Succulents thrive in (somewhat) secret garden in Sarasota

Running a large garden requires a community effort, but fortunately for the Sarasota Succulent Society, plants can be generous too.

Succulents have a tendency to multiply themselves, which results in more donations from the public, as well as new succulents to offer in return.

The staff of the volunteer-run, nonprofit garden said they hope that the result is that Sarasota’s community will discover something it hasn’t seen before — if they can find the garden tucked away in an unassuming spot off 38th Street.

“People see a lot of different varieties in here that maybe they can’t see at Home Depot or Walmart, and we try not to be outrageously expensive,” said member Jennifer Rodgers, stating the society can also avoid the higher prices of online markets.

A look through the Succulent Society’s grounds finds unusual sights, from thorny flowers to succulent vines, some available for purchase and others for display.

Not only are there plants that aren’t your garden-variety items, but there is history as well, with a tradition that stretches back to 1950 and begins with a historic home.

“I think this is one of the hidden gems in Sarasota. I really do,” said member Ben Balmer. “Because a lot of people don’t know about it, but yet we’ve been here, just quietly, for 74 years.”

Cultivating interest 

Succulents aren’t difficult to raise in Florida’s climate, as Walter Sparkman, a former printer, found when he came from the north to Sarasota in the 1930s, and began experimenting.

He started the Succulent Society out of his catalog-bought, Depression era home located at the center of the garden.

Rodgers said the structure went on to be honored with a historical designation and marker from the state of Florida and the city of Sarasota in 2004.

Photo by Ian Swaby

It isn’t known how Sparkman’s interest in succulents came about, but according to Rodgers, he might have taken after his father, a scientist.

“He was that kind of a mind: ‘I don’t just have one in my window. I want to learn everything I can about it,’” she said.

Sparkman began researching the plants and starting many gardens in his yard, finding out what grew and what did not in Sarasota.

He began heading out to local garden clubs, bringing his succulents with him, and by 1950, his enthusiasm had spread, with a group of individuals now working and studying alongside him.

Although Sparkman lived in the house until he died, the Succulent Society continued to maintain the gardens, and today uses the house as its clubhouse.

According to Balmer, succulents are well-suited to Florida as they grow best in humidity. They typically withstand the summer weather, even an extremely dry one like the one Sarasota experienced in summer 2023.

Photo by Ian Swaby

Although the plants may only need to be watered once or twice a week in summer, there is still plenty of work to do.

The society’s president, Susan Palmieri, said while the level of engagement has varied over the years, it remains strong today, although the society is always on the lookout for volunteers at a time when members tend to head north.

“It’s such wonderful cooperation. It’s not just having something to do, they really care about the garden,” Palmieri said. “It really is a nice community. Everybody enjoys each other’s company. We work well together, and we take pride in trying to preserve this property, which is quite historic.”

“It kind of stays with families and people who they’ve heard of that before, and their parents were here, that kind of thing,” Rodgers said. “So, that kind of garden. It’s not one of the huge botanicals that runs on those $5 million projects.”

Some of the work involved includes propagating, potting and selling plants, and tending to plants. Volunteers must ensure they use care when introducing new plants, that they do not carry any diseases. The group also raises funds to gives out two $1,000 scholarships each year.

Photo by Ian Swaby

Knowing a great deal about the plants comes in handy as well.

Although most members of the succulent society bring amateur knowledge, learning as they go, David Uguccioni is considered the group’s resident expert.

Having worked extensively in gardening, he also has had an interest in science for his whole life that started when he experimented with organic chemistry as a young boy.

“My mother got tired of the stinks and burning, so she brought me to Selby Gardens and introduced me to the orchids, and I saw something that I had never seen before," he said. 

As he walks about the Succulent Society’s property, for which he also has a fondness, he can effortlessly recall scientific names like “Hohenbergia stellata.”

“I first snuck into this place when I was 9 years old,” he said. “I was super impressed with the idea of these plants that in many cases didn't even seem to have chlorophyll in them and were blue or gray. That caught my interest.”

Approaching a milestone

Volunteers say the Succulent Society’s mission is still going strong as it approaches its 75th birthday next year.

“To have a property that’s all volunteer-run for 74 years, is amazing. It’s amazing,” Balmer said.

Rodgers said with the historic designation of the home, it became much easier to obtain what is needed to keep the society running.

That includes needs like grants and tax exemptions. In fact, the home was renovated in 2023 with a grant from Selby Gardens, which allowed rotten siding to be replaced.

Meanwhile, volunteers seem to find that there is something about succulents that continues to draw them to the place. 

According to volunteer Judith Haver, it is the fact that they propagate easily and have many variations in the colors and textures; some look as though they have fur, while others have stripes.

“Even though I’m not formally educated in the subject, I’ve been working with succulents about 14 years now at home and have quite a collection, and I want to be able to work in the dirt and make things grow, keep this space alive and running for the future, and it just gives me a lot of personal joy to be able to do this,” she said.

How well do you know your succulents?