“Designing with Succulentsis inspiring, practical, and complete—a treasure for any gardener who loves these otherworldly beauties.” —Kathleen N. Brenzel,Sunset
Succulents offer dazzling possibilities and require very little maintenance to remain lush and alluring year-round. No one knows them better than the Queen of Succulents, Debra Lee Baldwin. This new, completely revised edition of her bestselling classic is a design compendium that is as practical as it is inspirational.Designing with Succulentsshares design and cultivation basics, hundreds of succulent plant recommendations, and 50 companion plant profiles. Lavishly illustrated with 400 photographs, you’ll find everything you need to visualize, create, and nurture a thriving, water-smart succulent garden.
Debra Lee Baldwin, an award-winning photojournalist, is widely hailed as the “Queen of Succulents.” She helped launched the gardening world’s interest in succulents with her first book,Designing with Succulents, and with her two other booksSucculent Container GardensandSucculents Simplified. Baldwin’s own half-acre garden has been featured inBetter Homes and Gardens,Sunset,San Diego Home and Garden, and other publications.
Introduction
Succulent describes any plant that survives drought by storing water in its leaves, stems, or roots. These plants were far from my mind when I began gardening in my early thirties. Because I wanted big, bold, beautiful flowers, I planted cannas and rose bushes, despite the fact that in southern California (USDA zone 9) rain falls minimally and mostly in February, the soil lacks nutrients, and inland temperatures range from 25 to 105°F. From spring through fall, such plants continually need mulching, fertilizing, pruning, spraying, irrigating, and deadheadinglÓ-
![Designing with Succulents [Hardcover]](/itemImage/2/4/0/1/2_97965.jpg "Designing with Succulents [Hardcover]")