BURRITO

 This specimen is Sedum "burrito," similar to the original, old fashioned S. morganianum or "donkey's tail." Thus the name...a more compact version of the original! Cute, huh!
Turns out that collecting succulents is also about collecting all kinds of pots and containers to show them off to their best advantage.

Since the burrito will eventually trail down the sides of its container, I needed something vertical. I found this urn at TJMaxx. Since it doesn't have a drain hole, I filled it with packing peanuts and set the plant container on top of them. This way I can take the container out to water it, let it drain and then put it back in the urn. I used some sandpaper to rough up the paint and make the urn look weathered.
It's part of my growing succulent collection rotating between the marble topped side board in the dining room and the heated greenhouse for the winter months. It can spend the summer outside where it gets afternoon shade.
Succulents make great houseplants because they don't need a lot of attention. Perfect for me! A little water once a week and about 4 hours of moderate sunlight keep 'em going just fine. And you can buy them at supermarkets (Grocery Outlet had a nice collection in August as did Fred Meyer). Lowe's has lots of variety of them (where I got burrito), plus the garden centers have them. The only thing you have to remember is that many are not happy outside in the winter and will not survive frost. So check the plant tag or better yet, get a book about them. I love "Succulent Container Gardens" by Debra Lee Baldwin. ($29.95 at Barnes & Noble.) Great photos and so many ideas...ooooh, so many succulents, so little space!