Book Review: Succulents Simplified by Debra Lee Baldwin

Eye of the Day|Succulents Simplified| Debra Lee Baldwin book review

SUCCULENTS SIMPLIFIED, Debra Lee Baldwin

Eye of the Day|Succulents Simplified| Debra Lee Baldwin book review
The Cover of Succulents Simplified

I think we can all agree that succulents are hot. In California, hot can translate to Dry and Dry to Drought.  Which we have.  I also think that we all want green, living things around us and that in our present dry state, succulents and cacti can fill an ever-widening void for both landscape professionals and every day green lovers.

Eye of the Day|Debra Lee Baldwin Succulent| Echeveria imbricata
Up Close and Personal with an Echeveria Imbricata succulent.

Debra Lee Baldwin is a notable expert on succulents and succulent gardening.  In her book, Succulents Simplified, Debra keeps it easy enough for someone taking their first stab at succulent gardening but interesting for any landscape professional.  With plenty of photographs and simple care instructions including recommendations for no water and low water plants, I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t need and want to take a long hard, look at this book and a long, hard look at the slowly browning lawn in front of their home.

Eye of the Day| Debra Lee Baldwin succulent| Tuxedo agave pot
Tuxedo agave in a French Anduze pot at Eye of the Day.

In a perfectly friendly tone, Baldwin has included a page entitled “Good Riddance to Your Lawn”; we should all read this and begin to implement her ideas.  Succulents Simplified has inspiring sections like “Surreal Shapes, Testures and Patterns,” and “100 Easy Care Succulents” along with container and landscape projects, but my favorite section is entitled “Edible, Herbal and Illegal Succulents.”

About the Author:Eye of the Day|Debra Lee Baldwin| Succulents simplified book review
Debra Lee Baldwin specializes in showing how top floral and garden designers use dynamic, sculptural succulents in a wide variety of eye-catching applications. See more of her work at her website:

 Photo Credit: Debra Lee Baldwin and Timber Press (profile)