But I did not tell a lie...

My friends that know me well or anyone who has been to my house knows that I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with orchids.  I grow many varieties from the popular Phalaenopsis and Cymbidiums to the temperamental ones like Masdevallias and Bulbophyllums.  I believe there was a time when I literally had over 100 plants inside the house.  A few years ago, the husband put his foot down so since then, I have pared my collection down to about 60 in the house and about 30 outside...  Hahaha...  Not because I threw any of the plants away (on purpose), but because I gifted many of them to friends, or I killed them.  (They say you are not a true orchid grower until you kill at least a few dozen plants - insert the 'cha-ching' sound here followed by the sound of a toilet flushing)

My husband is a nice man.  He tolerantly lives with these plants that take over an entire wall of our tiny living room, the kitchen counter, above the mantle and pretty much every flat surface that receives just the right amount of light and air circulation.  Bless his heart, but yesterday, he kind of snapped.  More than he usually does when it comes to my plant obsessions.

This past weekend was the Fall orchid show at the South Coast Botanic Gardens.  Yes, I fully admit that I am a mega-nerd and have been a member of the South Bay Orchid Society for about 6-7 years.  I am on the Board of Directors, so I help out at the annual Spring and Fall shows.  Every year, there are premiere vendors/growers that sell plants at these shows that the society hosts so inevitably I end up adding to my collection at the very least, twice every year.  (More if I go to Santa Barbara for their show, or San Diego for their show...)  Therefore, at least twice a year, I brace myself for the usual lecture about how we have no more room for all the new orchids that come home with me let alone the money that I spend on them.  Bla bla bla.

Fall show 2011 - I did really good!  I only bought 3 orchid plants.  Two Phalaenopsis hybrids just because they were gorgeous and the grower had set them aside specifically for me (Thank you George Vasquez of Zuma Orchids in Malibu), and a Psychopsis Papilio Alba because I mean, how could I NOT get it when it was the last one and they are so hard to get a hold of?!?!?  These 3 beauties amounted to about $50.  That is really, really good considering some people will spend hundreds, even thousands on a single plant!  The husband was so proud.  He complimented me on my restraint and my responsible handling of money.  I was all smiles.

Then, he opened my trunk and saw this.

Oops...

My box of mini succulents, Tee Hee!

In my defense, I did not tell a lie!  I only bought 3 orchids.  I simply omitted that I purchased other things...  And besides they were cheap, AND I had a plan!  They would not take up too much space because I was going to plant multiple succulents in big pots that I already have!

See brilliant plan in action below!

My little Succulent Garden (only takes up 4 SF)

Look at these pretty little things!!!

How can one resist a cascading bunch?

Another Mini Succulent pot...

I looked at the Husband's furrowed brows and promptly pointed a finger at our dear friends Mr. and Mrs. Navar.  (At their lovely wedding in Palm Springs, they had oodles and oodles of succulents in perfect, white, shiny, ceramic pots all over the grounds as decoration and I instantly fell in love.  Of course the prettiest sight for all the guests was the gorgeous bride, but I tell ya, those perfectly potted succulents were very pretty as well.  And we got to take some home as gifts!)  So I blame the Navar's for what is now my mini obsession with mini succulents!  Since then, I have done my research and they are incredibly easy to grow!  You can leave them outside in full sun and do nothing but water occasionally and they literally flourish in our Southern California weather!  I promised the husband that the mini succulent gardens would stay outside and everything thankfully blew over.  Again. such a nice, tolerant man.

Unlike orchids where many species are notoriously high-maintenance, wallet busting, temperamental and seasonal bloomers, mini succulents are (even with no flowers) a NO-maintenance, low-budget, mesmerizing way to enjoy plants that love our So-Cal environment.  The variety of colors in the foliage is amazing!  Ice blues, chartreuse and purple???  Some are alien-like because they don't look like they are from this world!

I would not really recommend taking up an orchid hobby to everyone.  Unless you are slightly OCD and have the gumption to mix potting media, like the idea of having 5 different fertilizers for different times of the year, enjoy repotting - sometimes armed with a machete, find pleasure in fighting mealy bugs/orchid viruses, have the patience for a plant you bought today to not flower for 5 more years and can brave the alligator tears when a $70 plant withers, then croaks... then let's do lunch and I'll get you started on that adventure.

But a succulent garden?  I would highly recommend a potted mini succulent garden to anyone!

Happy Growing!

Random Airplant that bloomed this year!