Friday, July 8, 2011

When your Yucca is finished blooming…

I have a confession to make…I’m a tidy gardener. I wish I were the type who let things go to seed, left leaves lying about where they would break down and feed the soil, let it all just naturally happen around her. Maybe it’s the modernist in me? I like clean lines and sharp edges. Wow, glad that’s off my chest. I feel better. You had no idea right?

So why am I telling you this now? Because for years I’ve been admiring skeletal old Yucca blooms left to age in place, they look so regal and yet menacing. I’ve tried to leave mine…I last about a week, tops, and then I’m out there cutting them down. Not this time! I had an idea! And since this involved buying plants you know it actually had a chance of being successful. Let me backtrack a bit….remember the fabulous about to bloom Yucca recurvifolia 'margarita' I bought for the front of the house? Well it bloomed, and then faded, fast. Gone. A skeleton left in its place. I was determined to just let this one be… Then one day at New Seasons Market I saw them, small and inexpensive Tillandsia… and I thought, why not! Now my Yucca bloom skeleton is a home for a few Tillandsia… I foraged for a little moss and tucked them in, then secured it all with just a tiny piece of wire. Oh this makes me happy! I think I might just be able to leave this bloom skeleton for quite awhile…

17 comments:

  1. Very cool idea! Even if it's just for a summer display it's a creative use of the spent Yucca inflorescence :)

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  2. Haha...for a second, I thought they must be seeds that sprouted on the stem!

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  3. That is very cool!

    I like neat too, though. Flowered-out stems vanish quickly here.

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  4. Quite cute! For a moment there as I saw the first pic I wondered if new tilandsia look alike yucca pups had sprung up!

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  5. I wish I had more of your neatnick tendencies. Are you on Facebook now? I see the logo, but don't know exactly what that means.

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  6. That is the most adorable ...and dangerous display I've seen in ages!

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  7. Now you have gone over the edge.....vertical gardening on top of your main plants. OMG when will this madness end?

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  8. Wait. What? A tidy gardener? YOU? LOL. I admire your style a lot. This idea is ingenious. Nice job!

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  9. This is a fantastic idea!

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  10. Oh Loree, You are FABULOUS! Perhaps, if I ever grow up, I could be a neat gardener like you!

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  11. What an excellent idea!!

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  12. Thanks everyone!

    ricki, no, well sort of. I did get a fb page sort of set up, mainly just to reserve the name but I certainly am not active. The logo under my posts is something that I read about adding to your blog to make it easier for people to link to your post via facebook. Or at least that's what I understood the point to be.

    Beech Street, perhaps it's just getting started?

    Peter, sarcasm? :)

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  13. Nicole H.July 10, 2011

    I love it. Airplants go with everything.

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  14. Very clever use - dry arrangements in a big pot can work too. Byut I like your version more.

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  15. OK, yeah, that looks fantastic! Very creative, Loree. I can't wait to see it in person -- soon!

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  16. Excellent..I share your ideas on Google+ as well!

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