the hive's been a'buzzin

This Succulent Sister has been one busy bee. The Jenna Druck Foundation put on a fabulous event this week with Suze Orman in support of their Young Women's Leadership program and we were lucky enough to bring in the centerpieces! Manned with the biggest box of glass vases we've seen, a collection of jade and tiffany blue glass pebbles, plus a ton of plants from Green Gardens and the Succulent Sister garden, we pieced together a multitude of different arrangments to fit the bill. And it was a blast. Our fave pick is the gal up top. Have you seen a prettier shade of purple? It practically glows. To be honest, we really miss this one! A member of our patio garden ever since the beginning of it all, this rescued succulent came in looking a little rough. We took good care and soon enough, she was absolutely perfect. Here's hoping she found a good home. New owner, if you're out there...give us a shout out. And um, maybe even a photo or two?

nurseries a plenty

While we love our local Green Gardens (words cannot nearly express it!), this Saturday called for a foray into the unknown. We were in search of new and unusual succulents, and we found plenty at a little place called Barrels & Branches, tucked away in Encinitas. A sizeable, friendly nursery - there are even a couple of cute pooches roaming the grounds, stopping by every now and then to say hello to their guests - Barrels & Branches is full of fun stuff for the gardening enthusiast. They have a ton of split rocks and...they even have air plants. That scores major points from the SS team.

There is a killer collection of cool handmade pots too, like this one with a chocolate colored octopus curling her tentacles along the bottom. B & B also has a massive selection of succulents in all sizes that are nicely priced to boot. And, don't miss the pebbles - from chalk white to cobalt blue, they've got all sorts of options to suit your succs!

So folks, Barrels & Branches is a must-visit on our list if you plan to venture into north county anytime soon. Or if you just need some sweet succulents!

our present

To preface this entry, I would like to officially highly recommend picking up some gloves before handling a spiky fellow like the tall cactus in the middle. I'm pretty sure there are still some little stickers in my right arm.  Yowza.

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Anyways, this week, Succulent Sister got a fabulous opportunity to donate a piece of work to a neat event. - The Butterfly Effect, benefiting the Jenna Druck Foundation's Young Women's Leadership Program. Here is our gift, a playful grouping of spiky, floral and leafy dudes in sunwashed aloes and deep greens.  Love the mix of light jade and seafoam green pebbles, which you can find at Barrels and Branches and KRC Rock (a serious spot in Santee with a menagerie of rocks, pebble and glass). Paired with a sky blue, sea-inspired ceramic pot featuring multi-colored kelp, it's a fun, beachy friend for a bright bedroom, an office or a sunny patio. Can't wait for the lucky winner to take this guy home.

hey mom!

Fashioned a fabulous Mother's Day gift out of succulents and a votive (plus some rad jade pebbles - be still my heart).  I adore the green sunburst floral fellow with all of the wee ones coming out from underneath in this silvery votive. Hope Mom likes it.

succulent scavenging

Inspired by the gorgeous beachy weather, the Succulent Sister team manned the bikes and took to the streets in search of succulents. We spotted lovely specimens from the Athenaeum to WindanSea and everywhere in between. Here are our findings...

Found these fab dudes on Girard in front of Warwicks. Really, really striking mix of colors. (By the way, there was some trash in one of the containers and it made me think - how could someone throw trash on a succulent?!) Anyways, the gardens were designed by a local guy, Lance Greer. Very cool, Lance.

Walking by the Athenaeum, I saw succulents I have never seen before (again!) and had to take a few shots. The neon green floral fellows were my favorite.

We swung by one of our favorite places to scope out succulents. I most definitely cannot divulge the location - I've been sworn to secrecy, really - but it's a fun place to happen upon. And I hope you do. If you look closely, through the weeds and the grasses, you'll find them in there.

We took the long way home along the ocean, spotting lots of homes with succulents. I loved this place - a red painted door paired with this sweet little planter spilling over with purple, blushing succulents.

Go succulent scavenging, friends! Take your bikes out and take them for a spin around the neighborhood - you'll be surprised by how many you start to see.