Simply Sempervivum

Last winter I bought a lot of different varieties of Sempervivum, or "hen and chicks". I grew them under lights for the last part of winter and the first part of spring to give them a jump on the growing season. My idea was to fill a planting bed with their varied colors and textures.

When I found out that deer eat semps (my trial pot of them in the intended planting spot got munched), I put that plan on hold and they just spent the rest of the year (and winter) in their nursery pots. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with them, but for now I'm just enjoying having them around.

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You see, early spring seems to be when the semps really "wake up", losing their almost uniform winter coloring of greens and turning really beautiful. Here's a look at many of them.

(Compare to my post from a month ago. You'll see they're much more colorful now.)

Semp. 'Fair Lady'

Semp. 'Graugong'

Semp. 'Nightwood'

Semp. 'Fat Jack'

Semp. 'Ivonne'

Semp. 'Cherry Tart'

Semp. 'Legolas'

Sempervivum arachnoideum var. Tomentosum 

Semp. 'Aross'

Semp. 'Baronesse'

Semp. 'Cloud Cap'

Semp. 'Koko Flanel'

Semp. 'Rhone'

I still need to figure out where I can put these so the deer won't decimate them. I've found that they need some shade during the heat of our summers, so that limits things too. Good thing I bought two dozen different varieties before having a plan for them!

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