Smitten with Succulents: Robin Stockwell's Passion

Robin Stockwell never planned to become a nurseryman. But when he and a friend discovered a cactus collection for sale along a California roadside 30 years ago, they saw a business opportunity—a niche in the booming retail nursery market.

Though Stockwell's first job at age 12 was in a nursery, he had no formal horticulture training. He quickly realized succulents are as easy to grow as any plant and look good in many garden styles.

Designing with them takes thought "because they're three dimensional—there's texture and form unique to each variety," he says.

Born and raised on the California coast, Stockwell—an avid surfer, scuba diver, and water lover—is drawn to succulents partly because they conserve his favorite resource. "Water is a big concern throughout the West," he says, "and these plants can live with very little."

Stockwell grows 400+ varieties in a 42,000-sq-ft greenhouse in Castroville, California, labeling everything with full botanical names and species-specific care info. He hopes to educate about succulents' versatility and forgiving nature. "If the surf's good, I can go, and water another day—the plants will be fine."

Info: Succulent Gardens (closed Sun; 2133 Elkhorn Rd., Castroville, CA; 831/632-0482) ships orders of $100+.

Design and Care Tips

In Containers

• Use a single color. Plant succulents with same leaf color but different forms.
• Focus on shape. Group plants with same form (e.g., rosettes) in different shades of blue and green.
• Play up color echoes. Combine species whose colors amplify each other—solid pink leaves of one draw out pink edges of another.

In the Landscape

In mild-winter climates, succulents can play a prominent role.

• Plant a hedge. Instead of boxwood, grow a border of jade plant or Crassula tetragona.
• Soften a wall. Plant Senecio mandraliscae or Lampranthus deltoides and let them cascade down.
• Fill a bed. Mass aeoniums or hybrid echeverias in small garden beds.

Caring for Succulents

While succulents require little attention, they're "low care, not no care," advises Stockwell.

• Soil. Well-draining, well-aerated (work in compost before planting).
• Exposure. Most tolerate 32°F (10°F for some echeverias, sedums, sempervivums) to 100°F if protected from intense sun.
• Water. In containers and ground, let soil go nearly dry before watering.
• Fertilizer. Like a complete fertilizer; half dose every four to five waterings.