My nephew, Ross, visited me recently and told me, after his first year of growing tomato plants in pots and purchasing tomato starts from me, that he had no idea I was growing tomato plants from seed and selling them before this year. He continued to say, “I thought you only sold succulents!”

Well, it is kind of ironic, isn’t it? That your own family member may not be aware, although I swear I post so much online, that I have been growing tomato starts the past few years.

It is true that I do a lot with succulents. In fact, I really want to start on writing some PDFs or an online book of trusted methods I’ve learned about succulents. But succulents are not my only plant passion or focus, that is for sure.

However, because succulents have been a highlight over the past few years, I thought I’d share a container garden I did this year for a client.

The tall blue glazed pot matches other succulent dish gardens on their tables and this was a new addition to their list of beautiful embellishments on their balcony. I searched out a tall heavy pot and succulents are a perfect fit for this full sun location.

You can see in the photo above, the succulents are starting to bloom. The long stems are gracefully rising above the plants and the blooms are on the ends. Hummingbirds will visit the blooms but I’m not sure they go that high! Their balcony is up there!

However, the clients once told me that they heard a loud noise coming from another planter on their balcony, and low and behold, they found a tree frog. Sometimes tree frogs make their way into nursery pots. I can not imagine I planted a plant without seeing it – but it is either that or that darn tree frog made its way up high that is for sure.

Here is a photo of the left and right sides of this planter with the succulents. I love mixing the various textures and tones of succulent plants, which are extremely drought tolerant, and love sun (most of them).

These clients take good care of watering their planters, and these plants will grow rapidly as a result of care, sun, and great soil along with a top dress of pea gravel to help with moisture retention plus it looks pretty and finished, in my opinion, and per my recommendations to the clients.

Every time I install plants for my clients, I also give them instructions, care tips, and plant information. But I do more than “just succulents” (as my nephew noted last weekend). Now he knows, and you know, if you are new to this blog.

I will be sharing more about the individual succulent plants in the blue pot above, but I also wanted to repeat – that I also sell tomato starts in the early spring (all grown from seed, certified organic, and unique varieties), and I also offer workshops (but those are all on hold this year due to COVID-19), and I create unique things with plants. And I install container gardens of many types of plants.

In the fall, I make succulent topped pumpkin centerpieces, and in the winter, I make custom wreaths and kissing balls with gorgeous mixes of fresh evergreens, and I also make custom unique plant gifts (dish gardens, hanging globes, succulents in small containers, or other types of containers, and more).

I work or should say, design, with big tropical plants, various perennials and annuals, succulents, cacti, and vegetables. I guess you could say I have dabbled in a lot of types of plant creations.

Ross discovered that it was more than just succulents this year. He said he had time due to COVID-19, so he started reading, researching, and learning about tomato plants. This could be just the start of his plant passion. Here is he in a photo below.

I am thoroughly pleased that my nephew, Ross, discovered my tomatoes. He told me of the plants he got, mine are performing the best – he said they grew faster than others. Of course, this made me very happy. And to see his excitement of having tomatoes on the plants is very rewarding. I guess he picked up the same gene from my father – the plant obsession gene. I told his Mom, enjoy this – he has a new passion. And now he and I have a huge topic to discuss at family gatherings. 🙂

Cathy Testa
860-977-9473
containercathy@gmail.com
http://www.WORKSHOPSCT.com
http://www.ContainerGardensCT.com
http://www.ContainerCrazyCT.com (this blog)