LOL, NanaG, I'll confuse you a bit more. THIS is the discussion side. The other one is Conversations, which is where you posted your wonderful succulent garden. There's no way to switch post over, other than to copy the wording and add the picture link again here. But maybe folks will pop over to Conversations and see it. You've made me want a succulent garden so bad, tho in the past I've easily killed the ones I've tried. :o( hugs, Karen

Jeannespines, here, with a BIG SMILE on my face! Ahh, ladies, thanks for sharing your day!!! Love the pics of the 3 of YOU!!! I'm with susieroses, very envious, and with everyone above, so happy for you all & since susie and cait sang, I'm singing: "We'll sing in the sunshine, we'll laugh every da....a.a.y! We'll sing in the sunshine, then we'll be on our way!" Love it! Love it! Thanks for sharing the pics, sewandsew...and your gardens, nana...and can't wait also to see the mushrooms placed or projected! (is that a word???) Jeanne S.

And on further review....we're both right. I have personal experience, Your Honour, with both methods, and if it please The Court, can bore you for a fortnight or longer with tales and truths about rooting Pachyphytum, Crassula, Echeveria, Kalanchoe, Thompsonella, Cotyledon, Grahamia, Tylecodon, Pachyphytum and other Crassulaceae - and that's just the Crassulaceae. I could go on with the Apocynaceae and other genera, but I shouldn't take up that much of your time. With few exceptions, if you're trying to root succulents, particularly Crassulaceae, you can take it to the bank that, given warm (20C/70F or higher is better) ambient temps and at least a modicum of sunlight (filtered is better than mostly direct), you will get leaves/cuttings/branches/stems to root faster if you give them an occasional spritz of water. I hope this provides a fuller bloviation on my comments earlier.

I am also in zone 6B (Providence, RI) and have been growing several succulents, cacti and yuccas for years. And just a few weeks ago, I had a new wall and stairs built in front of my house, which faces south. I decided that a desert landscape would do well in the hot and sunny exposure. I added several new xeric plants and moved and replanted most of the others. Other than the large Yucca, which was OK where it was and not in the way of the construction. My only concern from your description is the moss and half-day of sun. But other that that, since you have added a lot of sand, these are some of the things I am growing which you might want to try: Yucca recurvifolia - trunk forming, leaves about 2-3 feet long and currently about 5 feet tall. Can reach 7-8 feet with age Opuntia humifusa - Eastern prickly pear cactus. Green pads and yellow flowers. Very easy and hardy. Evergreen but shrivels in winter - a survival tactic. There are also a lot of other Opuntias that are hardy. Sempervivum - Hens and Chicks. Very hardy and easy to grow, and a huge variety of sizes and colors. Evergreen. Delosperma - Ice plant. There are several kinds, some 2" tall to others maybe 8" tall. Some purples, yellows, two-tone and even apricot. Some bloom once in spring and others go all summer. Evergreen. Hesperaloe parvifolia - called Red Yucca but it's not a yucca although it sort of resembles one. Flowers over a long period most of the summer. There's also a yellow form. Corypantha - various species. Small ball cactus with pink flowers. I have others that I just added this year so I can't comment on hardiness yet, but all of them are supposed to be hardy. May I suggest you look at High Country Gardens web site. http://www.highcountrygardens.com They have a lot of xeric plants. Also, for cactus, try Intermountain Cactus. Been around for years. The website isn't flashy but they list a lot of items. http://www.intermountaincactus.com/Cactus/Home.html If you send me your e-mail I will send photos of the new front desertscape. billriz6@cox.net Good luck! Bill