21.07.2023 - 22:16 / awaytogarden.com

making succulent pots and wreaths, with katherine tracey of avant gardens

I’M ALREADY DREAMING about summertime containers each year, even before the first flat of spring’s pansies arrive in the local nurseries as winter fades. My extra-early visualizations often feature succulents—sculptural, low-care plants in a range of textures and colors—pots full of them, and maybe even a “wreath” (above) for the patio table. I knew Katherine Tracey of Avant Gardens Nursery in Massachusetts would be able to help me with how-to and succulent design ideas.

Background: My keenest gardening friends–some really tough customers–make annual pilgrimages across Massachusetts to Dartmouth (not to be confused with the college in New Hampshire, but under an hour from Newport, and just a bit farther from Boston). They’d come back from Avant Gardens having outspent their budgets, with one gem after another packed into their cars.

I eventually called owners Katherine and Chris Tracey, plant collectors since the 1980s (who have in recent years become seasonal sponsors on A Way to Garden, too). Katherine says the nursery was born “when it really got out of control with our hobby.” They’ve got 25 years of nursery experience–selling both retail and mail-order—and a particular passion for foliage and especially succulents, two big loves of mine.

Listen to our entire conversation on my public-radio show and podcast using the player below (or read the recap of all the highlights I learned below). First recorded in 2013, it has become one of the most popular subjects on my website, year after year. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

Note: If you want to skip to the early spring succulent rehab tips for overwintered plants that may be all leggy, or

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