This delightful water wise grouping greets you as you step off the path onto the grass where it grows in the front of a hot, sunny bed. Squeezed tightly around a low sandstone rock this small cameo will evolve to provide multiple delightful arrangements over the coming weeks. For now, soft white and pink flower stalks of the Rock Sage, Aeollanthus parvifolius, mix with the soft flower heads of Aristida junciformis. The multi-stemmed Rock Sage never gets too big, reaching 50 cm, the small roundish succulent leaves that enable it to survive drought conditions and shallow soils. In the wild, this little plant tucks into rock crevices where it takes food and moisture from leaf mold that gathers here. The growth form is open, a little sprawling, rather than compact. White to light pink flowers spotted purple grow progressively up tall stalks from November to April. 

 

As the season's progress, slender green seed heads of Aristida will fluff out and turn blond as they age and the seeds open up, complementing the pale flowers of the Rock Sage.

 

At their feet, flat heads of Crassula alba show their promise, with just a touch of scarlet peeping through the developing buds. Bright green leaves, long, slender and tapering, open up and spread out as the flowers open towards the end of March through May. Creeping between them all are the frilly, fat leaves of the sun-loving Plectranthus spicatus or Lavender Spurflower, gorgeous emerald greens to add to the mix. In April it sends out long flowering spikes with crab-like pincers on the tips. These are the buds which see to take a while to open. Spikes of 8 – 10 cm long lavender blue/mauve flowers stand far above the leaves and on a sunny day are visited by bees and insects. Even dragonflies love to balance on the tips of the tall stems. 

 

Summer green leaves of Kalanchoe thyrsiflora begin their upward growth like new floors being added to a tower block. A few old stems remain, leaves turning red as they dry out. The large round leaves gently fold as they move up the growing stem. In winter a red flush covers much of their surface; their bold form adds year-round sculptural good looks, the striking winter hues and tall silver-white flower spikes an added attraction. In fact, they’re one of the most popular succulents used globally.

 

Managing this grouping:

There is little to do here. All species are from the summer rainfall region, are frost hardy and water wise, coping well in drought conditions. Ensure the soil drains well, and feed only with a mulch layer of compost. No supplementary water is needed.

Watch out for heavy grass fronds enveloping the succulent stems, but they’re easy to trim off. In fact, it is important to do so to prevent the succulents rotting from lack of sunlight, too little air movement, and damp conditions beneath the grass cover.

Cut back the remaining fronds of the Aristida at the end of winter. They’ll send up new shoots with the spring rains.

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Aeollanthus parvifolius: trim long flower stem after the April flush of flowers to encourage bushier growth.

Crassula alba: plants die back to ground level after flowering, but shoot again in spring from the base. Cut off dead stems to make space and provide energy for spring growth.

Plectranthus spicata: this perennial groundcover tends to ramble a bit but never smothers neighbouring plants. Cut off unwanted stems; if you have space for them – banks, containers, walls, rockeries – simply pop them into the soil and they’ll root.

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora: the tall flower spires eventually fall over and die off. Cut back right at ground level, remove any growing buds and plant elsewhere.