In the succulent years, the more effort a second-time mom puts in, the luckier she gets

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Thanks to the author [Guo'er Mama] for theoriginal submissionsharing

Submission date: 2018-05-17

Edited and compiled by: Encyclopedia Jun

Location: Zibo City, Shandong Province

Lately I don't even know what I've been busy with, and I haven't submitted anything for a long time. I've been growing succulents for 5 years in a daze. Last year during my postpartum confinement I was still buying succulents. When the succulents were at their most beautiful, because they were all kept at my mom's house, I couldn't see them in person and could only ask my husband to go take photos for me. Right after the confinement ended I potted them up immediately, but as my second baby started growing and needed someone to watch over them, I often felt that taking care of two children was too tiring, and on top of caring for so many succulents, I'd think about giving up. But when I accidentally flipped through old photos, I realized they had been trying all along, working hard to become beautiful. What reason did I have to give up?

Many succulent lovers face all kinds of helpless weather and environmental reasons. Even if they don't grow perfectly, they're still trying, and still being appreciated, so I feel much comforted too. Going back to the very beginning, isn't growing succulents just to watch them become beautiful, with their colorful hues lifting your mood too? So, I'm back, and I hope everyone still remembers me.

Summer has arrived, so let me give myself and fellow succulent lovers some encouragement again: as long as we endure the hardest days, all good things will eventually come. First, some comparison photos.

This Echeveria 'White Peach' was bought from South Korea a few years ago. Back then domestic succulent prices were very high, so I bought it through overseas shopping. When I bought it I thought it already looked great, but now it looks like it's become much more beautiful.

At the end of autumn one head got frostbitten, and the bouquet shape was gone, which is a bit of a pity

I've already forgotten whether this Echeveria runyonii was a gift or a purchase. Anyway, at the time I really didn't take it seriously, and it never settled into its pot, so I repotted it several times.

In the end it quietly grew into what's sold on the market as Anna Rose

White Bear (Cotyledon tomentosa subsp. ladismithiensis), I couldn't find a potting-up photo, but I found the arrival photo, so use that as a reference. It was this big when I bought it; you all know the price of White Bear back then

Its current condition still isn't very good, because it's been frozen a few times. The leaves are a bit damaged, and the ribbon has become prettier

The Yellow Bear alongside it

Red Pink Beauty (Graptosedum 'Bronze'), an old-stem pot I put together myself. It was in good condition when it arrived too

It truly stunned the years

A mixed pot of Echeveria derenbergii, luckily I saved an ugly photo

How it looks now, truly as long as you keep at it, it will become beautiful

Here's a pot of freshly potted Dandan

It turned into a pot of bursting-at-the-seams Dandan. I really don't want to repot it

Cinnabar Mole little fairy, no potting-up photo, it was truly too awful to look at; this is already after it settled in and grew beautiful.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful; this autumn and winter it should be able to get even more beautiful, but I hope she can hold on through summer

Guanghan Palace (Echeveria 'Guanghan Gong')

Many succulent lovers who grow succulents are constantly fussing about, pots, soil, succulents, falling into one pit after another, but I always feel living like this is quite interesting. Nowadays many people are tired of a routine life, and succulents should be their own seasoning, suddenly finding a bit of peace amid the busy, dull times.

I've always hoped I could keep at it forever, just like Grandma Ruth abroad, who persisted for decades and grew a succulent botanical garden. I'm the same; when I'm old I don't necessarily need to own a botanical garden, as long as I have a little succulent garden of my own. Whenever I see a certain succulent, I can remember which year I bought this one, and how big a single head it was back then. That would surely be a truly beautiful thing.

Ping Pong Fu Niang (Cotyledon orbiculata 'Ping Pong')

Finally I also want to thank my family, because my family all love flowers and plants, so they've given me a lot of support. My dad casually built me a small succulent shed, giving me more space to grow succulents, made shelves for me, moved succulents for me, and kept helping me care for them when I wasn't around. My mom started out not understanding, then learned bit by bit, and now she's quite skilled at technical tasks like repotting, sowing, leaf propagation, and moving seedlings; she helps me take care of the baby and also helps me grow succulents, truly tolerating me endlessly. Although my husband deliberately teases me saying your succulents are more important than me, he still tolerates my buying, buying, buying, and even helps me with half the succulent work. I remember last autumn, when frost suddenly came, batches and batches died, including many old stems. At the time I was stunned and couldn't help crying, but my husband told me, it's fine, just buy more, worst case start over from the beginning, and then he helped me deal with the remaining succulents. Although my daughter is only a few years old, she also helps me tear toilet paper, move succulents, and water them. Thank you for your love.

Enough rambling, some summer-survival experience: in summer I provide rain cover and shade; as for watering, I water once a month or even longer. Although the succulents will look ugly, the survival rate is greater. Last year the Bear that loves shedding clothes didn't drop a single leaf.

Here are a few beautiful photos, I hope all fellow succulent lovers' succulents safely get through summer and wait for autumn to become beautiful.

Beryl

Qian Chuan (Crassula perforata)

Te Yulian (Echeveria runyonii 'Topsy Turvy')

My leaf-propagation fruit basket, fellow succulent lovers who read my articles from the very beginning should remember it

Yanri San (Aeonium 'Sunburst'), recently I've started getting into Aeoniums

Tang Yin (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora)

Ningzhi Lian (Sedum clavatum)

Fiona

Dandan Dandan Dandan

Peach Grove

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