Sempervivums (Houseleeks)

Even in the relatively short period I’ve been gardening with any real enthusiasm my taste in plants has definitely changed. For example, I used to wonder why anyone would grow Pulmonarias, but now I love them (although I can’t imagine I’m ever going to like Spiraea douglasii). Similarly, I am a recent convert to succulents, quite possibly as a result of our increasingly hot and dry summers.

Sempervivums originate from arid mountainous regions in Europe and Asia so require well-drained soil and full sun. They are not fussy about pH but would hate our fertile Wealden clay, so really need to be grown in containers. They are very shallow-rooted so don’t need a deep pot and can even be grown in things like old bricks.

A couple of years ago, copying an idea I’d seen at a flower show, I planted up a strawberry pot with sempervivums and sedums (planting into what was a lot of hort grit with a little compost). These plants produced offsets which fell onto hard landscaping where they have thrived and multiplied. The ‘escaped’ sempervivums are currently flowering their socks off and have been for a couple of weeks. The parent plants have long since lost their labels, so I’ve no idea which cultivar they are, but the flower stalks are about 15cm high and a lovely colour yellow. Sempervivums are monocarpic so after flowering the rosette will die, but as each rosette is a separate plant there will be another to replace it. 

Fearful of another hosepipe ban, I haven’t planted up any containers with annuals this year. Instead I have planted a hanging basket and an old feeding trough with succulents and am really pleased with the effect of contrasting leaf shapes, textures and colours. I haven’t watered them since they were first planted. All the plants are hardy apparently, although as succulents don’t like winter wet I provide some protection if we have a very wet winter.