone sharing a passion.

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  9. That is beautiful!!! I have never been there/visited. Love his combos- that is really neat- thanks for sharing!

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    1. It's not that far, time for a visit!

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  10. I would like to see them lose that signage or move it to a less conspicuous place. It clashes with the beauty of this marvelous wall.

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    1. I thought the same thing. The wall is inside the gardens after the ticket booth, gift shop, and cafe. There's plenty of room before you reach the main entrance.

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  11. If I had a limestone wall I would love to have such a beautiful succulent garden, I especially like the silvery bluegreens with the purples. So lovely. The Ghost Echeveria plants I have seem indestructible indoors.

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    1. Indoors is a good idea too. They are pretty hardy but it can get a bit cold in both our climates so that's good to know.

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  12. What a beautiful wall, and how nice to meet the actual person who made it and be able to ask questions. I have wanted to make a vertical plant wall in my garden for a long time, but on a rather smaller scale, and I have started collecting plants for it, most of them succulents. It was so great to see your photos, I realise I have to collect a lot more before I can start planting :-)
    I hope you have a great week-end!

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    1. I'd love to see that Helene. For my part I have begun by planting a few in the hollow rocks already a feature in my garden.

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  13. This rocks and so does Don! And thanks for the "throw back" to CTG! I'd love to see Don again.

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    1. This wall does rock! I enjoyed sharing Don's passion for gardening even if it was for just an hour or so. My pleasure, CTG has taken me to so many gardens that I might not see otherwise.

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