Just an idea for a mulch that is pretty to use on the less succulent foliage plants. I like to use a sphagnum moss or orchid moss. It hides the soil, absorbs some of the moisture and you can easily roll it back to check the moisture level in your plant soil.

I suspect your plants will quickly fill in so they won't even need a surface mulch.

Have you throught about taking your beautiful terra cota pots and setting the smaller plants in them? Either in singles or multiples and then covering the surface with a light mulch.

We will look forward to seeing photos of your lush "jungle" when finished.

Thank you so much for your suggestions @pod! I would love to try the sphagnum idea! Yes, I have been filling the bigger ones with some of the smaller, but the problem is that when doing so, the surface of the soil that the big, "main" plant is in, stays moist for ever under the smaller pots, even if they are for example little nursery pots with succulents. So, that is nice for some of the plants that love moisture, but not to the ones that hate it! The sphagnum would solve this, as it would absorb moisture instead retaining it into the soil.

Then again, the sphagnum moss might be worse as it will prevent evaporation. That would cause the soil to be more moisture retentive.

In this climate I find that helpful in summertime but really have to reduce the water in cooler winter temperatures.

That may not be a suitable solution either. I'm sorry.

No worries, your suggestions are really appreciated, I will try each and see what works, first in one plant and I will be watchful to changes.

Yes I agree, taking suggestions and experimenting is the best way to find what works.

I hope to never quit learning! (From others ~ not from my own mistakes.)

That is why I enjoy the good folks on this site.

Me too! It's such a useful site with lots of helpful advice. Kind members and all! Not to mention I'm drooling each and every time with all the images of the plants I see, he he.