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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.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Has It Risen from the Dead?


You may remember thr Agave weberi story but if not here's a quick recap. 

I met him at the candy store.  He turned around and smiled at me, you get the picture (yes we see.) That's when I fell for the spiky agave.




It sat around for a while in its plastic nursery pot as can be seen in this picture that I borrowed from here.

And finally got put in a big pot where it put on some nice growth and looked gorgeous!

All seemed to go very well over the summer!

When rains were predicted to return A.W. got a nice plastic shower cap to keep the rain out.  I think it also allowed condensation and didn't allow for very good ventalation but all seemed fine, the soil was dry as a bone. Then came  a few nights of freezing temperatures. 

 
When the plastic was removed he seemed to be lost and A.W. was put in my D.Y.K. (dead you know) post.
 
I haven't had the heart to rip it out yet  (That's the current excuse for being a sloth.) and now it's doing this. (Notice the forget me nots in the background.  Coincidence?  You decide.
 
 So agave experts,  is this one of those last death throes or has A.W. come back to life for Easter?
 


16 comments:

  1. WHYGTL? (what have you got to lose)...give him another chance!

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    1. I'm thrilled! I'm wodering if the plastc covering did more harm than good because of ventilation issues. If he's alive, we'll try next winter with a different plan.

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  2. simply beautifully captured shots...lovely!

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  3. I am in love with this post! First of all you just gave me the (up until now unknown) name of a plant I posted on my blog, and second, don't we all fall in love with "that plant" from the nursery, bring it home and watch that love fall apart :( Sometimes it's our fault and we love them - to death! And other times the plant was a liar and never really loved us at all... I hope your agave ends up being a true love!

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    1. Thanks Rosemary! I too hope that it's true love! Agaves really don't like our moist climate but true love can overcome all odds, right?

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  4. I fear it is a ghost but there are worse things than a haunted garden. In fact I am jealous.

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    1. What? My garden is haunted? Yikes. Scooby Doo, Where are you?

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  5. Nice story! Glad the plant is coming back.
    (I answered your question on my blog; it's Naches Trail Elementary School.)

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    1. Way cool! I used to work in that school district!

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  6. Speaking as the World's Foremost Authority on Agave Death (no one knows more about the ways agaves can die than I do, lost at least ten this winter), if the center part is rigid, things are almost certainly okay. If you tug on it and it pulls right out, all mushy and brown at the bottom, well ...
    Even then it can come back from the roots. Fat, white healthy roots will create new plants in short order.
    When you cover them and there's a chance of freezing, the plastic shouldn't touch the plant.

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    1. Thanks Bob! The inner part has put on some more growth and is rigid and, try as I might, the leaves don't seem to want to pull out of the soil. Thanks for the tip about the plastic touching the leaves. I'd another agave that I also covered with plastic but used bamboo poles to create a tent over the plant & it sailed through with no problem. A.W. was so large that I let the plastic rest on the plant. Looks like A.W. is giving me a second chance and, thanks to your advice, I won't make the same mistake next winter!

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