Still Life

In February of 2021, a record-breaking winter storm brought 5 days of below freezing weather to Texas. I had never experienced anything like it before. I did my best to cover or bring in what I could. For everything else, it was a test of hardiness. Just a few months before, I had planted a Little Gem Magnolia, two Loquats, and two Pineapple Guavas. I was hopeful, but the new plantings hadn’t had much time to establish.

When the winter siege ended, I uncovered my beloved plant-friends and walked the garden to assess the damages. I was pleasantly surprised—most things looked pretty good! I continued in ignorant hope, but, as each day passed, almost everything showed signs of stress or death, except one thing survived unscathed: a succulent wall in one corner of the garden. Its evergreen beauty is a backdrop to a seating area around a chimenea. I looked at this “wall” of bright green with splashes of red and orange, flanked on each side by shriveled, dead-looking things. Did they survive untouched by some wondrous miracle?! Read on.

Succulent wall, real or fake?

I love succulents. I’ve planted many and lost many, but I will not give up. I continue to try, and try, and try. Succulent walls are so beautiful, I decided to make one. I mounted a panel of goat wire to the fence, found several containers at a craft store, and hung them with S hooks.  I drilled drainage holes in the bottom of the containers and filled them with my special succulent mix. I chose an assortment of succulents that were fairly hardy for my area. The amount of sun/shade was almost perfect.

It was difficult to find the right succulents that would survive in our climate. I also battled squirrels who loved to dig them up and birds who loved to peck at them. The succulent wall looked great for a while, as new plantings generally do, but they steadily declined, succumbing to their enemies. What could I do? I had an idea.

With pangs of guilt as if I was committing an act of betrayal, I made a wall with fake

succulents. Yes, I said FAKE. There is my confession, and I feel so much better now! In my mind, I justified it as experimental. How interesting it would be to see how many people couldn’t tell the difference right off. Fake succulents these days look so authentic; it’s hard to tell if they’re living plants without touching them. Our climate is too extreme for most, especially my favorites; but they are most unique looking. I decided I’d settle for a “still life” succulent wall. There would be no satisfaction of growing or nurturing, but they wouldn’t be mutilated by birds, shriveled by heat, or frozen either, as the storm testified.

Winter storm had no effect on the fake succulent wall.

Gazing at the unscathed succulent wall, the gentle wind whispered a secret into my soul: Real Life hurts. Living blood and tissue, minds and hearts suffer. Everything that has breath can be bruised and torn, frozen and dried up in the course of living. That’s Real Life, not Still Life.

My real life Loquats and one of the Pineapple Guava's didn't make it. I'll replace them, and other plants that couldn't withstand the cold, with something else. The plants whose roots were strong will come back. I’ll lovingly clip away the brown, feed and water, and God’s miracles of sun, rain, and soil will nurture them back to health. Green shoots of new growth will appear. The garden will change, as some plants will be damaged and some will be replaced. But one thing will not change—the Still Life succulent wall. Which would you rather be?