Our small garden at the back is loaded with succulents.
This is just a selection of the many plants on show.
Whenever we get to a nursery, the first thing we hunt for is the bargain box. The damaged plants and flowers are normally placed in a section that they call the bargain box. And then when something catches our eye, we immediately buy it, regardless of its condition because we know that we can restore them. The soil that we have at home is very suitable for succulents, as we are close to the river.
Most all of the succulents you will see in here were bought at cheap bargain box prices, and you can see that they have all been restored. So, they are happy, and we are happy. A problem is that we don't have any area that gets all day sun, and so Protea Pincushions, Strelitzias, and Red-Hot Poker plants refuse to grow in our garden. And another problem is that some of the plants in the nurseries are not indigenous to South Africa, as we have some from Mexico and the Americas. We have got some from Europe, but they are all happy here.
The flowers are not part of this plant, but I just want to show you how beautiful they are.
This one below is the only one I know for sure, and it is called a Donkey's tail. I wanted you to see the new growth on it, and it is starting to overcrowd the pot.
I think this Aloe belongs to the Genus Haworthiopsis.
This one below is also part of the Aloe family, and it is known as Haworthiopsis fasciata. It is considered near threatened.
Three photos below of Echeveria varieties.
And somebody has to tell me what this last one is.
Note that you are welcome to correct me if I am wrong with the flower specie names, but at least I have tried as I am not an expert on flowers. There is a lady that regularly has a talk on radio explaining the medicinal properties of some plants, and she is big time on a Cancer-bush plant. We saw one recently and were itching to buy it, but unfortunately it also only grows in full sun. Such as the Karoo sun.
With regards to the succulents, just the following.
Aloes are some of the most characteristic succulents of the Southern African landscape. In winter, when most species are in full bloom, they can transform a mountainside, hillock, or plain into a riot of colour. The Aloe family, which contains about 700 species, is an Old World group with a distribution range that stretches from the Cape Peninsula to the Horn of Africa.
Source: Book. Field Guide to Succulents in Southern Africa. ISBN:978-1-77584-367-2.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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