I've been repotting a LOT of succulents. I bought some NOID semps locally for a song. I bought 3 pots but the photo shows two since I'd already pulled one apart.

I'd been saving one chicken planter since a failed semp planting attempt a year or two ago. I added the larger one recently. I planted both and a couple more. The Italian pasta bowl is an experiment. I wish the brighter colors had been on the outside. The Italian chicken "planter" may have been a pasta bowl. I'm not really sure. But I drilled a hole in it anyway.

Fingers crossed that I have better luck this time. I did make the soil MUCH leaner than usual hoping to take water out of the failure equation. Anyway, the pics are below. Anyone else?

I don't do semps or little pots. If I did, I'd aim for that look. Fantastic, love 'em!

Since I've been unable to keep them alive planted in the ground, I thought I'd handle them like other succulents and banish them to the dungeon in winter.

In Seattle last month visiting a friend and noticed her staircase rock support had big growth of Semp. tectorum attached. Asked permission, got some and planted them up with accompanying smaller purple Noids and some Sedum bits lying around. Used a planter I've had around for years in previous projects.

One pic in sun:

and other in shade:

I want these semps to fill these pots. Would top dressing interfere with that?

Not really. The new offsets will appear in between/amongst the lower leaves of the mother rosette. Filling in of the pots will depend on how many offsets are produced and thrive. Also different cultivars may have different patterns of offset production. Some offset growth will completely surround the mother rosette while others may appear sporadically along the periphery. When the offsets get larger, I will sometimes separate a few from the large rosette and replant them in the empty spaces that I want to be filled.

Wow! Urban, you make me want to get outside and plant up some containers. Those are awesome!
Using top dressing will help keep them healthy on the undersides. I would definitely top dress. The roots will grow down through the gravel.

Here is one I did a couple of years ago.


It is not as colorful as yours. I think I have some colorful containers in the shed. Going to check and see.

Lynn, you think you have any containers left after you let me into your shed in 2018

You only took the very small containers Bev. I have lots of the medium to large pots.

You held out on me????

UrbanWild,
I love the chicken pots, very appropriate for your choice of plant too easy! I'm sure they'll fill in nice, especially with a good gravel top dressing.

Bev,
I've had some bonsai pots laying around that I keep wanting to plant semps in, your planting does look attractive, maybe when the weather gets cooler I'll have to give it a shot.

Lynn,
Speaking of bonsai, that earth-tone crevice garden look captures the sort of natural beauty those enthusiasts strive for. An inspiring composition.

-Sol

Thank you Sol. I am trying to come up with a bit taller plant that can work in the back third of the bowl.
I am so thankful to Julia for introducing me to tiny crevice gardening. I am getting ready to do another one soon.

Absolutely Lynn,
Maybe one of the smaller sunsparklers, or sedum 'Pork 'n beans'? I have this big, gorgeous delosperma NoID that sits up a good 2.5" + a little more when it's gets some well established mounding going on, that'd look nice in there too. Of course I'm sure you won't have any trouble coming up with something with a garden collection like yours.
I have seen some photos of Julia's work online, it's pretty impressive stuff.
-Sol

Julia is an amazing gardener.

valleylynn said: Wow! Urban, you make me want to get outside and plant up some containers. Those are awesome!
Using top dressing will help keep them healthy on the undersides. I would definitely top dress. The roots will grow down through the gravel.

Here is one I did a couple of years ago.


It is not as colorful as yours. I think I have some colorful containers in the shed. Going to check and see.

Now you have me looking for an appropriate pot to do this as well!!! If I get into trouble, I'm blaming you!!!

I can't wait to see what you create, UrbanWild.

I keep wanting to sculpt some nice simple wide mouthed shallow pots that'd make sense for that sort of planting, nothing fancy, maybe just a little texture on the rim to accent the natural look.
-Sol