I would really like to put a Sempervivum bed in my yard and I have a spot with good exposure next to my driveway. My big question is, would they tolerate piles of snow and sidewalk salt? The spot doesn't get much salt, but they would get some when we shovel the walkway. What do you think?

Can you make it a raised bed? That way there would be less problems with salt.

Chris, do you salt your walkways by your semp beds?

No problems with piles of snow, their natural habitat is snow country. In fact I believe Chris (goldfinch4) shovels the snow on her beds to keep them covered during the thawing freezing cycles she can have in WI.

Mine was a driveway bed for 5 years with no problems. Salt and all the snow from the driveway was thrown over them.

It was a slope but not a steep slope.

Yes, tons of snow get piled on my semps as my bed butts right up to the driveway. It gets some salt, but not a huge amount. Hasn't been any problem for my plants.

To give you a reference of where the bed was located. I moved so this is the previous garden. The bed was located on the right hand side above the brick retaining wall. I let the semp grow over the stack brick wall and I pushed some of the semp in between the bricks.

Oh boy, that would be beautiful.

Thanks!!! I try not to use a lot of salt because I have other plants around the walk and driveway as well-some years more than others depending on the ice. Piling snow on them shouldn't be a problem most years-I usually have plenty