Gardening with Paul Maher: touch of the exotic

A succulent plant is very different to other plants we grow. They store water in their fleshy leaves and stems, enabling them to survive very dry conditions. In their natural environment they can survive for many weeks without water.

When you travel to Mediterranean countries, you will undoubtedly see these plants in planting schemes. They require very little attention and always provide an attractive display.

You can create that feeling at home as they are plants that can live indoors with you for the winter and outdoors in pot displays for the summer, equally decorative in either environment.

Aeonium is a plant that I saw many years ago growing on top of a wall in Tresco on the Scilly Islands. It was hard to imagine how it could survive growing in that environment. Today, we grow them in pots in our garden, however, they will not tolerate the winter outdoors in Ireland. You will need to overwinter them in a sheltered area like a bright conservatory or greenhouse.

Striking plan

Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ is a striking plant with round succulent stems and black leaves. It is a conversation starter, always commanding attention and is easy to grow requiring open free draining compost and some watering. A. ‘Velour’ is very similar, varying in the bright green centres of the foliage. Both will grow to 60cm high.

Aeonium haworthii prefers more moisture and dappled shade. It is a plant for the long term as it can grow for many years. Another wonderful plant is A. canariense var. palmense from the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands where it grows on wet rocky slopes. It prefers to be dry during summer months growing in dappled shade. During winter it appreciates some watering.

At the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, a succulent display is featured during the summer months. It is a feature known as carpet bedding. The main species used is Echeveria elegans and E. glauca.These two plants are low growing, forming ground cover. They work wonderfully well in large pots or troughs too. They are easily propagated so a good stock can be created over a number of years.

Crassula arborescens grows to 60cm, commonly named the Silver Jade plant as the disc shaped leaves are silver grey, with a wine-coloured edge. C. ovata is an old favourite, known as the jade or money plant – it is similar in size and structure but rich green in colour. Grown in many homes in Ireland, it has been handed down from generation to generation.

Crassula ovata ‘Variegata’ is a variegated version. Its cream and white coloured leaves give it a very distinctive look. In full sunshine the leaves are tinted pink adding to the attraction. Again, it will grow for many years. You can grow both of these outdoors for the summer months in dappled shade.

Sempervivum, which means ‘to live forever’, is commonly known as the house leek. It is an interesting succulent plant and decorative too. It got its common name from the fact that it grows on roofs and gutters in its native range. It is said to protect the house it grows on from lightening.

Sempervivum arachnoideum, known as the cobweb houseleek is a low spreading plant. It is a mat-forming succulent plant that produces tight evergreen rosettes, 20mm wide of fleshy green leaves with cobwebby white hairs at their tips. The mother rosette spreads in all directions by horizontal stems to form offsets enlarging the clump. It is relatively hardy and can overwinter outdoors.

Sempervivum calcareum is a popular species with green leaves that have attractive reddish-purple tips to the leaves. It produces offsets freely for building up your collection or giving away as gifts.

Succulent plants must be sought out as they appear sporadically in garden centres. It’s best to interact with garden centre staff as they can help source them. They grow best in compost that has plenty of grit added providing free drainage.

My lilies are just starting to flower. However, the leaves are eaten and look bad. How can I remedy this? Mary, Co Carlow.

It is most likely you have an infestation of Lily Beetle. They are active on plants at the moment and feed on the foliage causing damage.

Carefully inspect your plants. What you are looking for are small red beetles. You need to remove these manually. Do this with care as they drop to the ground with any disturbance.

Place sheets of newspaper under your plant as you check the leaves. Then collect any beetles and dispatch them. Check also for larvae which covers itself in its own black excrement. Remove with a gloved hand.

Perennials: Early flowering perennials are now going out of flower. Remove spent flowers and cut back slightly to where new buds exist – you may get a second flush of flower. Tie in sweet pea and remove any seed pods.

Bulbs:All pot grown bulbs for last spring’s display now need repotting in fresh compost. Use good quality soil-based compost.

Shrubs:Early flowering shrubs such as Forsythia and Kerria need to have flowering stems removed to encourage new growth.

Roses: As soon as roses start to shed their petals prune back the flower stem to where the next pair of buds are, usually to the next pair of leaves.