'Green Ice' Acquisition

I said I wasn't going to get any more plants when I attended this season's garden shows and sales, but that resolution had lasted about 10 minutes when I saw this beautiful Gasteraloe 'Green Ice' succulent. It is a bigeneric hybrid of Gasteria and Aloe. I loved the fat, light green leaves with their random dark green markings, and the fact that I've never owned a Gasteraloe before.

This plant makes a good windowsill plant. It is slow growing, long lived and needs light shade, but can get some morning sun without damage. In the summer, it should receive enough water to keep the soil moist but not wet, and in the winter, it needs water only when the soil is completely dry. Who wouldn't want such an attractive, easy-care plant!

I liked this plant well enough to plant it in a fancy Mark Meridian pot, and I plan to keep it on my patio table year-round, unless there is a danger of frost. This Gasteraloe hybrid will turn to mush in frosty temperatures.

As April begins, most of the garden tours, shows and sales will be over for the season. If I make it through one more tour without more purchases, it will be a record. However, I did see several creative garden ideas that I'm going to try, and I added several plants to my wish list for fall sales.