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WATERLESS PLANTS FOR WATERWISE GARDENERS
SUCCULENT PLANT SUPPLIER AND WATERLESS GARDEN DESIGNER |
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SEMPERVIVUM HOUSELEEKS OR LIVE-FOREVER (SEMPERVIVUM) ARE A GENUS OF ABOUT 40 SPECIES OF SUCCULENT PLANTS OF THE CRASSULACEAE FAMILY WHICH GROW IN ROSETTES. ANOTHER NAME USED FOR SOME SPECIES (AND ALSO FOR SOME PLANTS IN OTHER RELATED GENERA) IS HEN AND CHICKS .THEY OCCUR FROM MOROCCO TO IRAN, THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OF IBERIA, THE ALPS, CARPATHIANS, BALKAN MOUNTAINS, TURKEY, THE ARMENIAN MOUNTAINS, AND THE CAUCASUS. THEIR ABILITY TO STORE WATER IN THEIR THICK LEAVES ALLOWS THEM TO LIVE ON SUNNY ROCKS AND STONY PLACES IN THE MONTANE, SUBALPINE AND ALPINE BELTS.HE NAME "SEMPERVIVUM" HAS ITS ORIGIN IN THE LATIN SEMPER ("ALWAYS") AND VIVUS ("LIVING"). SEMPERVIVUM ARE CALLED "ALWAYS LIVING" BECAUSE THIS PERENNIAL PLANT KEEPS ITS LEAVES IN WINTER AND IS VERY RESISTANT TO DIFFICULT CONDITIONS OF GROWTH. .SEMPERVIVUMS ARE AMONG THE MOST FROST-RESISTANT SUCCULENTS, MAKING THEM POPULAR GARDEN PLANTS. THEY REQUIRE ONLY MODERATE WATER AND SOME PROTECTION FROM EXTREME EXPOSURE TO THE SUN. SEMPERVIVUMS GROW VERY WELL IN DRY CONDITIONS. DESPITE THIS IF SEMPERVIVUMS ARE GROWN IN NORMAL FLOWER BEDS AMONG OTHER CULTIVATED PLANTS THERE CAN BE A PROBLEM. IF THE FLOWER BEDS ARE NOT PARTICULARLY DRY OTHER PLANTS MAY GROW MORE STRONGLY THAN THE SEMPERVIVUMS AND OVERSHADOW THEM. OTHER PLANTS MAY NEED TO BE REMOVED, CUT BACK OR TIED OUT OF THE WAY. "SEMP-LOVERS" ARE NUMEROUS AND OFTEN HAVE MANY DIFFERENT CULTIVARS IN THEIR COLLECTIONS. SEMPERVIVUMS ARE VERY VARIABLE PLANTS AND HENCE HUNDREDS, MAYBE THOUSANDS OF CULTIVARS WERE CREATED, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER. THE MAIN INTEREST OF THESE CULTIVARS ARE NOT THEIR FLOWERS, BUT FORM AND COLOUR OF THE ROSETTE-LEAVES. THE MOST COLOURFUL TIME IS GENERALLY FROM MARCH TILL JUNE. WE CAN SUPPLY 40 ASSORTED SEMPERVIVUMS, DIFFERENT, AS 'PULL-OFFS' EACH WITH LITTLE SOIL BUT A HEALTHY 'STAR' AND ROOTS SHOWING (3CM,2-4CM AVG), BUY 40 SEMP'S - € 16 + 14€ P+P = €30 SEMP'S MULTIPLY EACH YEAR AND CAN BE PULLED OFF AND REPLANTED ELSEWHERE |
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