Match Making for Success

Part of the formula for being successful in growing things is to match the plant with the environment. For example, growing tomatoes in the shade is destined to fail. So as I'm learning to garden, I'm figuring out what grows best where and how. Not an easy task! I've had my share of successes and failures. And since I like to experiment, I have plenty of failures. I just consider them as steps toward success. 

Just the other day a friend gave me a group of succulent cuttings. Not edible stuff, but nice ornamentals. I was thrilled to get them because they fit perfectly down on my seed farm. I don't have the time to fuss with and pamper the ornamentals down there, so everything needs to be desert hardy. Matching these cuttings to the seed farm environment = success.  

These new cuttings should do fine. And they will be a great addition to the cactus already planted there. 

The long cuttings on the right are ice plants. The center light green ones are burro tail. The top long green thingy is Euphorbia clandistina (a.k.a. - Ostrich Neck). And the silvery thing on the left....well I don't know that one. Kind of looks like a jade plant on steroids that turned silver. 

One of our kittens is quite curious about all the things I plant into pots. Future Farmer of America candidate? 

So she sniffed each cutting, tried poking them a few times to see if they did anything, then finally laid down beside them. I got all the cuttings planted into pots, whereupon she promptly pulled several of the out. Crazy kitty! And no harm done. I just repotted them and set them inside the truck for the trip to the seed farm tomorrow. I'm going down to harvest bean seed in the morning.