An underwater scene or life from another planet? Indeed our own planet Earth is home to this amazing group of plants. Long gone are the days since the well-loved ‘Hens and Chicks’ (a Sempervivum) were my only idea of succulents.

The world of succulents is vast, beautiful, exotic, sculptural and fascinating and can add a whole new dimension to your landscape.

Even with the plentiful show of rainfall we’ve had this year, the focus is still strongly turned towards water conservation and drought-tolerant solutions. Creating a succulent garden, succulent corner, mixed-planting bed including succulents or succulent containers is not only an interesting addition to a landscape, but a waterwise choice. Though the particular microclimate must be considered (many succulents enjoy the marine layer and don’t like hot blazing inland sun), in Palo Alto, the Peninsula and the entire Bay Area, succulents can flourish given the right planting environment.

Knowing where plants originate from helps to understand their microclimate needs. Succulents are plants that have adapted to mostly harsh environments where water was not always available, sometimes going for long periods of time without water.

According to Robin Stockwell, owner of Succulent Gardens Nursery in Castroville and an expert on succulents, “There are three environments that caused this adaptation: the desert (hot and dry), the alpine regions (cold and frozen) and the tropics (wet and salty).” Partially due to these challenging origins, Stockwell calls succulents “the conservationists of the plant world.” They have learned to conserve their need for and use of water.

Virtually all succulents have a thick skin or protective coating that actually seals in moisture and minimizes evaporation — thus their name. The coating may be white and powdery or waxy and blue-green. Spines can also provide some sun protection. They need a porous, welldraining soil to thrive, and once established, let them fully dry out between waterings. They do not like “wet feet,” a term used to denote plant roots sitting in water.

Many succulents prefer and do better with some shade or protection from intense direct sun, doing well with as little as two to three hours of direct sun each day. There are also those succulents that thrive in hot sun.

Cacti by definition are succulents belonging to the Cactaceae family. They like more light and sun and prefer less water than many other succulents. Southwest-style or desert-themed gardens are perfect for these, but they can be carefully worked into some other garden styles.

When planning and planting your garden, keep in mind that all plants tend to grow and reach towards the sun. Being that succulents like to dry out between waterings, planting on berms is one way to assist natural drainage to occur. Though not essential to plant this way, it does take advantage of gravity and the natural flow of water — thus drainage. Plant succulents on the tops and sides of the berm, rather than at the base, which naturally tends to catch more of the water. Save this area for plants or groundcover that need that extra water.

In terms of design, the variety of forms available with succulents range from very low-growing groundcovers to very large forms, to even tree-like forms in size and shape. They go from soft to spiky in texture and from bright, playful colors to soft muted pastels. Often they have sculptural forms that set them apart and allow them to easily be used as focal points. Mixing them with other drought-tolerant plants allows for even more expansion of the palette and textures.

Living green walls are becoming very popular in designed landscapes and these too can be created with succulents as well as other plants.

Whatever opportunity you might have in your landscape for adding succulents, be it a complete new design, to a little vignette or corner, the unique features of succulents enable seemingly endless creative opportunity for beauty and interest.

Judy Maier, APLD, is a landscape designer and garden coach serving Palo Alto and the Bay Area. You can find Judy’s Garden and Design on Facebook or visit her blog at www.gardendancing.blogspot.com and her website at www. judysgardens.com. She can also be reached at 408-398-3161.