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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Monday, October 29, 2012

An Agave Story

You may remember my post a month or two ago in which I talked about the agaves that were given to me by Sally Priest.  The car was already full of other plants so I could only take a few.  However, there were still some more left that needed a good home and I know  this Portland gardener who likes agaves a little so I made a trip back to retrieve the rest.   From the pictures below, you can see that they had been neglected and needed to find a good home.
 
 



First I cleaned them up a bit - here's the aftermath:


Here are some of them after a little care for a few weeks.



 
Brought in from the rain to dry a little before being placed in boxes.
Now packed safely into the car and ready for their trip to Aunite Loree's Agave Rescue.
 
I know that they will be safe and happy for the rest of their lives.  Hooray!

16 comments:

  1. I really am blown away at how good they look compared to when you first picked them up, their time in your AICU (agave intensive care unit)has done them well!

    Incidentally they are still in my car, just like in this picture. It was raining so hard when I got home last night (most of the way home too in fact) that I decided they'd be happiest staying right there. Now that I think about it the car would make another great place to overwinter cold hardy agaves...

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    1. What a good idea! The plants would purify the air in your car and you'd always have green friends with you. Might make grocery shopping a little difficult but one makes sacrifices for her plants. Thanks for rescuing these poor little orphans.

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    2. Thank YOU for doing the rescuing...and passing them along to me. I am lucky!

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  2. That was such a happy story!! I am in shock with your skills at the agave ICU too! And I'm sure auntie Loree will work some agave whisperer magic on them.

    I wonder if there is an agave dance (you know like one of the sun dances?) ? You could try channeling agave growth through interpretive dance. That might get the neighbours talking!

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  3. Don't be too impressed with the AICU skills. After cleaning them up, the only thing I did was give them water. I was tempted to feed them a little fish emulsion but didn't want to encourage too much growth just before the dormant season. The water alone made them put on a little new growth so we'll see what happens during the winter. Most of these are supposed to be hardy here but probably want to be dry so I'll drag mine up under the roof of the porch where they'll get cold but not wet. There were two of a few varieties of agaves so it'll be interesting to see what Loree's look like compared to mine come spring. She's a much better agave parent than I.

    My neighbors already think I'm a little wacko with my messy jungle so I probably shouldn't initiate a program of outdoor interpretive dance. On the bright side, there is a home for folks with mental disabilities across the alley from us so if I'm sent away, I can still visit my plants.

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  4. Lucky agave, the story with happy end! They need good hands.

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  5. QUite a change from their initial state but they do respond well with a good drink if they've been neglected with drought. Loree will be pleased!

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    1. She seemed happy with them. That's her car interior in the picture.

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  6. Lucky agaves! Let's hope they'll live happily for the rest of their life...

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  7. You made me chuckle there, they did look much better after you cleaned them up, lucky agaves. Best Wishes Karen.

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    1. Glad you chuckled! Surprising what a little water will do for a plant.

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  8. I dub thee BARS (Benevolent Agave Rescue Society) preferably in flashing neon as a background for your interpretive dance.

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    1. Oh Ricki, I'm rolling on the floor! Too funny. I love the acronyn! Gotta go look for an cheap source for flashing neon signs.

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  9. Auntie Loree is the best possible person to contend with the homeless pricks! Oh dear, I don't think that sounds just right, now does it, but you know what I mean! I love these heartwarming rescue stories,l especially when we had our first snowflakes in the air yesterday and are now contending with the potential of 50mm of rain thanks to that bloody hurricane!

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    1. Oh Barry, you're a stitch! Sorry about your rain(and your green crystal balls - must be painful!) Why the hell couldn't the rain have come this summer when you could have used it? Hope you stay dry and safe!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.