A few Spider Web Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum arachnoideum) will add a spine-tingling touch to an indoor planting.

Each time I’ve visited deserts in New Mexico and Arizona, I got the eerie sense that I was walking along the sea floor. Desert plants, and succulents in particular, can bring an otherworldly aspect to a garden. So I was happy to find “How to create a sea-creature succulent garden”, an online article on the awesome Sunset magazine website. It’s part of a whole online section devoted to an Ultimate Guide to Succulents.

For Southern Ontario gardeners trying to get through a typically endless winter, any resource devoted to gorgeous photos of sun-soaked plants on sun-soaked patios in what looks like sun-soaked California, can be either pure torture or garden porn. The fun part is that you get to decide.

Granted, a lot of the outdoor ideas aren’t practical for this part of the world but there is plenty of information on growing succulents indoors. And, hey, any indoor planting you create now can be moved out come summer to be the focal point of your own sunny patio.

Check out this video on how to make a succulent boat centerpiece: http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1 It’s an easy-to-do project for bringing a little bit of desert mystique to any room.