A succulent terrace garden built from scratch in one year, with a huge sense of achievement

20th

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ForewordQian Yan

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For succulent lovers: having my own succulent garden should be one of the happiest moments in life...

First, two photos of the current overall view.

Now let's begin the evolution process from nothing to something, all built by hand from start to finish.

This is a platform outside the window. For a succulent enthusiast, how could such a great space just be let go?

Initial hand-drawn concept.

I roughly built the effect I wanted on the computer. After much research on my own, this was all I could think of.

Setting the initial dimensions for each flower box.

Start making it!

I rode my electric bike a long way to the teaching materials market to buy the boards. For someone who knew nothing about woodworking, I bought tools online such as an electric saw, hand drill, and screws. Before that, I could not even name the tools properly, and I figured it out step by step on my own!

Construction in progress. I usually have to work, so I can only do a little on weekends! Because of technical problems, I was always in the exploratory stage, and after busying myself for a whole day I still could not see much result!

Measure the footprint of the flower boxes to determine their approximate dimensions

During this time my dad happened to come over, and I really saw hope. I handed everything over to him to solve! After explaining the effect I wanted, I was completely freed!

My dad was awesome. In just a few days, he made the effect I wanted. Thank goodness he did it; if I had done it, it would have taken me months, and it would still have wobbled!

Next, I started digging soil and planting flowers. Oh man, this soil was really hard to dig! If I dug too much, I could not carry it, and every bag of soil had to be dragged and pulled up! I also bought some nutrient soil to mix in.

Further improving and setting things up. The weather is not so hot now, and the succulents are all on the south balcony! On the north side, I will first grow some flowers and plants!

Added some new flower pots, and the succulents can also be arranged into several mixed pots

Newly acquired Ryan Elf and Little Blue Clothes! At this time they were still pink!

Newly transplanted rose, blooming gorgeously at this time too!

Planted a new cactus. Now I have also begun to have a special fondness for cacti, though I never liked them before!

The succulents are growing quite well at this time too! Even without sunlight, the color is still pink and tender. In a few days they grew too crowded, so some had to be pulled out!

Cymbidium, which used to stay indoors, is now also brought outside to grow!

Echeveria 'Derlu' looks pretty good, although not that translucent! Still, I am already satisfied! At that time I did not know that this photo might already have become its memorial portrait before summering!

At this time Allen also looks pretty good! Pink and plump! I have grown them for several years but never succeeded in growing an old clump, so I can only grow one batch a year!

The clivia I had just bought not long ago actually rotted at the roots. Holding back heartache, I cut off the flowers. As long as it can live, who cares about flowers or not!

The garden expanded further, and I added another row of flower troughs on the side! I planted several orange trees. The ideal state is a garden full of abundant fruit! One sapling costs over a hundred yuan, and making a garden really burns money!

I planted some succulents in the ground, with a thick layer of ceramic balls at the bottom for better drainage, and used soil with 50% granules,In the end, the facts told me that this idea ended in failure!

Because of the rainy season in the south, it rained every day, and the succulents began to develop black rot. On rainy days I covered them to keep off the rain, and on sunny days I uncovered them for ventilation. I checked the weather forecast several times a day, and the key problem was that it was not accurate. A month left me exhausted, and in the end they were all wiped out!

It rained every day, so I figured out how to build a small shed for them! Cover it when it rains, remove it when sunny! In summer I can also put up a shade net! I even started to admire myself! Haha!

At this time the cucumbers planted nearby also began to bear fruit, which gave me a small sense of achievement! The next plan is to plant a patch of grapes. It is too late this year, so I can only plant some vegetables. In fact, growing some vegetables is also a good choice! Next year I want to set aside a separate vegetable plot on the side!

I shamelessly asked the repair shop downstairs for a few tires and painted them. I originally wanted to plant succulents, but after the earlier lesson with ground planting, I did not dare try it too much!

Further expansion is being planned. I wanted to build a space in the middle for ground-planting succulents! But after the earlier lesson with ground planting, ground planting is truly tiring, so I finally gave it up. Still, I have always had a dream of ground-planting succulents! And I have not given up!

Added another row of flower-growing space on the outer side!

Also added a few more tires!

My goal is to turn this whole area into a backyard garden: vegetable area, flower area, succulent area, leisure area! Haha! It is good to have ideals! The key is that they are too hard to realize.

Making this small garden probably adds a lot to my family's water bill each month!

Planted a small pomegranate, and it has currently fruited too. This pomegranate was brought all the way from Northeast China, so it has not let down my hard work!

The Taiwan bamboo beside it is now growing quite vigorously too!

The chrysanthemums were bought online. The color I bought was not this white one. Sigh! Online shopping is risky!

Anti-corrosion wood flooring was laid in the garden! The effect instantly became beautiful!This was just after laying it, before tidying up! I could not resist taking a few photos first! I wanted to lay it from the beginning, but because I was reluctant to spend the money! I kept enduring and enduring, and in the end I still could not hold back and bought it!

After a whole summer, the weather is now a bit cooler, and all the flowers and plants have begun to develop in a better direction! Only heaven knows my mood in the height of summer at 40 degrees C, soaked all over every day, flicking off sweat while watering. If I did not water for a day or two, the next day they would be baked dry! Many times I wanted to give up, but I still persisted!

Added pebbles in the gaps around the floor.

The current effect is like this, the change over one year, from nothing to something! Full of achievement! Everything was built and planted by my own hands. Although it was bitter and tiring,as long as your heart is full of faith and you keep moving forward, your dreams will come true!