I like them very much. for the last 2 years I have recieved pkgs of mixed from a lady I know in Slovakia and I tried to overwinter them inside, both years they haven't made it. They are now living in my flowerbeds not in containers.
So this year I ordered a pkg of mixed semp seeds from Thompson & Morgan, and I hope to extend my collection that way. Right now I have a single red tipped that a neighbor broke off her plant this spring and I asked her for it. And 7 small chicks from a plant I bought last year @ Walmart which died but these I baby'd thru the winter, it is a wooly red tipped.

Thanks for that link Sharon. Because of that, I now know the name of this little guy.

His name is Oddity, which kind of fits the appearance. I always thought it looked like it would belong more on the ocean bottom, rather than on land.;^)

I was just at the Cavendish site a couple of nights ago - thinking of ordering some more varieties. I'm glad to see you've included Raspberry Ice, Sharon - that's a beauty. I was really happy with my Cavendish order a couple of years ago - no hesitation about ordering from them again.

I like 'Oddity' Laurie, although it could also be fittingly named 'Alien'

I know what you mean about expanding the rock garden. I've been looking around, wondering where I could make another one. Oh well, if all else fails I'll make more troughs to grow them in.

I've got another hundred or two rooting along with sedum cuttings. My unknown green with red tips (redder in the cool months) needed some serious thinning this year - it is incredibly prolific. I got a clump from mom a few years back and have probably thrown out a few hundred since.

I haven't set up at Farmers Market just yet - I did go yesterday but just to pay my membership, stash my new canopy in the FM shed, and scout out a new location. We're going on another camping trip (Greenwater Lake PP) leaving on Friday, so my first day at FM will be June 30 and I'll take some of those semp pots along then. Maybe by then I'll have figured out what to charge for them.

I like semps too! Although I don't have any named ones. There are some large green ones that came with the house - they're several inches across. Will try to get a pic later.

Laurie, Oddity is so cool!

My home computer doesn't do PDFs, I will have to check out Cavendish's catalogue at work.

Wildie, I was going to ask if anyone grows semps indoors, I guess they don't do too well.

Wow, that's a cool looking Semp Laurie! Gotta get that one!

Pudge, hundred or two rooting.....LOL, my goodness sakes girl. I really need to visit your FM someday!

They do grow and spread very fast, maybe we can do some trading next year when mine get a little bit bigger ;)

I'll have to take photos of the ones that I have already, they are starting to push up flowers.

These are just cool looking fuss-free plants, I'm glad that Pudge got me into them!

Sharon

I forgot to mention, here is another wonderful website for Semps, although based in the USA, they have photos to use as a reference.

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Squaw Mountain Gardens

If you grow them indoors right from the start they do well, but don't bother trying to overwinter them!!! Mine always did fine till about Dec, then would start fading fast.
I had been growing them in containers, but now have 3 "clumps" in spots in the flowerbed and have 2-3 spots where I could put more.
I'm checking out that 1st site and wow, if my seeds don't germinate I'll definately be ordering from there!!!

I think a lot of folks like Semps, even when they don't know what they are! I took 9 of my 15 semp containers to Farmer's Market today and sold out in no time flat. Some knew (sort of) and others had no idea what they were - and then were happy to hear they were perennial and could be planted out into the garden at the end of summer. I did up some 'how to care for your semps' sheets as well. I mentioned to others that I'll be back next week with more and they said they'd be back as well. Good thing I have more rosettes & sedum cuttings rooted - time to make up more containers. I landed up charging $10/12/15 based on size of container with the largest being a 10". No hesitation from the customers on pricing.

Off topic, but I'll mention that bouquets also sold out within 2 hours. I used 3-5 peonies/ladies mantle/baby's breath/painted daisy/sweet william and hosta leaves (yeah, darn, I didn't take any pics). Dried stuff sold well, too. I packed up early and came home with 3 items. That felt good, and I'm looking forward to and planning for next week.

Pudge,

I am placing an order with Cavandish Perennials on Tues. (after the long weekend) after reading this thread and mulling over the idea of actually ordering hens and chicks by mail.

I also partake in Farmer's Markets with perennials. I made up 2 shallow clay pots with 3-4 kinds of hens and chicks planted in soil with a little pea gravel on top to look 'pretty'. Both of them sold today. Can you tell me, which hens and chicks you have that are
-really eye catching...
-increase well for you that you would then use in the containers for farmer's markets...
-which ones you got from Cavanish that you really like...
-slower growing ones but 'must haves' in your garden....
-hens and chicks you ordered from Cavanish that did not make it, maybe due to the zone we live in compared to southern Ontario's warmer climate...

I thought I would order the 12 variety package in large, med and small and then place a few specific individual orders also and that is why my questions above.

Sharon, of the ones you have already...which ones does he carry that are your absolute favorite(s) and can you post a picture of them?

Thanks,

Brenda

Good for you Pudge, you made some good coin!

Brenda, these are the ones I got from Cavanish, he threw in a couple of bonuses....

BRONCO
DAMASK
DIRECTOR JACOBS
FRODO
FROST & FLAME
LILAC TIME
PACIFIC SEXY
RASPBERRY ICE
SPRITE
SUNSET
WHIRLIGIG
Jovibarbas hirta HEDGEHOG

They're kind of small right now to take photos.

Here is a photo of my favourite one that I purchased last year that might interest you and Cavanish does sell quite a few cobweb types as well.

I'll see if I can remember to take photos tomorrow of the other Semps that I planted last year.

Sharon

I saw in Safeway (of all places) 4" pots of Semps for sale. Good variety, very nice healthy looking plants. They didn't have labels on them, or price tags for that matter. They were in with the African Violets & table ferns. Poor things. They must have been having an identity crisis! I really wanted to rescue a couple of the nicer ones, but I'm still in serious restraint mode.

My (beloved) hypertufa trough finally succumbed to the stresses of being moved (several times) & broke into pieces a couple weeks back. It was just filling in very nicely with Semps, they looked so good... all the little plants are now stuffed into plastic pots until I have a permanent home for a new trough. The new trough will be bigger, that means I'll need more Semps...:)

Garden Chicken, I just saw those semps at Safeway too! They're a 4" clay pot for $4.99. It would be nice if they were named.

Sharon, that cobweb semp is so pretty!

The ones I used the most, Brenda, are my unnamed green with red tipped ones. They're hell bent on taking over the world, so keeping them in check is a yearly thing.

The customers didn't really care what they were getting. They just liked the looks of them with the rocks. In almost all of the containers I threw in a few of the burgundy or red colored ones for a nice contrast. I also used various rooted sedum cuttings, including Autumn Joy.

My Cavendish order, year before last, included Damask, Plastic, Legolas, Plumb Rose, Raspberry Ice, Red Ace, Aross, Packardian, Pacific Sonata, Festival, Fuego, Director Jacobs, Lynn's Choice, Blue Boy, Lilac Time, Butterbur, and Magnificum. Many of my tags have faded, so I'm really not sure what's what out there any more except for a few that stand out in my memory. I like them all for one reason or another :)

I don't know how one chooses. If you order a starter pack, I'm sure that it includes those which are prolific (and they would have a lot on hand). Legolas or Plumb Rose hold their purple colour through the hot months. Otherwise, reading thru the catalogue listing will indicate if they're fast growing. I think they're all equally hardy when it comes to winter - I didn't take that into consideration at all when ordering. Drainage is the key - I lost some to rot.

That is a beautiful semp, Sharon. Your weed free beds always just blow me away - it seems I've always got a dandelion or some other beast poking thru. I don't know your secret, but whatever you're doing, it sure is working.

Sharon, I'd be happy to do a trade, and Brenda if you'd like some of my unnamed prolific semps, I think I could still spare a few more this year - let me know.

Thanks Gil and Pudge, my secret is lots of mulch in the other beds, the rock garden and Iris beds are twice a week weeding. I don't mind weeding because it gets me close and personal with all my perennials.
Ok, it's a deal, will trade next year, by then my new ones should be a bit bigger to give you a piece.
Did you place another order with Cavendish then?

Today, I took some photos of my other Semps that I purchased last year.

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JUNGLE FIRES

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PURPLE BEAUTY

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GEORGETTE

Sharon

So, I got my order from Cavandish Perennials last week.

I ordered a set of large, a set of medium sized and a set of small sized semps. I also asked for a fast growing red variety. These are the semps that he sent to me.

In the white (cobweb) type...
Arachnoideum var. tomentosum (small)
Kramer's Spinrad (large)
Zepheline (small)

fringed and tufted types...
Donar Rose (medium)
Sprite (small)
Velanovsky (medium)

yellow or charteuse shades...
Pekinese (small)

Light Green...
Clothilde (medium)
Zelebori (medium)

Mid Green shades...
Piloseum (medium)

Green with contrasting dark tips...
Reinhard (small)

Gold-Green
Titania (large)

Pink and Rose Shades
Fame (large)
Othello (large)

Bronze and Brown Shades
marmoreum 'Brunneifolium' (medium)

Bright red and terracotta shades
Ford's Spring (small)
Gay Jester (large)
Merkur (medium)
Spherette (medium)

Darker Reds
Cranberry (medium)
Crimsonette (Large)
Darjeeling (small)
Dusky (medium)
Dynamo (medium)
Granada (large)
Red Devil (medium)
Rubrum Borsch (medium)
Tordeur's Memory (medium)

Purple and Violet Shades
Bellott's Purple (large)
Damask (large)
Treebeard (medium)

Near blues, lilacs, lavendars
Big Blue (large)
Pacific Blue Ice (medium)
Virgil (medium)

other colour variations
Caliph's Hat (large)
Skrocki (large)

Jovibarba
Green Globe (small)

So, if these take well, does anyone want to do some trading starting next year or the year after?

There was such a variety that Jack from Cavandish Perennials sent me. I was really impressed. I have most of them planted up and am finding that he sent me 3-5 large rosettes of each with assorted medium sized and babies also.

For the farmer's market these are the types of containers I am making up. I am getting a lot of postive comments on them and have sold some also. Next year I would like to start using some of the semps that I just got from Cavandish and plant up more varieties of containers. I am finding that people are asking for the red colors of semps and also want to buy them individually, not just in a planter with other kinds of assorted semps and sedums.

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Brenda

Wow, what a great selection, Brenda. And your containers look super. Before I commit to a trade I have to figure out what's what in my garden - I'm not always great at remembering what's planted where...

I intend to be putting in a rather long retaining wall / alpine garden ... that I'll fill with all sorts of interesting dwarf plants, including tons of semps ... will definitely be placing an order to Cavendish!

Terry

I just got my second order of semps from Cavandish. These are the ones I decided that I really wanted, after the first order was already on its way, as well as the bonus plants that he sent to me.

aross
bascour silver
boromir
cleveland morgan
director jacobs
downland queen
edge of night
festival
frodo
frost and flame
frosty
gamma x tectorum
georgette
ginnie's delight
gloriosum
jasper
jet stream
jewel case
jungle fires
legolas
lively bug
lynn's choice
magnificum
packardian
plumb rose
raspberry ice
ruby heart
silver thaw
sunset
westerlin
whirligig

Now, to get time to plant them all out. I have all of them labelled and some planted already. It is amazing how different each of them are from the other!

Brenda

I love semps, but don't have a rock garden. I just play with them. This is this year's creation.

Kind of a neat looking ball.

How were you planning on overwintering the semps?

Brenda

Brenda, I've been pondering your question. When I planted the ball I wasn't thinking about overwintering the semps, but since they are doing quite nicely in there I think I will attempt it. If anyone has suggestions I would like to hear them. I have nothing to lose, however, as I do have more semps in the ground.

Can you hang it in a window in the house for the winter? Just don't water it too much.

Another possibility...this one might have to be done differently then what I am suggesting....

Dig a big hole, line it with straw. Once the ground is frozen and the ball is frozen, place it inside the hole, cover with more straw, then a board and more straw. Then first thing in the spring take it out so that it is not frozen in there so that it would get water logged or anything. I don't have any idea whether something like this would work or not. I would think you would want to keep dirt off the semps that are on the bottom and sides of the ball. This would be like putting the whole thing in 'cold storage'.

But, if the hole in the ground idea doesn't work, like you said...there are 'more semps in the ground'.

Let us know what you are going to do. Then, in the spring how it did.

Brenda

Last year i planted semps in a wooden trough planter. We didn't have a lot of snow last year but we had some cold weather after the snow melted and i think that's what did them in. In any case, they didn't survive. I was trying to think as well what you could do with that ball. The hole in the ground didn't occur to me - i was just thinking that you should somehow make sure it's well-protected with lots of snow cover. What about just laying it on the grass and cover with leaves and an empty container?

So, as I have been going through the yard I am finding that so far, all the semps that I planted last summer have made it through the winter....so... (as if I need more...)

Here is a list of semps and other perennials that Laurie and I received just over a week ago from Cavendish Perennials. They are all so different again from each other, it is amazing the variety of semps available. We had such a hard time even keeping the list this short.

Sempervivums
405 Adelmoed
012 Ajax
303 Akhenaten
R01 Alcithoe
017 Amanda
025 Aymon Correvaon
216 Black Velvet
308 Blush
339 Bowles Giant
310 Brown Owl
040 Bunny Girl
043 Butterfly
312 Canada Kate
402 Centurion
055 Clara Noyes
P02 Cresta
060 Crispyn
323 Dallas
325 Dark Cloud
329 Dyke
332 El Toro
069 Eminent
335 Eomer
W05 Eureka
076 Exorna
X01 Fame Montrose ...really neat thick colorful leaves.
338 Firebird
403 Ford's Shadow
084 Fuego
091 Glaucum Minor
555 Grapetone
343 Grammens
222 Granat
098 Grey Dawn
099 Greyfriars
100 Gypsy
346 Hayling
559 Heigham Red
105 Hey Hey
106 Icicle
350 Jungle Shadows
115 King George
356 Lilac Time
357 Limelight
361 Majestic
571 Maria Laach
129 Marmalade
138 Mulberry Wine
367 Ohio Burgundy
143 Pacific Devil's Food
374 Pacific Sexy
375 Pacific Sonata
147 Pacific Sparkler
149 Pallisander
157 Plastic
161 Purple Passion
382 Red Ace
383 Red Flush
166 Rosie
D05 Royanum
214 Saga
406 Silberspitz
390 Spice
178 Spring Mist
181 Starshine
394 Theoden
395 Thunder
L02 Truva
394 Twilight Blues
403 Unicorn
194 Viking
599 Wendy
400 Zenobia
401 Zulu

Other perennials...
Orostachyts...4 different varieties, including his own, Peach Perfect.
958 saxifrage paniculata
961 ternatum sedum

So, all of mine are planted up in my greenhouse, Laurie's are under the lights in her basement.

Now that they are already planted up I can transplant them anytime into their permanent spots in the yard...as I find a place for each.

Brenda

Brenda, thats quite the collection you ordered. I too ordered about a week ago. I'll probably put in another order in July when I have my new bed made. I need to buy some more sand.

AMANDA
APPLE BLOSSOM
CARNIVAL
CASA
CLARA NOYES
DARK CLOUD
FUZZY WUZZY
GAY JESTER
GRANADA
HESTER
KRAMERÂS SPINRAD
MARIA LAACH
PACIFIC DEVILÂS FOOD
PAX
PINK CHARM
PRAIRIE SUNSET
SILVER THAW
TIP TOP
UNICORN
VELANOVSKY
ZENOBIA

Sharon

I'm sure that between all of us, we've just about got every semp that Jack has!lol I wish the weather would smarten up so these could get planted outside all ready.

Here's mine, all 45 planted up ready to go out.

Brenda and I did a bit of searching on the net for orostachys and found some pretty cool pictures. So of course, we had to try a few ourselves. Most of the sites were classifying them as zone 5, so we shall see how they like our prairie winters.
But here's a pic of one type a week ago after I just planted it.

And here's the same one this morning. It's already growing in the center.

And Fame Monstrose is just soooo different looking.

Apparently it needs a bit of fertilizer to maintain it's "bulkiness", so I'll have to try to remember to do that.......I guess you could almost say it's on steroids!LOL

Just a note, Sharon...Appleblossom is one we also wanted and Jack was unable to supply it this year. I think he was possibly able to get it from a friend of his who had extra, but maybe I will order it next year...if I do an order then. I have about 150 different kinds of semps now...how many more do I need????

Great closeups, Laurie.

Brenda

I received my order in today and managed to get them all planted out too. Shucks, I didn't get Appleblossom as well.

However, he did give me a sub and some bonus plants. He is soooo nice and generous and I'll be placing another order with Jack for sure next year!

BLUSH
KING GEORGE
THUNDER
ROSIE
Orostachys spinosum

Happy Gardening!
Sharon

I'm crazy about them, too. My list is long, real long ....I have 1.700 plants, mostly named varieties and I mail my list on demand.
I swap ww. I am looking for popele to swap semps in 2009 with.

For those of you who would like to see more, you are invited to visit my sempervivum blog.

Here is a link that might be useful: my sempervivum blog

Thought I would resurrect this thread, because I just discovered Cavendish Perennials too! I really, REALLY wish he would put pictures in...I would have done so much more impulse buying, I'm sure. It took a lot of work to look everything up.

Here is what I ordered:

Raspberry Ice
Silberspitz
Silver Thaw
Limelight
Blush
Plastic
Reinhard
Rosie
Blue Boy
Lilac Time
Unicorn
Bronze Pastel
Dark Cloud
Fame Monstrose
Sanford's Hybrid

I'd love to see more pictures of everyones, and hear from anyone else who loves sempervivums!

Up until now, all I've gotten a couple of named cultivars from greenhouses, as well as a few mislabeled ones. I hate NOID's!!(not the plant, just the fact that I obsessively want to know who I have and have not got!)