My  family and I celebrate Christmas, and this year was an awesome year for plant gifts! Pictured here is a planter my partner made out of an old Webster’s dictionary. He was able too cut through the cover and 500 pages as well as coat the pages in glue so it would stay sealed. The center is covered in a plastic coating so that water and soil don’t leak into the body of the book. On the left are two Kalanchoe humilis and on the right is Echevaria pulvinata. The Kalanchoe humilis are currently in the process of blooming, which is funny because they’re actually supposed to bloom in mid-summer! The blooms are typically pink or purple in color and are smaller in size. I’ll be sure to post pictures once they bloom. The Echevaria pulvinata seems to be doing just fine as well and has two new buds to prove it! This variety is supposed to bloom in late winter or early spring. If I can get it to bloom, I’ll be super excited!  I’ve had difficulty keeping succulents like these healthy, so I’m relieved they are doing so well.

For those who are interested in learning more about these varieties or other succulents/cacti, you can visit these sites: San Marcos Growers and Dave’s Garden. They have excellent, thorough information about succulent care and origin. If you’re interested in making your own book plater, you should check out this tutorial. And if you’re not DIY inclined, you can buy one here.

Happy holidays!