What's In and What's Out for Fall; An Agave Report

Periodically,  Loree at Danger Garden posts an Agave Report to update her readers on the current state of her agaves, quite a few of which are growing in the ground.  Loree loves these plants and speaks about them with an evangelistic fervor so infectious that even a set-in-his-ways curmudgeon like myself has fallen under their spell.  In my mind, that mitigates the guilt I feel for stealing her agave report idea for this post.   

 

A few of my agaves are sort of between in and out in the glass room that is only heated to keep temperatures above freezing, we'll call it zone 9.  

A few pots of noid pups that came from repotting their parents are also in zone 9 until the spring garden bloggers' exchange.  Just realized that there are quite a few sweet smaller agaves living in pots on the sills of zone 9 but they're out of sight for the season.

This sweetheart was given to me Danger herself upon the occasion of our first meeting  two years ago and has wintered here in zone 9 each year.    I think of the moss growing on the pot as the patina of authenticity rather than a sign of a lazy gardener.

Here we have some rather hardy souls most of which fared well last winter in this spot which is outside but gets no moisture at all.  We'll call it  dry zone 8.    I'm not totally sure about A. gentryi 'Jaws' and may move it to zone 9.  What do you think? Am also trying the Aloe polyphylla  there but may need to bring it in to dry a little as it was left out during the horrible downpours we had earlier and when I took it out of it's pot, the soil was dripping.  I potted it up into a mix of mostly pearlite and a little soil.  Fingers crossed.

Here we have some more  in zone 10, a heated room inside the house.  No one else was using this old  desk in the music room anyway?

And because the collection of tender plants keeps growing somehow,  I've taken over another room for the plants.  I suppose  one of the benefits of living in a large fixer is that the plants can take over rooms we don't use.

Agave americana variegata 'aurea'   fared well inside last winter and I'm thrilled to see all the pups coming up as this is one of my favorite children.

Mr. Ripple, the newest addition  along with some other friends who were fine in zone 9 last year but are getting a little large for the small space.

 

Here we have what's out.  Outside that is.  You may remember A. ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue' from an earlier post who will be slogging through the winter outside.  Hoping for the best!

 A. parryi 'J.C. Raulston pup also from danger that was fine here last winter and put on quite a bit of growth this summer.

Another 'J.C. Raulston' that I got on sale last fall and which lived outside last winter as well.  There's quite a crowd in there!

Agave weberi that became slime under plastic outside last winter but came back but is now covered with pelargoniums. 

A. bracteosa is pretty tough but, since it's still in a pot, it may come in this year.

So there it is, my first agave report. Thirty-two happy agaves in October.   Will there be as many in May?  Stay tuned to find out!  Sorry I stole your idea Danger.  Imitation is the highest form of flattery right?

Bark and Garden Part Two

The truly impressive assortment of  conifers and broad leaved evergreens alone is worth a visit to Bark and Garden Nursery but add to that the array of perennials and it's a must see nursery.  (This feels a little like one of those Ronco commercials, "But it also makes hundreds of julienne fries in minutes.") Anyway, they also have a great selection of indoor and semi hardy plants including some of my favorite echiverias.  There were so many beautiful Hellebores that they'll get their own post. 

Here's a glimpse of some of the indoor offerings:

Mine seldom look quite this good after spending the winter inside.

 These cacti are in 4 inch pots, are reasonably priced and each pot is labeled with the botanical and common name!

Can  someone explain to me the neon grafted cactus thing?  When I was a pre teen I thought they were really cool.  At the time I had black light posters in by bedroom and had painted the walls dark purple so my color taste was questionable to say the least.   Do cacti naturally occur in these colors?   How do they dye them?  are they grafted to keep them from reverting?  Do they live very long? I've never seen one that was any larger than these.  I want to know but not badly enough to bring one of them into my house.  The larger question is, why do they do this?

 

Doesent Notocactus scopa look soft and sweet?

Hirsute cacti always make me smile.  Does that fir protect them from the blazing sun or some sort of insect pest?

This barrel of fun almost came home with me but then I remembered that I have a couple of plastic ones in the attic that don't mind our soggy winters at all. 

When Hairy

 Met Wooley (Espostoa melanostele aka Peruvian Old Lady)

 The spikes of Devil's Tongue Cactus  look like some sort of sea creature.

 

This variegated opuntia was tempting but it looks like it wants to grow in a hanging planter.  Unfortunately I got rid of all of my macrame plant hangers and the ones made of tiny sea shells too. 

That's real live sun shining on this echiveria.  Spring is coming soon!

 I never tire of echiverias and aeoniums.  Just one zone higher and we could leave them in the ground all year.

 Fortunately most years they don't so much mind spending the winter inside.

 

These are about five feet tall and are the largest Aeonium arboreum I've seen but then I don't get out much.

 This beautiful blue fern likes sharp drainage and is marginally hardy here.  The one I bought last summer came inside this fall,  has gotten very little water, and is looking as fresh and happy as when I stuck it in the dark cramped winter digs.  You should buy one!

 

 Asplundia or Jungle Drum looks interesting but since I kill house plants it's probably kindest that it stayed at the nursery.  There was a nice variety of tropical leafy things in the houseplant section that all looked happy and healthy.

 

 

I've killed this before by leaving it out all year and it's width makes it  difficult to bring in for the winter.  It's on the sale table, though and spring is coming so it would only need a space for a few more weeks.  Maybe if it's still there when I go back.

 What collection would be complete without some really big succulents.  Some for inside

And even more for outside.

 

 It does look like a recent shipment from one or two growers but it's still exciting to see more of the hardier agaves offered. 

Did I mention that the sun was out?

It was so warm in this house that the vents were open and the fans were pulling hot air out.  I took off my coat and enjoyed a little artificial summer.  If there had only been a chaise lounge and a mojito nearby the fantasy could have been complete.

 I'm so excited to have finally visited this nursery and to add it to my list of regular places to haunt.  It will be interesting to see if they keep up this level of plant offerings all year.  Happy Monday all ja Hyvää maanantai, Satu!

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!