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into account our blast-furnace Botswana sun! I also placed several succulents from the Crassula
family in larger taller pots, such as some of my larger Crassula ovata, C. ovata ‘Hummels Sunset’ and
C. ovata ‘Gollum’ … purely to display them better and to prevent my darling dogs from destroying
them in their hurried and single-minded pursuit of squirrels.

A large number of smaller succulents were planted in relatively random groups around the larger
focal succulents. These would act as colourful or textured groundcovers and included all manner of
dwarf Aloe, Haworthia, Crassula, Sedums, Graptoveria, Orbea, Stapelia, Huernia, Echeveria, smaller
Gasteria, bedding Kalanchoe, Carpobrotus, Mesembryanthemum, Aptenia and Portulaca. The last
of the open ground between the pots, walkways, logs, larger succulent plants and groundcovers was
loosely covered as much as possible with rock gravel, koi pond gravel and pool filter sand as I could
afford. I always try to do this in my rock gardens as it helps reduce water evaporation in these arid
beds and helps immeasurably to reduce the amount of fine sand grains splattered against the stems
and leaves of succulents during periods of heavy rain. Succulent plants often succumb faster to leaf
and stem rot if they are, or remain, covered in wet sand during the rainy season.
Lastly, I add items of personal interest from my ‘magpie’ collection … things such as wooden or
metal sculptures, beach debris such as a weird piece of resin from a fishing boat, shells and large
number of textured or colourful rocks in between the plants on the lower contour beds where I
would see them every time I walked past. Over time, several pots containing plants, and in some
cases even plants in the ground, have been moved as they have shown signs of stress in either too
much sun or shade. Some plants have finally grown robust, or displayed amazing foliage colours, or
flowered spectacularly for the first time as they settled into a more suitable habitat. Every plant we added
to the rock garden has surprised us somehow and has taught us something new about its growth
requirements and responses, and has often challenged our pre-conceived ideas about suitable conditions.

This large rock garden was a labour of love and sweat and aching muscles, but it and its resident
plants have survived drought and torrential seasonal rain, falling branches, passive maintenance and
the eager attention of Great Dane puppies, termites, birds, Monitor Lizards and our elusive resident
Genet. It has become a wonderful addition to our garden, and not a day goes past that it doesn’t provide
us with a feeling of contentment, surprise and wonder at the beautiful habitat it has grown into.
by Petra Strydom

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