For this week’s Six on Saturday, I decided to focus on some plants growing in the bed on the east side of the house. The bed is a challenge because everything I attempt to grow has to compete with the thirsty roots of the melaleuca hedge. The hedge man also needs easy access to cut the hedge.
While the weather has been mainly wet and wild, the sun has appeared on several occasions, albeit briefly. It has also been unseasonably warm for January, with nighttime temperatures between 13 and 17C.
The wet weather has dampened my enthusiasm to venture into the garden to do any jobs, so the weeds are taking over, and some plants need some TLC. But we are grateful for the rain.
Aloe?
I am still trying to identify this succulent I acquired as a cutting about ten years ago.
Aloe Ferox
The birds love this plant.
Aloe Brevifolia
Kalanchoe thyrsifolia
Aloe maculata
This succulent is a pain in the butt because as it grows the bottom leaves die off. Thanks to its vicious spikey teeth, they are difficult to remove, so I find it relatively high maintenance to look good.
Bismarckia nobilis
Okay, this is not a member of the succulent family (at least, I don’t think it is). I was told it was meant to discourage mosquitos when you rubbed the leaves. I disagree.
That’s my six for this week, folks. For more Six on Saturday gardeners, check out Jim’s blog for the latest updates.
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Piglet in Portugal 
A great selection. I really like colour and shape of the Kalanchoe thyrsifolia.
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Thanks, trowel. Succulents are so versatile both in colour of their (leaves) and flowers
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Great Six. A lovely contrast against our winter weather. I really like the colour of the Kalanchoe thyrsifolia leaves.
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Hi, QG. The colours of the Kalanchoe thyrsifolia are beautiful. The other one I have the red is even brighter.
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Absolutely gorgeous plants, Carole@
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thank you. My plants are my passion
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The succulent bed is lovely, I don’t notice any weeds – but I get it, there are plenty this time of year. Your Aloe ferox is perfect, what a show stopper!
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Hi Tracy, the camera tells lies š The Aloe ferox it stunning and flowers every year. IT’s about 10 years old now and seems to be holding its own agains the thirsty roots from the hedge.
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Such a nice collection, and they all look so happy and well-grown! Just what I needed on a cold morning š
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thanks, bittster. I am relieved that most survived the dry summer.
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Hi bittster, I have just tried to leave this comment on your blog
I have been been following plant progress and love to see all the new plants.
At -17C brrrrr. It is +17C as I write this at 23.45 and unseasonably warm. It seems the plants are beginning to wakeup to soon. I have only experiece -17C once in Lyon in Franxe and my eyeballs felt like they were freezing in their sockets/ but after I posted it said the comments were closed.
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Thanks for trying and letting me know about the comment problem, I wish I knew something but when my blog doesn’t work I just hope it fixes itself!
I’m of the opinion that you sort of get used to the cold. I was miserable my first year here after living in the south for two years, but now wander the snowy garden in a t-shirt š
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bittster, I enjoyed your blog so I have subscribed and will try using CHrome instead of Firefox because it’s just not your blog it’s several.
I can’t imagine being in the cold in a t-shirt. You sound like you have acclimatised to the colder weather very well
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You have so many things in your yard/garden, Carole. It must be huge. The one succulent that you thought an aloe, if Im looking at the right photo, Iām wondering if itās maybe agave.
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Hi Terry, no my yeard isn’t big. I just have a lot of plants stuffed into a small space. š The house sits in the middle of the plot.
Thanks for the tip on the plant name. I will check out agaves. š
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Very pretty plants with these succulents on the program this week and I agree for the aloe maculata, it’s difficult to remove the lower leaves without hurting yourself. I use a pair of thin secateurs. I also really like the agave attenuata that we see on the left in the photo of the Kalanchoe thyrsifolia. I’m growing cuttings of it.
Last thing, it’s said that the plectranthus neochilus is an anti-mosquito plant, but it’s very random. On the other hand, in the Antilles and Reunion, it’s called “Plante Doliprane” which in French is the commercial name of paracetamol: some use it in the pharmacopoeia to calm any pain.
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Hi Fred, the agave attenuata grow like weeds here. One even flowered a few years ago. I lost that plant after the flower but since then the stump has produced many babies. I had heard the plectranthus neochilus had medical properties interesting fact re calming pain and its connections to paracetamol
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I have an old coal pail full.of succulents that I have managed for years to keep alive in the winter. They will never take over like yours probably threaten to!
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I bet that looks brilliant, Bernie. I much prefer to grow succulents in containers as they are easier to care for.
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It froze this last spring (took it outside too early) and so it looked ratty for a while but I was pleased with how well it filled back in. Bernie
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Fabulous succulents. How wonderful to be able to grow them outside instead of littering up windowsills.
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Thank you š I love them. I won’t say they are easy to grow because I have lost quite a few over the eyars.
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