Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Goin to the Chapel…


I’m starting to repeat myself...I think that’s why I’ve come up with random title like this. I first posted pictures of this garden back in 2009; it surrounds what used to be a church, but is now a home, in Fillmore California.

It’s not the most pristine garden you’ll ever see (lots of weeds, trash, and dead leaves) but it is a tightly packed collection of amazing plants. Have a look…

If they're not scared off by the spikes maybe the ADT sign will do it?

Agave lophantha I believe?

And one that's shot up a very tall bloom spike that's taken all of it's energy.

Here's the bloom...

See the tall plant in the middle, the one that looks a little like a succulent? I believe it's a Euphorbia tirucalli, and I had no idea it could get this big!

Here's a close up.

Living under a nice big Acacia (I think that's what it is) looks to have it's draw-backs.

Here's the hell strip, no...that's not a child on the sidewalk, it's my 6ft 2in husband.

Several of the Agaves along here were blooming.

And there were some beautiful Palms...

This blooming Agave showed me something I've never seen before...

At the base there were two small pups also blooming. Based on their size I wouldn't have expected it (they're too young), but they must be following mom's lead?

26 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! You find the coolest places while being a street walker. Oops, that didn't sound right. The baby agaves blooming...whoda thunk it?

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  2. Lovely garden. Some agaves do seem prone to pups flowering at the same time as their mothers.

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    1. I saw that same phenomenon later at the Huntington too, it's just so bizarre to me!

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  3. Amazing garden! If it were my own, I'd want it slightly less overgrown but what a great find. Did you meet the owners?

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    1. No unfortunately I didn't. Andrew met the preacher at the church across the street who gave him the history of the building (congregation got too big so they built a newer building). This is the third time I've visited this place and every time it's closed up tight.

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  4. Haha...so funny, right before you mentioned the ADT sign, my thought was..."it's like a living security fence"!

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  5. Proper "danger garden", good luck to the one who wants to clean it! Some nice aloes! Love the comment hell strip, imagine a person with one-to-many, pure Hell for him! LOL! Thanks for posting. LT

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    1. They needed someone with long tweezers and tough gloves to come in and pluck garbage and weeds that's for sure!

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  6. Amazing. I hope the weediness isn't an initial sign of a garden that's being completely ignored.

    Also, get some color on that house! It could be so inviting.

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    1. When I was last there in 2009 it was on this path, it didn't look much different this time, so somewhere in between there must have been some clean up. As for the color I am no fan of white houses but against the blue sky (which is a common occurrence there) and with all those plants I rather liked this one.

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  7. NEATO! I love that! you're right about it being a bit wild but an amazing collection. I know its only formerly a church, but imagine if churches did their landscaping like that!!! I love those washingtonia robusta palms. When they are smaller you really get to appreciate them better I find.

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    1. As Adam notes below what a great location for a spiky wedding huh?

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  8. That's why so many of the pictures I take of my garden are tight close-ups: to crop out the weeds. Honestly, I could spend full time and never get completely ahead of them out here...and I don't even have to worry about poking an eye out in the process. That E. tirocalli amazes me even more because my itty bitty one is prone to sunburn.

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    1. I'm pretty lucky here, not many weeds have taken hold. Unfortunately the much I used this spring seems to have brought in a whole new crop. How irritating!

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  9. What a cool garden!

    What's that blue up in the sky and those dry looking slabs and plants? ;) It is still raining over here, you may have guessed.

    When was the church converted into a house? Before or after the garden was planted?

    Can you imagine what it would be like to get married there if you were a spikie lover? The photos outside would be to die for.

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    1. You know that's an excellent question (what came first), and I don't know the answer! I suspect probably the garden was planted after it became a house. That would be the wedding location of my dreams!

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  10. Used to be a nice planting of Agave americana and some other agaves, opuntias, etc at the church in Old Town. Now it's just Opuntia subarmata, but still stunning. But nothing like what you show in California...oh my! To be the gardener / owner...tough work, but worth it. Can't believe the stuff you come up with...I think you could find a spiky garden in Montana or Illinois!

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    1. Oh that sounds like an excellent challenge! Back when I lived in Spokane a quick drive over to Missoula was not out of the question, but it's a little further now. Still if I ever find myself in the area...

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  11. Now that's sharp gardening.

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  12. Does need some maintenance, but overall very beautiful. No such thing as "no maintenance". Don't know if you saw it at the Huntington but there is a E. turucalli that is truly a tree, with thick rough black bark and a true tree architecture of branches...you have to look and look to realize what it is.

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    1. I don't remember seeing it at the Huntington. I'll have to look closely at my pictures, maybe I saw it with out realizing what it was.

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  13. How to tend to such a garden? If our church had that kind of garden, I'd probably be inspired to hear mass more than weekly.

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