@overmyheadineugene and
@songofjoy:
I grew up in the San Diego area. My father was a lifer in the US Navy from Tennessee, and he took such great care of us! We had fresh vegetables year-round.
I didn't appreciate the blessed bounty when I was a kid (was it Mark Twain who said youth is wasted on the young?).
I was also disdainful of cacti because they are the native vegetation once you get a few miles inland from the coast -- our summer driving vacations usually took us through Tucson (not Phoenix -- which have completely different ecosystems) and as a snotty kid only appreciated the majestic saguaros.
But now, everywhere I go, there are succulents. Wish I had appreciated their beauty earlier, but now I'm making up for lost time, LOL.
Succulents are amazing. They truly rise from the "undead" condition to taking over your outdoor space (this is what I've heard -- only started gardening in June) here in SoCal.
To whet your appetite further for succulents, here's a couple of pix I took of an acquaintance's gorgeous container garden on Wednesday (posted these over at the Succulents 2014 forum:
And here are some fabulous gifts she gave me!
