The plants in my balcony had a difficult task this summer: to survive in my absence. They did well, mostly. Some of them were lucky, but not all of them. Now when I am back, I will have to make some improvements, maybe some new pot and new soil. The most difficult will be to get rid of the plague some of the plants deal with now. The big aloe vera, for example, is in bad shape. But let us start first with one that is doing well. Echeveria Runyonii is what we see in the cover photo. It is one of those plants I got from 
Kalanchoe Lucky Bells has grown a lot. They don't have anymore that nice yellow colour with brown spots like when they have arrived at my home. They are darker green now, I am not sure if it is a bad sign or not, but I liked those spots. Though the plant looks healthy, and the fact it is growing gives me optimism. And of course, it survived the summer without me being around!
For the next one, I don't have a name. It was kind of pink when it arrived and it had small yellow flowers. However, it is now green, and it has a long neck now like a giraffe :) I heard from its real mom that it is growing so long as it is searching for the sunlight. During the summer my balcony receives just a little bit of sun in the mornings. So no help with that right now, it will try to reach the sun until the autumn and winter. That is the time when there is more sun on the balcony. Although it looks ok, I saw two small white-grey spots on it. Those are mealy bugs! I will soak a q-tip in alcohol and remove it.
Stapelia Variegata is not very nice. In June, I thought it would die so I made one cutting that seemed the most healthier and put it into the soil. This is that lighter green branch, on the side of the pot. The old plant has some grey spots on the ends of the branches, I don’t know what it is and how to help it. I already thought I was going to be a #plantkiller. For now, it wants to live.
Elmo babies (Notocactus mueller-melchersii) are well. All of three! Of course, they could survive even more time without getting water and checking them out. The cacti are grateful in that case, you can forget you even have them and one day they will surprise you with a wonderful flower. Ow, well, it is just a dream, for now, I think a few years of waiting is still ahead of us to enjoy that experience. Are they ok in those plastic pots? Aesthetically they do not make a beautiful view, I know...
For what we think that is Aeonium Haworthii is, let us say, ok. It didn't grow a lot, but either it shows other anomalies. So it is just there, probably more patience will be needed to see some changes on it.
Problems are coming now. Haworthia Cooperi, the poor jelly plant, I think it will not survive. So, is it a dead body or not? The leaves are somehow dried, now I don't know if they lacked water or rotted? What I do know is that it can very easily bring me the official title of plant killer, haha. Girls, what do you think? Is there any salvation for it?
More problems. Dry, white tiny dots on the leaves of these plants. They were in good shape before I went on my vacation. I suppose it is a plague that attacked them.
Not a succulent, but this Orchidea lives also with us. Some of the flowers dried, and it had more flowering branches in June. However, I am happy it looks like this after the hot summer spent on the balcony. One question for the experts. Does it need a bigger pot and more soil?
Well, we came to Aloe Vera. I am not happy with the condition of it right now. It got the same plague it had some months ago. Fortunately, 
My both crazy, fuzzy Echeveria pulvinatas are doing well. I don't want to cut them back, I like it this way. They had flowers some two, three months ago, actually when I went away they still had the flowers. Now they are dry, maybe I will remove the dried flowers. Crassula ovata has grown a lot too, it seems that it especially likes that first position, looking down from the balcony and showing itself to the neighbours! With these plants, this update on my succulents will finish here. They were without my supervision most of the summer, though one friend was coming sometimes to give them water, but nothing else. Now, I will take care of the aloe vera, hopefully, it will help to get back into better shape.
