Two Yuccas and a Couple of Brave Agaves
The first Yucca, photographed in all its glory on a recent visit to Vassey Nursery, is Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard,' the sight of which always reminds me of Pam Penick at Digging, the host of Foliage Follow Up each month on the day following Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Foliage Follow Up reminds us all of the importance of beautiful foliage in our gardens. Click over to her site to check out foliage posts from garden bloggers around the world!
'Color Guard' is one versatile plant tolerating extremes of heat and drought in Texas and taking the cool soggy conditions in the Pacific Northwest in stride. Looking quite stately in this garden situation, it is equally gorgeous planted singly or with companion plants in pots. Picture this with a nice Verbena like 'Homestead Purple' swirling around at its feet.
Perhaps you'll remember this post from last year where we found this yucca in a pot paired with one of the large purple Alliums. Maybe this picture will help. I just finished potting up my Y. f. 'Color Guard' and threw some allium bulbs in to copy this idea. I only steal from the best! (Thanks Melissa)
The second yucca whose color makes my heart sing is Yucca 'Bright Star' or 'Walbristar'
Here's a puzzle for you: These two yuccas were purchased at the same time, same place, produced by the same grower, were the same size, planted in darned close to identical positions, received the same amount or lack of water. Why do you suppose there is now such a difference in size?
In the middle of the picture is Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue' or Whale's Tongue Agave. I was inspired to try this outside because Louis, who lives quite a bit north of me, has had good luck with this one being hardy in the ground. Pam Penick's posts of her gorgeous specimen may have played a part along with Loree's infectious infatuation with all agaves. Why is it brave? Well because it spent last year inside during the winter but got planted in the ground this spring and will be spending this winter outside. Fingers crossed!
The other brave agave is this one in the same bed that Loree herself brought as a gift on one of her visits. It made it through the winter in the ground last year and doubled in size this summer. Such a cutie!
What foliage has caught your eye lately?
Your Whale's Tongue is beautiful in the ground, growing so well. I planted mine in one of my culvert planters, where it gets really good drainage, but it still lost a couple of arms last winter. It bounced back quite well over the summer though. I don't think there is much chance that ours here in this part of the country will ever be as magnificent as Pam's.
ReplyDeleteI do love it in the ground and have dreams (delusions) of it growing large and even more beautiul. Jerry's garden, behind Jungle Fever, has some pretty impressive sized Agave parryiis going on so I have hope.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Stealing" ideas is the finest form of a complement, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI'll look forward to seeing it next spring!
Yes indeed! Where in Seattle do you garden? Do you also have a blog?
DeleteI do not have blog, Peter. I admire your (and others) commitment to blogging.
DeleteI live in a condo in West Seattle with a few house plants and get my gardening groove in a friend's house in North Seattle, not far from Swanson's nursery. (Have you been to Swanson's?)
12 years ago my friend's yard was a blank slate of grass and overgrown Laurel. I was a novice who knew nothing about gardening. We grew together, the garden and I. It became a passion I didn't know I have, and it seem to be growing all the time.
I was happy to find your blog for two reasons: first, I feel we share an insatiable appetite for nature and gardening and second, you are local so I can relate to everything and everyplace you write about. Thank you.
I love your story about growing together with your friend and the garden. I very much enjoy your comments and am glad you found my blog! Although I love reading blogs from all over the world, the PNW blogs show wonderful nurseries and gardens that we can visit on a day trip and also show successes and failures with plants in our region. Havea great weekend!
DeleteWhat a great Pam-plant foliage post! Your A. ovatifolia is looking quite fetching. Have you noticed passers by stopping to stare at it?
ReplyDeleteNo passers by have stared at the Agave or asked about it. Everyone asks about the Magnolia macrophylla - what is it, where can they get one. I thought putting an agave out front would elicit questions too but not so much. I've mostly finished chopping down the lilac, holly, wild mahonia, hawthorn and maple volunteer thicket that had taken over a huge dry area of a parking strip. Am planning on replacing that with yuccas and some of the hardier agaves next spring. We'll see if anyone notices them there.
DeleteI think there is no answer to that puzzle about same plant, same spot, same source...different results. It happens here all the time.
ReplyDeleteMy 'Bright Edge' looks identical to your 'Color Guard', so I guess I can take that one off my list and replace it with 'Bright Star'...just one, so that any possible laggart will not suffer from an inferiority complex.
I love 'Bright Star' The coloring is so dreamy, it doesn't even look like a yucca sometimes. Not that there's anything wrong with the looks of yuccas mind you.
DeleteOhh, I love all those Yuccas and Agaves!! I own three "Bright Star" but they are small and I have not planted them yet...I have no place to plant them away from the goats that will enter my garden and eat them, hehehe.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like goats will eat just about anything!
DeleteYay for yuccas and agaves! The first pic alone of the Colourguard certainly got my attention, the following ones sustained it!
ReplyDeleteThey're cool plants & I'm glad you enjoyed them!
DeleteBright Star is my favorite. That color is so delicious. I think the one on the left has a case of the Jan Bradys. She needs a self esteem boost!
ReplyDeleteMaybe she'll get a Tagro (our local recycled sewage product - magic) boost in the spring!
DeleteFunny yuccas! They want to be different from each other... ;O)
ReplyDeleteJust like children, they will be who they will be!
DeleteSmashing choices, Outlaw -- you're playing my song! The 'Bright Star' yucca is one I haven't tried yet. It looks similar though to 'Margaritaville', which I do have. Hope your Agave ovatifolia does swimmingly this winter.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam!
DeleteYou have some nice combinations of succulents in your garden and the colors of the yuccas and agaves complement one another beautifully...great foliage!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee!
Delete