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Aug 26, 2015 2:38 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Michael
Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany
Sempervivums Hybridizer Container Gardener Cactus and Succulents Region: Europe Garden Ideas: Level 1
Hello,

I just took some fotos of my collection.
As we are living in the fourth floor with a larger balcony where sempervivum have to share the space with lots of other plants, I planted them in shallow plates of different sizes. This allows me to re-arrange or re-position them if sun is to intense or we are expecting longer rain.
Few of my sempervivum are named so I assigned numbers to them for identification.

This is my first plate everything started with last year...

Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/eea8f4

Then I came up with the "ingenious" idea to reuse my old working chair we had accidently left outside the whole winter. Picture number one is taken in May, number two just yesterday after slight rearrangement and replacement of the type in the background by a jovibarba (as all 24 rosettes decided to bloom at the same time). The variety in the lower left is my current favourite and took part in many crosses I made this year...

Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/44b7d0 Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/dc160d

Here are some more of my plates featuring some beautiful NOIDs...

Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/a80359 Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/aecbf3

Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/e1bba3 Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/2ec1c8

Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/20a2d3

Then there are these ones I bought in Italy after having searched a number of nurseries for sempervivum (it seems they're not as commen as garden plants in Italy as in Germany)...

Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/b4da39

and finally my first named varieties! According to the small nursery where I bought them there should be in the first plate: Plastic, Bronco (bought as Irazu), Donarrose, Noir, Reinhard, Heighham Red (labelled as Heighmann's Red) and Sapa. In the second there are Zannalee and Pacific Red Tide among three other non-identified varieties...

Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/b4b60c Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/945336

The sempervivum offspring have already conquered the other pots and are hiding everywhere...

Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/363696

together with some former single rosettes now about to form small colonies to become official (numbered) members of the collection.

Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/82f7c7 Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/711bb7 Thumb of 2015-08-26/parttimegardener/c71d48

So far about my collection, hope you like the fotos.

Regards,

Michael
Last edited by parttimegardener Aug 26, 2015 2:48 PM Icon for preview
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Aug 26, 2015 5:18 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Lynn
Oregon City, OR (Zone 8b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Database Moderator
Forum moderator I helped beta test the first seed swap Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Master Level
Hurray!
Wonderful photos Michael. I love the geometric designs you have created with different sizes and textures of the sempervivum. Wonderful to look at.
And they are all so healthy looking.
I look forward to seeing what you get from your crosses. Hurray!
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Aug 26, 2015 5:25 PM CST
Ireland . (Zone 9a)
Welcome! Welcome to ATP Michael. It looks like you're going to need an even bigger balcony very soon . Rolling on the floor laughing
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Aug 27, 2015 10:40 PM CST
Name: Bev
Salem OR (Zone 8a)
Container Gardener Foliage Fan Sempervivums Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Garden Ideas: Master Level
I agree Yes, Welcome Michael! Thank you for sharing your collection with us. I think your Noids look great as they are members of an evolving pattern/design within your shallow plates.
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Aug 28, 2015 11:04 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Michael
Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany
Sempervivums Hybridizer Container Gardener Cactus and Succulents Region: Europe Garden Ideas: Level 1
Actually I did not think about planting them in a special pattern (although I could have...). I just always bought them in batches of 3 to 5 different types at a time until now and planted each batch in one plate. Having round plates and a certain number of semps I just cut the cake in "even" pieces (thirds, quarters,....) I found this the easiest way to grow them in compact carpetlike groups (I don't like clumps where offsets finally suppress the mother plant ) and to fit all types purchased in the plate. As the availability of rosettes in different types varies a lot the pieces have become a bit uneven... Whistling

Growing them in groups allows me to just take a foto from above, stick a small round adhesive marker close to each group on the foto and write the plant identification number on the marker (I made my own markers by using a hole puncher for paper and some bigger white adhesive labels). Then I store this "identification map" of the plate in my sempervivum folder and do not have to worry that next time I check my plates I will not remember what type they are. With spirals or other patterns that you could easily do with sempervivum this would not be possible... Big Grin Once I have a real garden I will give organized patterns or semp pictures a try... Hilarious!

Paddy's right, actually I was planning to stop collecting at this point and keep the remaining space for F1...next year there will be far more sempervivum plates than hot pepper plants on my balcony nodding
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Aug 29, 2015 3:44 AM CST
Name: David Ross
Liverpool, United Kingdom
Sempervivums
Just wanted to say how inspiring your photos are for me being fairly new to semps. I have a few unused pots and will follow your lead and try geometric gardening. Thumbs up
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Aug 29, 2015 6:14 AM CST
Name: Chris
Ripon, Wisconsin
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Seller of Garden Stuff I sent a postcard to Randy!
Sempervivums Sedums Region: Wisconsin Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer
What a wonderful collection Michael! And a good way to identify them also. I think you've been bitten by the semp bug and will be expanding your collection even more. I'm looking forward to seeing your crosses too.

Ivez152, Welcome! to ATP and the Semp Forum! Wonderful to have you here. I'm sure you'll find lots of inspiration. We'd love to see photos of your plants too!
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