Complete Guide to Creating a Garden of Perennial Succulents

Nowadays, particularly in Anglo-Saxon countries, landscaping unfortunately too often boils down to laying sod. Having a green lawn is such a well-established tradition that many people don't even consider alternatives! However, there are all kinds of them, most of which are much more sensible choices.

Indeed, grass has perverse effects. In addition to being a very large consumer of drinking water, grass is also a barrier to biodiversity. One solution to this would be to replace your lawn with a succulent garden! If you do not want to use succulents as ground cover, they can at least beautify your flower beds.

In this article you will find all the information you need to create a magnificent succulent garden that will be durable and require very little maintenance.

What plants to choose?

A succulent garden must include varieties that resist our harsh winter. Thus, because of the cold weather, the diversity of perennial succulent plants is quite limited in Quebec. Sempervivums and some sedums will form the basis of your perennial succulent garden.

Fortunately, there are a wide variety of sempervivum and sedum cultivars. You are therefore spoiled for choice in terms of color and texture. Sempervivums are plants of alpine origin and therefore quite hardy in Quebec. On the other hand, for sedums, it is important to carefully check the hardiness when purchasing because some varieties will not be here.

The Sempervivum Kalinda would be an excellent choice:

Warm Season: The best time to plant

Succulents can be planted in the ground throughout the summer season until the first frost. In the fall, plants have access to a good amount of water and are not stressed by high temperatures. However, if you choose to plant in the fall, it is important to do it before the first night frosts.

Succulents in the ground will be the first plants that you will be able to discover after winter. So, once summer arrives, the plants will already be well underway in their development.

What soil should you use?

To enable the proper development of your succulent plants in your garden, it is important to plant them with good potting soil. We advise you to plant your succulents with potting soil. Potting soil for annual plants will do the job very well. It may be a good idea to add horticultural sand or perlite to the potting mix, but this is not essential.

Black Earth must be avoided at all costs because it is very poor soil in which plants will not develop well.

Potting soil is a little more expensive to purchase, but essential to allow the good development of your plants.

You can also incorporate a little compost or chicken manure to increase the supply of organic matter and nutrients. Chicken manure is a very easy to use fertilizer. Simply place a small handful directly in the potting soil that you incorporate into your flower bed. This will maximize the growth of the plants you transplant.

How to prepare the terrain

In order for your succulents to grow well, you will need to carry out some gardening actions to prepare the soil. Working the soil will allow plants to develop well in terms of their root networks.

1. Demarcate the space that will become your succulent garden
2. If necessary, remove the grass (turf).
3. Digging to turn the earth over in order to decompact it.
4. Remove roots and rocks.
5. If the soil is of poor quality, that is to say if it is black earth with a lot of rocks, completely remove at least 20 cm of soil. The old soil will need to be replaced with healthier, more draining soil as explained previously.
6. Level the ground to avoid water accumulation.

How to plant your succulent garden

Planting succulents in your garden is very simple.

1. Start by digging holes about three times the size of the root network of the plants you purchased.
2. Apply the potting soil to the holes you made and incorporate a small amount of chicken manure.
3. Mix everything directly into the soil. Creating a space with potting soil will allow your plant's root network to develop, which will make it grow. When your potting soil is incorporated into the soil of your bed, you can now make a hole the size of your plant's rootball.
4. Plant your succulents in the holes dug for this purpose, making sure to incorporate the potting soil all around the root network. For sempervivums, it is important to make the rosette stand out from the soil so that it is clearly visible and the babies can come out easily.
5. Finally, compact the soil around the plant a little so that the plant is well established.

Conclusion

Once your landscaping is complete, it will take a while before your garden reaches its full potential. Succulents will grow throughout the season and by the end of the first summer you will already see a clear difference. In the fall, plant growth will stop to begin the process of adapting to cold weather. Then, after a few years, the plants will gradually spread and cover all the available space.

Are you planning to set up a succulent garden? Do not hesitate to contact us for personalized advice and to find out about the availability of our succulents for the outdoors.