We often think of Galveston as a tropical island and so we plant these gorgeous, large-leaved, big-flowered plants. However, our best tropical landscapes here often require a little bit of irrigation help. Succulents, both real and artificial, are very much in fashion at the moment and can really do well here on the island.
In the Garden
There are many ways to incorporate succulents into your Galveston landscape. You don't have to have the century plant that gets so large; smaller agaves are often quite colorful and interesting. There are also plants like Manfreda or Hesperaloe (often called red yucca). I'm quite fond of the blooming, perennial succulents like Delosperma or Bulbine. Be careful of the groundcover succulents, they aren't always sturdy enough for our heat/humidity.
In Planters
Succulents are my favorite plants for beachside planters. There are a great many that can stand up to the constant barrage of salt. I often use cylindrical sansevieria for an upright plant, ice-plant to trail down, and dwarf crown-of-thorns to bloom at the mid-level. There are many different combinations and it is ever so fun to experiment with them.
Artificial
We often see images online that don't turn out well when we try to create them for ourselves. I love all the pretty succulent planters...and I hate it when my recreation keeps dying. Many of the succulent images online are actually artificial succulents. They can look good on a coffee table of a living room, set up underneath a house on pilings where sunlight never actually reaches, as well as on substrate that isn't deep enough to support living succulents. Stop by the nursery to look at all the artificial succulents we carry in our gift shop. We can even make up an arrangement just for you.
