And one more, (Maybe)

Anyway, I want to do something like this. I've been collecting.

Oh WOW! That looks so nice. I bet you can do that in your area so easily. Is that all lava type rock? That is so darn pretty. Never new cacti could be so pretty and it looks so colorful too. Another thing I never thought of when thinking of cacti.

Well, not awful fond of prickly things. I will probably hypertuffa some of my own rocks. But I saw this and I want it or my own version of it. Cool, huh?

Now THAT is a great idea. Then you can get the spaces for the plants all set up. I cannot wait to see that. What have you got for it so far and do you know right where you are going to put it? Will you be able to have sand walkways or will it just blow away? This is a really neat project and I cannot wait to see it come about.

Well, I have to revamp an area by my pond. And I'm planning on a little at a time. And sand will stay where I want it but I may use some crushed shells as well. I'm just playing with the whole idea and collecting suitable plants right now.
Different succ's have such architecture all on their own. This is such a great way to showcase them.

Ok, so all of those were succulents, not cacti. Is the difference just the pricklies? Or is there some major "structural" difference as well. Know what I mean.

It really is a good way to showcase them especially if you are making your own rock that you can add a bit of color to if you want to show off something even more.

The last pic is a true cactus. Christmas cactus is also a true cactus. Not all cactus have thorns or prickles. And some other succ's do have thorns; euphobias and agaves to name two. Just where ever possible I avoid thorns. But for some of the forms or blooms I can tolerate some thorns.

If it looks good enough, I would do thorns as well. I found out the Japanese Bayberry in front of the house is FULL of thorns, but it is so pretty....

Tina - those pictures are terrific!
I'd love to have something like that as well, but unfortunately can't here in zone 6, so I collect all sorts of cacti and succulents for indoors. Some go out on the deck for the summer, where they get a really nice red coloration.

The third picture struck me as an octopus when I first saw it - neat!

The top picture reminds me of Sarah's aquariums!

Can't wait to see how yours turns out!

I saw these pics a few months ago and have been dreaming/planning my own version. Because it's so cool. I want to do it by my pond because that's the best spot I have for it. We'll see how it all works out.

I have succ's in waiting. First one side of my shade house

Closer (the one on the left is called 'Drunkard's Dream -cool name, huh?)
And another

A few more

And

Last
And I have other's around my yard to add. I am serious about doing something like this.

WOW! You have all the plants you need for it Tina, now you just need to get the rocks in place. Those are some neat looking plants!

We can do it in our zone 6 with hardy succulents. I saw this on another forum also and I am doing two. One of hardy succulents outside and one in an aquarium inside for the tender sedums.

Here are some hardy succulents that are for zone 5-8

Hi Cinta (aka audwoman) I, uh, borrowed that project from the same "other forum". I didn't know you were you until I just saw your name on your album. It's nice to spread the gardening cheer around.

Tina, I LOVE those pics of you next dream project. It inspired me to do something on a much smaller scale to have in my house. I live in a quite moist zone so I wouldn't be able to have anything like that outside here. Thanks for the inspiration, I can't wait to see how your project turns out.

What are those cinta?

Yes Tina, spread the wealth. I have been collecting also. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. I have the plants I just need to figure out the rocks so it does not cost a fortune. LOL!

Triss they are hardy succulents. We can grow colorful succulents in our zone. They live under snow and ice. I will PM you a site to check them out.

Do you know the names though? That look really cool. What zone are you in? I do not recognize "Penna".

I am zone 5/6. Pennsylvania is North.

I am sorry I said look under Succulents I meant Sedum.
There are many in the pot some are.

Sedum anacampseros
Sedum cauticola
Sedum dasyphyllum 'Lilac Mound'
Sedum dasyphyllum 'Luigi Pirandello'
Sedum hispanicum

Thanks for that cinta!

Cinta, down in Banter Hall, in Coffee house 297 on page 5 & 6 there are a photo of the same plant. Can you look at it? I think it's a sedum of some sort.

Jonni, It looks like Sedum anacampseros.

Thank-you. I went back and looked as well and found a post I'd missed before. Some one IDed it as donkey spurge? Is that a common name for the anacamseros? Or are we talking two different plants here?
Oh and please call me Tina. When I registered I got it backwards. Jonni is my daughter and I use her name for alter egoes all the time.

Cinta is my daughter's name. LOL. Yep, they are in the same family. But anacamseros grows the same but is hardy for my area.

Thank-you, Cinta/Aud

Here are some of my succ's waiting their turn to be showcased. Mean while they are planted around the yard.
This is a partrige breast aloe in bloom

And a platter plant. This is about 12" across and hugs the ground flat

Fancy frills

aeonium atropurpurium
This one has carbuncles. It's so weird and woonderful
And the last one today

Those are all very cool Tina. Very unique plants!

Terrific plants, Tina!

I wish Jillie was here - she and JoAnn had a wonderful collection of succulents, and lived just outside of Hollywood.

She would love the plans you are making for this special garden.

Tina, that is just way awesome! I love the look...you will have to take lots of pics when you get started!

Before, during and after I saw it a few monthes ago and have been dreaming, planning and stocking up for it ever since.

Oh great ideas and wonderful plants everyone!

Tina, some more of what I have collected. We have both been deaming about that pic.

I have most of those, too. are they hardy in your zone or are they for your aquarium? And What is the last one? I don't have that one.

These are for the aquarium. Not hardy for my zone.

The last one is a bromelaid so it will do really good in the aquaium. I plan to use that one as a replacement for the octopus look.

I just bought some of the cryptanthus (bromeliad) last week at Home Depot -
I posted these pictures in a CH then, but it's worth reposting them here now.
It said that they like conditions similar to AVs.

I knew I had seen them before, recently.

Those are beautiful. I think they may be my next collection passion.

Yes they do come in different colors. I have a sight book marked there 1,000s of colors.

plants 'n pots, I cannot see the one in the back real clear. That one looks like a sanseveria birds nest. If it is a Sans it does not like the same conditions as Bromelaids. I have one in my album in a elephant pot. Look at it and see if it is similar.

Cinta - the one in the background is a snake plant - I had just photographed my new purchases together at first. Thanks for pointing that out.

I moved the photos at the beginning of this thread because they were not my own. Sorry.

I have my first rock for my succ garden. I'm getting there.

Great colors in that rock - nice shape too!

Tina, I like, I like.....

Pennsylvania has so many rocks I wish I could stop the car when I see one but they are always on a highway.

I am torn if I want to do my other succulent garden in the Pennsylvania rock color or if I want to go with a beige.

That's a natural lava rock. It's light weight-wise in comparison to our local boulders of the same size but still pretty heavy. It's a touch under three ft. tall and two wide at the base. I want fairly colorful rocks for mine.

That is a great rock Tina. Did you have it on your property already? Do you need to go on a rock hunt too? I am gearing up for one!

I'm going to try to make some of my own rocks for this project, because I want them large with nooks and crannies for the plants. I've been planning and plotting for awhile now.
Enjoy your rock hunting. I've been there done that.

I knew you wanted to do some hypertuffa rocks. Those will be really cool!

I think my plan now is to see how colorful the plants I am able to find as to if the plants will look better against the beige river rocks or the desert red color.

I was looking at the designs he has created have been done both ways.

Does anyone have any ideas about what types of plants I should use for my indor cacti and succulants garden?

Becky, I don't know much about indoor plants of any kind. Start a new thread and ask your question again. There are more knowlegable people than I around. And it will get noticed.

Thanks Tina!

I'm getting pretty serious. Here is the corner that I'm going to begin this project. Before:

And afer I dug up three 15 year old Lady Banks roses and a 10 year old Passionfruit vine:

This perspective will be the 'backside' of the garden.

WOW, that is some big change there Tina!

I'll say! From jungle to seabed. It's going to be big. I have soooo much digging to do.

It is very exciting though. That is a HUGE space you are transforming.

That first is not a true before pic because that shrubbery went around that tree on the left all the way to that black pot on the right. I started cutting things back before I remembered my camera. Lot's of brush hauling today.

Now is the area going to be from the tree on the left to the tree on the right and all the way forward to the "concrete" area where the truck is?

OK, the plan right now is for it to start at the bare dirt right in the front of the 'after' pic; go left(ish) to where that black pot is. Then a 90* turn to the next black pot. That's my pond on the right. It's about 14 ft (turn) 12 ft.
I have a lot of rocks to make.

That is a lot of space and a lot of rocks. You already have one rock right? Any others waiting in the wings?

I would like to anchor the corners with at least four foot rocks. We'll see what I can manage.

Yep, those are some BIG rocks!

I may need to borrow Cindy's backhoe.

Or a crane. Anyone have a crane???

Actually, If I need equipment,I have friends. I do lot's of favors like dog-sitting and watering plants, etc. I can ask for returns favors. It's cool. I love the barter system. It works so much better than cash.

It sure does!

You are going BIG; LOL!!! I am going 5' around and about 5' high. Spit in the bucket compared to your project.

Well, I couldn't find a smaller place to put it where it wouldn't look odd.

And I've got the old man kinda getting interested as well. If he doesn't try to take over he could be a big help.

I posted pics of my pond that is right next to this down in water gardens.

Great collections of plants, Tina.
Donna

Thank you