A reminder that love can be found in the most unexpected places. Happy Valentines Day!

Photo taken by Patty in Tucson Arizona

OMG!  Ange went outside one morning to find just about all of my chick and hens beheaded. Many others were pulled out and scattered around the lawn and the driveway. This is a first as they have never been bothered once in the last 20 years! It's a heads–up for us; we now have one additional area that needs to be sprayed regularly with Liquid Fence… oh dear/deer!

The second photo shows the chick and hens in happier days.

Spring has officially arrived, even though on some days it sure doesn't feel like it. As an indoor alternative, I am celebrating spring with a low-maintenance succulent garden. It certainly brightens up my kitchen on cloudy or rainy days.

I added a bit of whimsy to my indoor garden in the form of an upcycled sterling silver spoon that is hand-stamped with the words "Kindness Matters."  I purchased my spoon online from Etsy. There are a variety of different sayings and vendors available. You can even customize the words on your spoon with some artisans.

Care of Succulents:
Succulents are easy-care houseplants. They need about six hours of sun each day, Succulents will lean towards the sun, so rotating them often will help them stand up straight. Leaning may be a sign that they need a sunnier spot. When potting, use cactus soil or mix potting soil with sand, pumice, or perlite. Over-watering can kill your succulents, so make sure you let the soil dry in between watering. Water no more than once every week while the plants are actively growing during the spring and summer. Water the soil directly until water runs out of the drainage holes of the pot.

Even though the winter of 2017-2018 was devastating to many of my plants, my chick and hens didn't seem to notice. They came through the winter nicely. I bet I've had these chick and hens for over twenty years.  The scientific name for this succulent is "Sempervivum," (from Latin) which means “live forever.” I have occasionally sold them at my plant sale when they are overabundant. I can always depend on them to happily increase back to a huge clump. Some of these chick and hens change color from green to burgundy - bonus! Unfortunately, I don't know the exact variety of Sempervivum mine are because I bought them at a garage sale.

No special care is needed for chick and hens, except to enjoy them -- no fancy soil or fertilizer, although I have read that they prefer a sandy soil. Mine are in part-shade and get the west sun from about 12:30 pm to 6:00 pm. The rock that some of my chicks live in does have drainage on the bottom for when it rains heavily. Chick and hens don't like being waterlogged. Being a succulent, they prefer being on the dry side and are extremely drought tolerant. This is great because if you forget to water them, no worries! I'm confident that just about anyone can grow chick and hens, no matter what their garden skills are.