Thursday 30 May 2013

Semper vivum

before

Houseleeks are pretty much indestructible, if you keep them from waterlogging. I like them very much and often get tempted by a new form when I'm at a garden centre. This trough* has been planted up for several years and gets the usual poor treatment. It sits on a window sill and apart from removing the odd weed seedling I don't do much for it. As a result the sempervivums are stunted and losing a lot of the character that made me choose them in the first place.

Compare and contrast if you will with the ones below, propagated by division from the above last year and potted up into fresh compost this spring about six weeks ago. I'm sure the old trough above is doing a sterling job in deflecting lightning strike but the new is considerably more decorative.

*troughs are approximately the same length.
 
after

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