Dave, I'm sure the Society would like you as a member and a vendor - there's certainly a place for someone selling succulent-garden starter plants that are grown well and bug-free. It's interesting that you also are growing Cistanthe guadalupensis - that's a great plant for the SouCal growing area and is underrepresented in San Diego gardens (Bonus! - Cistanthe-member plants are commonly known as 'pussypaws'). Coincidentally enough, there was a show last night on folks who dive with sharks - one of the best places to see great white sharks is off Guadalupe Island, which is where C.g. comes from (it and a few islets). They were diving from a boat, so my posting here is coming full-circle with your most-recent picture. Speaking of pictures, if you're judiciously posting off-topic pics (and large ones at that), you might want to put just a thumbnail up in the post, rather than the whole picture. Some folks here are on dial-up.

Hi Castorp, I don't know FLA well except a bit of Ft. Lauderdale as my Dad lived there in his last decade. When I visited, I did notice which succulents did well & suggest you pay close attention to your neighbors' plantings & if friendly w/ them, ask them questions abt this & for their help. I noticed healthy & happy landscapings of Euphorbia miliis (Crown of Thorns), Aloes & Yucca plants. Unless money is no object, I'd avoid the hit & miss approach, could be expensive & frustrating if you lose lots of plants. I'd also go to local greenhouse &/or nurseries & ask the same thing.

Thank you, Norma, for the advice! I have learned so much from you already from your past posts and I know that your wisdom is held in the highest regard here on GW. Hi Puglvr - I'm still learning to grow them and I think I'm in the process of slowly losing my jovibarba and one of the aloes. :-( They were victims of a previous potting into very sandy soil, I'm afraid. It's been a constant learning process but I'm so glad that there's such a great group here on GW! Josh - I don't have a camera right now, and there are some pictures of jades that I'd love to share with you :-P In the meantime, here are some pictures that I took two or three weeks ago -- can you tell I love succulents that form rosettes?! :-) This echeveria has formed into a really pretty emerald-colored clump with one large "mother" rosette. I thought this one was a goner from the peat mix at HD. It dropped nearly all of its leaves back in June, but has rebounded nicely and is forming new baby rosettes on the stems and even flowered! This jovibarba is flowering as its last gasp of life... I think I watered it too much when it was sitting in sand and I think it's rotting because the rosettes are kind of shriveling up and dying. ... and from the planter of semps... Hopefully they'll make it through the winter outside!

Paul, thanks for the info. I have searched around a bit on the forums. So when you note that the media shouldn't have fertilizer added, I assume you mean that things like Miracle Gro potting mix would be out. Generally I've used that for other plants I've grown (houseplants, outdoor potted plants, etc.) so anything else is new territory for me. I honestly don't know what I would put a maidenhair fern and moss in other than a standard potting mix. That's the sort of information I'm trying to find, as I realize that giant thick layers of potting mix are going to lead to the fungi you mention. I should note that when I first started experimenting with terrariums, I got directions from interior design websites - which apparently did not have the best tips strictly from a plant care point of view.