Hot Stuff Blog
Succulents of all kinds are easy to use in crafts and projects; find the latest weird and wonderful ways to plant these tough yet beautiful plants in odd and unusual displays.
Growing them in containers or in gardens doesn't mean you'll be glued to the garden hose; they don't need lots of water.
Low maintenance doesn't mean dull; you'll see lots of fun ideas and ways to use drought tolerant plants in your garden.
These are new or updated pages; nothing but the most current releases here!
Jun 20, 2018
Blue Fox Farm - my micro nursery and artisans retreat
Blue Fox Farm is my micro nursery where I grow specialty succulent plants, and also where I play; as an artisan, the unfettered freedom here is so valuable...
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Jun 19, 2018
Succulent ID App - find your succulent here
Succulent ID App - the handy little application for any device...
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Jun 18, 2018
Best Succulent Containers - patio planters & deck pots with succulents
The Best Succulent Containers are textural, lush and overflowing with a wide selection of healthy succulent plants; get ideas here...
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Jun 18, 2018
Planting Ephemeral Containers - short lived beauty
Short lived beauty - Planting Ephemeral Containers...
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Jun 17, 2018
Need some out of the box Container Garden Ideas?
Need some out of the box Container Garden Ideas? Here is a roundup of some for you - get started!
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Jun 15, 2018
Compost Tea - the magical economical fertilizer brew
Learn how to make Compost Tea; nutrient rich fertilizer, natural ingredients brewed for the best fastest acting plant food
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Jun 14, 2018
Safe for Rabbit?
Hi Can you tell me if Crassula plants are safe for Rabbits. I have an indoor rabbit and also two huge Crassula plants. so far we have managed to keep
Jun 13, 2018
Build a Patio - DIY paving block or flagstone patio
Build a Patio with your own diy paving blocks for a unique and charming addition to your garden...
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Jun 13, 2018
dead branches on grapevine
I have an old (perhaps 50 years) grapevine (concord, I think) attached to my house. This year, for the first time, there is no growth on about half the
Jun 12, 2018
Orostachy Pollination - fertilizing the flowers is the first step
What happens in Orostachys pollination? If there are no bees, how can the seeds form? All your questions answered...
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Jun 11, 2018
Spiders in the Xeric Garden - friends or foe?
Spiders are one of the most beneficial predators in the xeriscape garden; if you have lots of them, your garden is a thriving bustling place
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Jun 10, 2018
Solarization - use the power of the sun - simple soil sterilization
Solarization uses the power of the sun to sterilize soil and prepare it for planting; how do you do it? Find out here how to prevent weeds and pathogens with a simple technique...
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Jun 09, 2018
Green Roof Plants - hardy, reliable and versatile
Green Roof Plants have to be able to withstand very challenging conditions; thin soil, windy and cold - in other words, they have to be tough...
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Jun 09, 2018
Glory Be - the earth sheltered, green roofed, cordwood root cellar
Glory Be; earth sheltered, green roofed, cordwood root cellar with many junk gardening and funky garden craft accents; see which appeals to you the most...
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Jun 08, 2018
Sedum, the versatile and reliable Stonecrop
Sedum is one of the most versatile and reliable of all hardy succulents, and one of the most beautiful garden plants...
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Jun 07, 2018
Xeriscaping with Succulents E-Book - create your carefree garden
Buy the Xeriscaping with Succulents E-Book and create your no-maintenance paradise
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Jun 06, 2018
Succulent Plant Propagation E-Book - the Horticulturists Secrets
Download the Succulent Plant Propagation E-Book and learn the Horticulturists secrets...
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Jun 06, 2018
Succulent Plant Care - light, soil and cultivation requirements
Succulent Plant Care tips and instructions for caring for succulents; how to grow your favorite plants successfully...
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Jun 05, 2018
Succulent Plant Propagation and Succulent Care E-Book Bundle
Succulent Plant Propagation and Succulent Care E-Book Bundle - buy both together and save...
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Jun 04, 2018
please help confirm these plants
they are actually fake but they are exact replicas -- and want to be sure when advertising. also, if you require a few $ more for multiple submissions,
Jun 04, 2018
Sansevieria - Snake Plant, or Mother In Laws Tongue
The Sanseveria, once so popular as a strikingly vertical accent was lost, but now has been rediscovered
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Jun 04, 2018
Trendspotting in the Garden; new and inspirational ideas
Trendspotting in the Garden; new and exciting trends in xeriscaping, dry gardens and succulents in interesting containers and planters...
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Jun 03, 2018
Yucca; architectural, drought tolerant and tough desert plant
Yucca are one of those plants that have fallen out of favor for planting in driveway turn arounds, walkways and landscaping; years ago, every house had at least one
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May 31, 2018
Beneficial Insects in your xeriscape garden - pollinators & predators
Beneficial Insects are an army of predators taking care of the pests in your xeriscape garden day and night
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May 31, 2018
Alpine Plants - for trough gardens, rock gardens, crevices & craggs
Alpine Plants combine perfectly with hardy succulents for trough gardens, rockeries, crevices and craggs
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May 30, 2018
Fast Growing Shrubs - xeriscape gardens need some of these
Fast Growing Shrubs fill an important niche in your xeriscape garden; as privacy screens, hedgerows and windbreaks they perform an almost instant role as wildlife habitat too...
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May 30, 2018
Ask the Horticulturist - go on, ask me your question about plants!
Ask the Horticulturist your questions about plants and gardening; if you have a query about a plant problem here is the place to ask; yes, I am a Certified Horticulturist
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May 29, 2018
Miniature Castle Garden; ruins are romantic even in tiny scale
Small scale landscapes are fascinating; this Miniature Castle Garden is a perfect example...
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May 29, 2018
Butterfly Food - caterpillar host plants are important too
Butterfly food is not just flowers; the caterpillars need host plants to eat until they change into adult butterflies; provide many different garden plants and butterflies will flock to your garden...
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May 29, 2018
Fuscias
Hi, my fuscias keep dying. It is 30 degrees Celsius and dry. I live in Rhodes, Greece. I water it every three days and feed it with a phosphate which was
May 28, 2018
Echeveria elegans - the Mexican hens and chicks
Echeveria elegans is one of the most renowned species, known also as Mexican hens and chicks or Mexican rose, which it definitely resembles
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May 27, 2018
Epiphytes - tree dwelling succulents with spectacular flowers
Epiphytes are unusual in the succulent world; they are tree dwelling, originating in jungles, not deserts where we normally think of succulents growing
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May 27, 2018
Airplant - intriguing plants that don't even need soil to survive
Grow some of the fascinating and intriguing Airplant - you'll be surprised when you learn about their soil requirement (or lack of it)...
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May 26, 2018
Low Water Plants - drought tolerant, waterwise landscaping choices
Low Water Plants thrive on little moisture making them the perfect xeriscaping candidates - find out which ones to grow in your garden
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May 25, 2018
Peony
We bought a house 3 yrs ago that had 3 well established peonies that had been blooming profusely. Last year, however, one of them came up in spring but
May 25, 2018
Succulent Wedding Favors - little mementos for your wedding guests
Make these Succulent Wedding Favors for your guests to take home as a memento of your special day - they're easy!
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May 24, 2018
Micorrhizae - natures miracle benefical micro herd
Micorrhizae in your garden? Not to worry, it's not harmful - in fact, most garden soils have a lot of it, if the soil has organic matter in it...
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May 23, 2018
Moss Balls - unique way of growing plants in thin air
Make your own Moss Balls for a really unique and fun way to display your plants - great for ferns, orchids and succulents...
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May 22, 2018
How to Prune Succulents - learn from a professional horticulturist
Learn How to Prune Succulents from a professional horticulturist here; step by step instructions, tips and techniques...
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May 22, 2018
What Do I Do With My Succulent Flower Stalk?
What Do I Do With My Succulent Flower Stalk - leave it, or cut it off?
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May 22, 2018
Plant Identification - the mystery, solved
Plant Identification; how to recognize your plants, and why; learn what kinds of things are essential for knowing what your plant is so you know how they grow best...
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May 21, 2018
Starting Seeds - the winter sow method
Starting Seeds and growing your own plants from seed is a fascinating and fun journey; learn how to start your own hybrids and species of many garden plants...
May 21, 2018
Sedum for Containers - my favorite small scale tried & true stonecrops
Check out some of my favorite Sedum for Containers; whether you want to plant a barrel, planter or craft, these stonecrops are perfect for your creative project...
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May 20, 2018
Butterfly Garden Plan - how to attract those beautiful garden insects
Butterfly Garden Plan - start with the basic design, build onto it with beauty, stand back and admire...
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May 20, 2018
Miniature Moss Garden - a tiny dry streambed, less than a foot square
This Miniature Moss Garden is a dry creekbed in small scale; it's got rocks in a stream across the mossy glade, and a spectacular mossy rock as an accent...
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May 19, 2018
Green Roofs - roof meadow, savannah and Sedum roof
Green Roofs are not only beautiful, but they provide wildlife habitat too; attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators as well as birds looking for nesting sites...
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May 19, 2018
Here are some of my Favorite Garden Things; which is yours?
Here are some of my Favorite Garden Things; which is yours? Having a hard time deciding? That's okay; you don't have to make a choice - you can have it all...
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May 19, 2018
Water Saving Tips to conserve water in your home and garden
Water Saving Tips can conserve our most precious resource; use water wisely in the garden and utilize what we have - no wanton waste here!
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May 19, 2018
Desert Landscaping - low maintenance xeriscape gardening
Desert Landscaping can emulate or copy the habitat and look of a desert, or use the rules that nature has imposed to create interest & texture with a palette of drought tolerant plants...
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Want your succulents to survive the winter? Learn how to bring them indoors and be happy and healthy with this free e-course; Fill in your name and email address on the form below to enroll!
Winterizing Succulents E-Course
Sign up for Winterizing Succulents, my E-Course to help you take care of your precious and beautiful plants:
Display your succulents; range from rustic to classic;
Xeriscaping;
Fad? Or New Mindset?
Xeriscaping, or building beautiful gardens with very little water, is a new buzz.
Utilizing Drought Smart Plants that are beautiful, low water and hardy gives you a wide palette to choose from for your dry garden.
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