Cactus sunset

Black ink and watercolour sketch of a cactus sunset

Guardian against sunset 

the ancient cactus stands …

Echeveria seedlings

Black ink sketch of Echeveria seedlings on note paper 

How does Mother Nature do it?! Succulents make me so happy! They don't ask for much, they just do their own thing and reward one with display after display of beautiful flowers. And mostly they are so easy to grow, like this Echeveria imbricata. Just take a few leaves, stick them in some soil and voila! in no time you have a few new friends.

Echeveria imbricata

Ink sketch and watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour sketch-book – 8″ × 5″

I’m absolutely mad about Echeverias and have a small section in my garden set aside just for them. My collection started off in the late 70’s when my father gave me three rosettes in a pot, which I transplanted into a rockery and soon they covered the whole area. Since then I have given away hundreds to friends, the geese got out of the pond area and made a hearty meal of them and they’ve survived many of the severe frosts we get in our area.