Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
aftermidnight_gw

I'm a happy camper :)

You know what it's like when the plant you've been looking for...years...and years...and years just falls into your lap. I've been obsessing over Persian Shield for at least 15 years but have never caught up with it, either no-one has it or they just sold the last one. Well, I was over on the mainland at my favorite garden center on monday picking up a few more succulents to add to my collection, this place has the most amazing assortment of succulents I've ever seen.

I paid for my purchases and was heading out to my DS's car when as a afterthought I went back and asked if they had Persian Shield, she said sure and led me to them, I can't remember if I was struck speechless or if I was babbling as I followed her to where they were :). I really lucked out they were half price as it's getting towards the end of the season so bought two and bonus she threw in a freebie.

I took cuttings this morning and will take more later on, some of them should make it through the winter, if not I know where I can get them next spring.

I think I've already posted a picture of some of their succulents planted up but in case I haven't here's a pic of one of their planters. Annette

Comments (20)

  • mandolls
    11 years ago

    Those succulents are incredible!. I dont think I have ever seen such a variety of color, even at the botanical gardens.

    Glad you finally found the persian shield. I have to winter them over inside here, but in your climate I bet they make it through the winter.

  • nulty
    11 years ago

    Wow what a beautiful selection of succulents,..i bet you are still over the moon at your find,..taking cuttings is a good idea,..last year i took some succulent cuttings and kept them indoors over winter,..they grow a lot bigger for planting out in spring.

  • nulty
    11 years ago

    Wow what a beautiful selection of succulents,..i bet you are still over the moon at your find,..taking cuttings is a good idea,..last year i took some succulent cuttings and kept them indoors over winter,..they grow a lot bigger for planting out in spring.

  • jakkom
    11 years ago

    Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus) is extremely tender. Like iresine, it seldom can winter over here. My garden is a zone 9 but parts of it get severe wind chill in winter. I have even lost Japanese maples. Maybe if you put it in a very, very protected spot, it will live. But in general, no. It gets faded and ratty looking in winter even when it does survive.

    Love the succulents. I have the silver leafed/pink flowering one - it's a trailing kalanchoe. Magnificent in a glazed blue pot with a spiky draecena for vertical accent.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Jkom, not even in my most protected spot would they overwinter, the cuttings I've taken plus anymore I take will winter in the house under lights and in a terrarium environment if needed. Hopefully some will make it through the winter.

    I've always had a few succulents, Sempervivums, Echeverias, Sedums, with a couple of Kalanchoes thrown in but when I found the garden center where the above picture was taken the bug hit and I now have a full blown addiction :). I think it was their container plantings that got me hooked, now I'm collecting suitable containers to plant up, it's a good job I have a greenhouse kept above freezing to winter them in else I'd be in big trouble. Here's another picture.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    They don't eve have to be that big to give a punch of color.

  • roper2008
    11 years ago

    Very pretty. I wish I could do a little shopping there. My sister likes
    succulents a lot, and she has a nice little collection. Not as colorful as
    those though.

  • nulty
    11 years ago

    Beautiful colours,..they remind me of sea coral in their colour and shape,..as i was looking at your pictures i was thinking,..i could plant more succulents in the garden,..oops,.. i think your succulent bug has come my way.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Sorry about that Glen :) and... for those running out of space running out of space hanging baskets work or... think vertical.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    11 years ago

    Congratulations on finding the Persian Shield.

    Those succulents are the most beautiful things combined the way you have them! I am inspired, but I don't think our nurseries have such a marvelous variety. Of course, it is entirely possible that I just haven't been looking!

    Thanks for the pictures-perfect way to start the weekend!

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Cyn, those aren't my containers, I took these pics at the garden center. I'm still collecting the plants but hope to have a couple of containers made up for next year. The color really is what you see in the pics, apparently they turn these colors in the winter months.

    I wish you could edit stuff here, when I go back and read what my fingers type :(.

    Annette

  • mnwsgal
    11 years ago

    Thanks for sharing the container planting photos with us, Annette. The garden center has done a good job of creating interest with them. Even the small one is interesting. Haven't seen much choice here and will be looking.

  • kathi_mdgd
    11 years ago

    WOWSER.I think i've died and gone to succulent heaven,those are incredibley Gorgeous,never seen any that looked that good.TFS
    Kathi

  • jakkom
    11 years ago

    I understand that Strobilanthes roots pretty easily and several people here reported being able to overwinter it indoors.

    If you are getting the succulent bug, be sure to go to the Landscape forum and search for any photos done by bahia. He's a pro in San Jose, CA who specializes in drought-resistant succulent gardens, and has done some spectacular work.

  • Sandi_W
    11 years ago

    Congrats on finding your Persian Shield. I hope you can overwinter it. Those succulents are very eye-catching. And I love the planting boxes.

  • nulty
    11 years ago

    Hi Aftermidnight,
    you have given me five days of wondering where to locate my very few succulents and i came up with an idea and was very pleased with myself,..then i looked at your post for Friday,..lol its what i presumed was my bright idea,..that picture looks fantastic,..yes i will have to do something similar for my small succulents.

  • nulty
    11 years ago

    Two succulents are in bloom.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Very pretty Glen, the garden center where I took these pictures also sold two sizes of this kind of frame, I bought a small one thinking I'd plant it up using Echeverias but now think I'll use Sempervivums, that way it can stay outside year round.

    Annette

  • christinmk z5b eastern WA
    11 years ago

    Congrats Annette! ;-)

    Those succulents are fantastic. How well do the Echeverias do in an indoor environment? Are they easy to keep going indoors during winter, or is lack of humidity an issue? Have you ever tried growing outdoor (hardy I mean) sedums indoors before? Very curious to hear more about your collection...
    CMK

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Christin, other than the Sempervivums and hardy Sedums all my Echeverias and other tender succulents winter in a cool greenhouse. I have kept an Echeveria alive planted in the ground by upturning a black 2 gal. pot over it when the temps dropped, I think it was Echeveria elegans. It's not so much the cold it's the wet that does them in. A lot of them can tolerate 32* for a time.

    I have a 3 tiered plant stand with lights in the basement I should experiment with a few this winter.

    When I get mine all rounded up and sorted out I'll post a few pictures of the ones I have.

    Annette

Sponsored
Iris Design Associates
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars22 Reviews
Northern Virginia Landscape Architect - 13x Best of Houzz Winner!