Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Under the Olive tree- the land of the lost succulents

The area beneath my Olive Tree is ever-changing. I've tried quite a few different plants in this bed that didn't work out. Here are some pictures of what the area looks like today. The tumbling pots that I learned to make from my fellow bloggers are in the first picture below. I bought the plant in the top pot- I think it was labeled a rainbow plant. The second level is a little string of pearls succulent and at the bottom is my Mother of thousands..which I actually got way back when it hitchhiked along with another plant I bought. It has really grown. I hope it spreads into the area below and takes over the half bare spots in this bed.





I like to think of the one side of the bed as the "land of the lost succulents" as it is where I stick the little succulents that seem to be on their way out. More than once they have taken on a whole new life. They seem to like having their roots all crowded out be Olive tree roots- which seems to ruin the whole experience for other plants.











These are all Stapelia- given to me by a fellow Tucson gardener. I can't wait for stinky blooms!

And this next picture was a surprise- I had planted some Callidium bulbs in this area last year, but never pulled them out before it got cold last winter. I thought that anything under 50 killed these guys-but one hardy little guy made it through and is just coming up now.

One of the perils of being planted under the olive tree- being tasted by a Cactus Wren or a Curved Billed Thrasher. I have families of both in my yard and the young birds seem to love this area. They poke around and pull out the little plants quite often. My little living stone plants have had bites taken out of them more than once.

I hope you enjoyed the little tour of my Olive tree bed- not much blooming there these days but if you visit Ms Green Thumb Jean's you are sure to see many lovely blooms from other parts of the world. Happy Bloomin' Tuesday!

15 comments:

Darla said...

I love your land of the lost! Sometimes they just need to be left alone. Your rock garden is beautiful. I also posted my tipsy planter today.

mr_subjunctive said...

I don't know whether you care or not, but the "rainbow plant" in the top tumbling pot is Portulacaria afra, sometimes called "elephant bush" because allegedly elephants like to eat them. So watch out for elephants.

Teri said...

Your garden is just fabulous!! I LOVE those pots on top of each other-so creative! All your plants looks so happy.

Carla said...

Land of the Lost, what a perfect title. Looks like they have found their spot to shine. I love seeing these houseplants outside and growing:) That olive tree trunk is something else!

Sue said...

I love the "tumbling pots" and all the rocks that add to the setting. Succulents are finally catching on out here in So.Calif, since we haven't had much rain in the past few years. I love the look of your garden, beatiful!

Kristin said...

I'm in love with all your pots and rocks...how on earth did you get your pots to tip like that on top of each other? lol...I probably sound like a doofus-but I really don't know how you did that!

Ann said...

Pleasant little rock garden, just love that tree stump, it's got lots of character

Diane AZ said...

Everything looks enchanting under your olive tree. I love the gnarled tree trunk, tumbling pots and all those succulents.

Cathy S. said...

Great land of the lost succulents!
Your rock garden is beautiful, oh I wish I could live in that area, we seem to have too much rain.

kesslerdee said...

Thanks for all of your comments! I appreciate the ID Mr S! I've seen plants labeled elephant bush and thought this looked the same.
Kristin- I was asking that same question on another blog just a few weeks ago so don't feel bad. I thought they were so cool too when I saw them and just got mine put together in the last couple of weeks. the tumbling pots are made with a piece of rebar, stuck into the ground, and then the pots slid onto it. Each pot balances on the rim of the one beneath it. Click on my pictures and you will see the rebar in a couple of them.

Jean said...

Fantastic succulents! I love the pearls. Looks like a dish of peas! The olive tree is so interesting. Looks great with all the rocks. Fun area. Jean

Phoenix C. said...

The Land of the Lost Succulents sounds like the title of a book! Great photos - you've got some lovely plants there!

~~Rhonda said...

Dee, I enjoyed the tour of your succulent garden. I have a few sedums, but that's all. ~~Rhonda

Aiyana said...

You have so many interesting nooks and crannies! Mr. Subjunctive is right on the succulent. I've seen it more frequently referred to as 'Elephant's Food'. I have a large pot of it, as well as one plant in the ground, which gets heat stressed in summer. The pot stays quite lush all year.

Deborah Godin said...

I love the experimental and let's-see-what-happens parts of your garden, it's great to see and read about what unfolds.The plant that looks like a bunch of shelled peas is really cool!!