It’s truly summer now. The days are long and warm (except, of course, in San Francisco), and there’s so much to pull us outdoors –the garden, the grill, the pool, the beach, the sun. (Julia’s favorite new word is “outside.”) Usually, one of the last things I feel like doing is fussing with plants and flowers for the house. And, if I do, the heat can be murder, particularly during the weekdays when the Southampton house is generally vacant and un-air conditioned, and weekends when the city place is empty and hot.
Succulents are a nice solution to this predicament. They come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors, love the heat, grow slowly and can easily go a week or two without water. I like to cluster them in containers than I can move from coffee table, to kitchen counter to dining table as the need for green arises. Single plants or smaller arrangements also work well in bedrooms and bathrooms — anywhere a more industrious homemaker would keep fresh flowers or plants.
Specialized potting soil for cactus succulents (available at all nurseries) keeps them fresh and well-drained, and some sand or gravel on top keeps them looking neat. Last year I was into mixed displays of succulents, but this summer I think clusters of a single variety look cleaner and more dramatic. My current favorites are the red-tinged “flapjacks” pictured above, but I’ve got my eye on some beautiful agave specimens for the kitchen.
