There's something out there for everyone when you're talking plants.

If you're a little forgetful, a bit selfish with your time and apt to change things around on a whim, then succulents are for you.

Cacti, aloes, sedums, agaves and others in their families are definitely your plant mates.

"What you have to love about succulents is that they thrive on neglect," says Maggie Kunze of Fort Collins Nursery in Colorado. "They don't mind being ignored, they don't get buggy and they can be moved around and not get shocked."

Succulents are perfect for placing in shallow pots and containers on the patio, deck or in rock gardens, she says.

"They're wonderful in little vignettes where you can put all kinds of them together," Kunze says, pointing to a miniature red wagon with dozens of varieties nestled together in a bed covered with sand. From the traditional hen and chicks, burro tail and string of pearls to plants that look like rocks, succulents offer a kaleidoscope of color and shape.

"And when they bloom, it's amazing what tiny little flowers appear," Kunze says. "There's always a little magic about them."

They are perfect for decks and patios that get a lot of direct sun in the summer.

"You can set them out; and then when you get tired of that arrangement, you can move them around for a whole new look," she says. "I like to place mine around a focal point when I'm having a party and then move them back afterward."

And if you forget to water them, it's no big deal. But because their roots are small, succulents placed in containers are easily swapped out if they become spent.

While most succulent containers must be brought inside when fall comes, hardy perennial succulents such as sedum can winter outside with great results.

Dozens of varieties open the door for creative placement in the garden, Kunze says. Many are hearty enough to be trampled on as they grow between stones on a walkway or to spread throughout a rock garden.

Kunze says trough gardens — so named because the containers resemble water troughs — can be filled with perennial succulents and placed in larger rock gardens.

"That way you can set them among other plants that have different watering needs and have the best of both worlds," she says. "You just place little troughs throughout the garden and have a nice variety."

Whatever your choice, succulents are delightful in their understatement and element of surprise, according to Kunze.

"Each is like a hidden treasure," she says. "They're not big and they're not showy like a lot of plants, but each is like a precious gem all by itself."