Talking with Succulents: Beauty Shines on the Eyes, Love Lights Up the Soul

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Thanks to the author [Youyou] for theoriginal submissionsharing

Submission date: 2018-04-02

Edited and compiled by: Encyclopedia Jun

Location: Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province

Russell once said, "Whenever I talk with a great scientist, I feel certain that there is no hope for happiness in this life. But whenever I talk with my garden, I am convinced that life is full of sunshine." The endless turmoil of the human world always leaves people bewildered and gloomy, but nature always bathes us in brilliant sunshine. Talking with my succulents is a heart-to-heart exchange, a collision of love and sincerity. The human heart is as soft as a flower, while succulents are as strong as a shield; each offers up a sincere heart, illuminating and healing each other. In my time of growing succulents, with succulents as companions, every day feels like basking in spring light.

My fate with succulents began with this Graptopetalum paraguayense that my younger brother bought, I think in 2015. It looks ordinary, its color is nothing special, yet it has tenacious vitality, grows without any trouble even in garden soil, and has super strong propagation ability, constantly producing pups, with a 100 percent success rate for leaf propagation.

As the evening sunlight falls, the leaves of the Graptopetalum paraguayense have a silky feel, and the afterglow of the setting sun reflects her incomparably beautiful figure. This is how she looked in February 2018.

A leaf-propagated Graptopetalum paraguayense, experiencing the continuation of life and joy; at this time the Graptopetalum paraguayense is so pink and cute.

In January 2018, the Graptopetalum paraguayense in bloom.

Though the flowers of the Graptopetalum paraguayense are small, they fully release her beauty, releasing undisguised love and sincerity. Although there is no splendor of a sea of blooming flowers, she still has her own firmly held inner beauty.

April 1, 2018, how the Graptopetalum paraguayense looks.

My first succulent, a double-headed Peach Egg. Bought in March 2017 for 50 yuan, I felt a bit pained by the expense, and afterward wondered if I had been fooled by the seller. But who cares, as long as I like it. O(∩_∩)O haha~

After a summer of leggy growth, it turned into this, a bit pinkish-white.

April 1, 2018, after enduring the trials of a full cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, I changed its pot, and the Peach Egg transformed, becoming a beautiful peach grove fairy.

The morning sunlight shines on its pink face, glowing with beauty.

An Echeveria 'Allen' bought in November 2017, now growing more and more like a Peach Egg, pink and tender.

Sedum adolphi and Sedum adolphi 'Green' bought in November 2017; they feel like two sisters.

The current Sedum adolphi 'Green', grown bigger, more and more beautiful.

The current Sedum adolphi, shining just as brightly in the sun.

Aeonium 'Sunburst' bought in November 2017.

This is how she looks now, having produced many pups, and also appearing in full dress, just like her name, showing the radiance under the bright sun.

Also bought last November, the Sedum morganianum, always reminding one of Thousand-Hand Guanyin, now beginning to have cute little fingertips.

The beheaded Sedum nussbaumerianum has produced many pups, beautiful from every angle with no dead spots.

This is the head cut off from the Sedum nussbaumerianum; two became three, and it also grew into gorgeous colors.

This is how the above two pots of Sedum nussbaumerianum looked when combined; truly amazing is the power of time and her perfectly turned-around vitality.

The Sedum clavatum grown in a small pot is also desperately blooming with its own beauty, not failing the good spring days.

Suddenly a little butterfly came to visit, contrasting beautifully with the succulents. Later I found it came with ill intent, actually laying eggs on the succulents, so I decisively removed it.

The adorable Bear's Paw, with red claw tips that tickle the heart, silently keeping love deep in the heart.

Sedum rubrotinctum

Graptopetalum paraguayense 'Hime'

Echeveria 'Bitao'

Xi'an's climate is characterized by short springs and autumns and long winters and summers, and during spring the four seasons often play in random order, with temperatures changing like a cliff, catching people off guard. Now that it has just entered April, the temperature has already soared to 31 or 32 degrees, feeling like summer could arrive any minute.

I am a balcony grower, and the space for growing succulents is very limited, so many varieties I can only look at, not buy, because there is no room at home. In one year of growing succulents, I have also gone through all four seasons; I do not grow many, but they are all doing well, and I have not lost a single one. The soil I use is a mix of store-bought nutrient soil, granules, and coconut coir, with no specific ratio, quite casual haha. Watering is basically soak thoroughly after drying out completely; water less in winter, and more in spring; a small bamboo skewer is a beginner's magic tool haha. I do not use grow lights, fertilizer, coloring agents, or anything like that, nor do I deliberately stress them for color; everything is left to nature, fairly Buddhist-style, hehe.

Succulents, soft within, strong without. Though they lack the hardness of metal and stone, wear no armor, and hold no sharp blades, they have a crystal-clear heart and walk barefoot toward spring. Talking with succulents, beauty shines on the eyes, love lights up the soul, and warmth nourishes dreams, so that we are not lonely. The powerful force of succulents in full bloom sings the song of life, singing the night until dawn breaks; we can hear each other's innermost voices.

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