Sandra’s sensational succulents

There’s something about succulents that Currie Park resident Sandra Cumming loves.

She has built up quite a collection – 105 in all – of succulents in her garden where she can be found most days pottering around and soaking up the winter sunshine.

Sandra has lived at Currie Park for the last seven years, and over that time has grown her love of gardening into a passion for the fleshy, drought resistant plants.

Most recently, she has passed her enthusiasm onto her carer Carina who has started her own collection.

Ellen Doyle, her neighbour in the Euroa retirement village, spent time recently learning about the plants from Sandra.

“What I now know is that each succulent flowers at a different times of the year,” Ellen said.

“One of my favourites is the hanging ‘dolphin’ plant which has little white flowers and attracts bees. When you look closely at it, there are many dolphins hanging down together,” she added.

Sandra purchases the succulents for a variety of outlets as well as online. Among her collection is the Sansevienia Twister, known also as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, which is plaited. Others include the Starfish Flower collection made up of Orbea macloughlinii, Piapanthusgeminatus, Stapelia cedrimontana, Orbea variegate (Golden Form) and Stapelia grandiflora.

“These are known as the starfish flowers” because each is shaped like a star fish and they come in many colours while some are variegated,” Ellen said.

Sandra’s courtyard garden includes many different hanging plants including string of beans, string of pearls, chain of hearts as well as others with the fun names of bunnies’ ears, monkey tail, and frizzle sizzle.

As far as Sandra is concerned, succulents are ideal for her to grow as they enjoy open sunny gardens, are excellent indoor plants, and require minimal watering which makes them an absolutely perfect plant for the dry, drought-prone climate of Euroa.