Monday, May 5, 2014

It’s time we talk about my favorite subject…agaves!

No, this isn’t a full-fledged agave report, just a few random agave highlights...

This photo was taken on November 30th, 2013. I walked around the garden that day enjoying my plants, because severe cold was on the way and I wasn't sure which ones would survive.

This particular Agave americana (dug from my in-laws place in Truth or Consequences, NM) was looking so good. It had been a highlight of the garden for years, but I had doubts about its ability to survive what was predicted for the next week.

Thankfully it stood strong through that storm, but as winter wore on began to take a turn, the center cone turning to mush and feeling soft. It had been a good run (planted out in the spring of 2011) and by mid April I'd come to terms with the fact it (and it's siblings, 3 plants total) had to come out. Of course I took a few photos before I dug.

And thank god I did! Since I had the camera in hand I decided to pull back the rotting leaves and show you all just how bad it was, boy did I get a surprise. It wasn't all rotten after all! Just the first leaf was...

Under that was a perfectly solid (although quite discolored) leaf. So I carefully removed the rotten bits and left the plant. That was a couple of weeks ago and it's done quite well since, last weeks heat wave (89F) did it good.

Here's another, I thought this rot was terminal.

There were also several mushy outer leaves on this plant. See the ones which are purple rather than blue? They were squishy to the touch.

But a little careful surgery and we have a deformed, but solid, plant. Survivors! By mid-summer they should be fully recovered and looking good again (I hope).

Speaking of looking good check out these Agave ovatifolia...

I've shared them before, years ago, and they've grown so much! Winter got the better of the phormium (to the left) and did a number on the manzanita but wow, the agaves look untouched (wish they were in my garden, along with those planters!)...

Nice huh?

Nice, nice is someone sending you a plant you've been lusting after for years. You've already met Joe (my prized Agave ‘Joe Hoak’) and then you saw his big brother across town. Well it's time you met Little Joey, another A. 'Joe Hoak'...how lucky am I?

Little Joey and his friend White Stripes (Agave americana var. medio-picta 'Alba') were sent to me by Hoov of Piece of Eden. What did I do to deserve such kindness? (thank you Hoov!)

In the shot above, behind White Stripes, you can barely make out a pair of Agave 'Mateo'. Just tiny things they're pups separated from a larger plant I bought last August. Mom went in a container but I stuck these in the ground, and whadda ya know?! They made it through our very cold winter. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since their known parent is Agave bracteosa...

Finally I thought I'd share a crazy agave pairing I recently put together. First take a beefy Agave ovatifolia...

Then add a bright green Agave lophantha 'Splendida'...

And you get...

Originally I was going to only plant the A. ovatifolia in this container (inspired by the ones shown above) but then the folks at Cistus Nursery had to go and tempt me with that beautiful bight green A. lophantha 'Splendida'. Since it had several plants growing together in the pot I separated them but then replanted them all together, spaced to accommodate a little growth. It's an agave mash-up center stage in the old privet-lands...

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

35 comments:

  1. So glad that your Agaves survived when you thought they didn't. That kind of surprise in the garden is very welcome. Also welcome -- gifts from a fellow blogger. How very cool of Hoov to send you plants!

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    1. Thank you Alison, I was so surprised having given them up for dead! And to Hoov's generosity she'd been keeping Joe for me for quite awhile, getting him bulked up and then holding through our cold period. I went and cheated though and bought another in the mean time...it's such a beautiful agave why wouldn't I want two?

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  2. YAY for the agave! I love your new ovatifolia! its a stunner. And its so cool to see how those other agave survived the craziness that was winter.

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    1. Craziness indeed! From your May 1st post it looked like your garden made it through the winter pretty well?

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    2. Yeah, I didn't have much damaged. I lost one sabal palmetto and had about 50% burn on another (sabal minor had no damage). melianthus died to the ground and has not showed any signs of life (yet) and schefflera 'yuan shan' completely defoliated but is sprouting all over the trunks.

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  3. Beautiful! A agave-centric post is just what the doctor ordered as I'm battling a nasty cold that is making me nauseated and dog tired.

    I just bought another 'Joe Hoak' on Saturday at the Sacramento Cactus & Succulent Society Show & Sale. And another Agave geminiflora, another Agave polianthiflora, a very blue Agave montana, and an Agave pumila (I'd long wanted one). Whew. Time to do my own agave- centric post!

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    1. Wow, me too! (the cold) I can't even remember the last time I was sick like this, I hope it passes fast for both of us. Looking forward to your agave-centric post, and glad to hear I'm not the only one with a pair of Joe's...

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  4. Good to know that your agaves survived even when they looked terminal! Nice to know that they can tough it out even with the big freezes, wettest March on record winter we had. Hooray & happy Cinco de Mayo!

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    1. Oh man, I always forget Cinco de Mayo...shoulda planned a margarita night (further celebrating the agave!).

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  5. Maybe you need to hang out a shingle. Loree, Agave surgeon: never give up on a squishy Agave!

    May your survivors live on the stare down many more winters.

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    1. Ha, I like it! And indeed, many more winters please!

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  6. That's good news about your americana, it must have good genes and 89F heat is going to see it alright as well!

    I am glad that you have gone for an Agave post today because I have been thinking about buying a larger Agave for a 15" pot that I have in my back garden. It currently has a Chamaerops humilis in it, but it is starting to get tatty and the top of the pot is infested with some kind of purple Oxalis. The ovatifolia really caught my, both your new one and the big one in the steel pot. So, what kind of cold did they see? If I go ahead and purchase one then it will be dragged down the side of the house under the lean to during the winter to protect it from the winter wet.

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    1. We were under freezing day and night for a week with a low of 12F here in my garden. I'd guess those were probably around 15F, they're in a better location than I am. However I have several in the ground which are all fine too, a little bit of spotting/rotting on a couple of the leaves but overall very happy. Do it!!!

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    2. That's pretty cold going. They must be tough.

      PS. I have gone ahead and purchased the ovatifolia

      http://www.amazon.co.uk/Agave-ovatifolia-24-cm-pot/dp/B00GP44EPW/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1399311779&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=agave+ovatifolia

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  7. Those agaves are truly survivors!! wish for them many more winters to survive!

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  8. Sorry, I can't read this post -- the memories of my lost Agaves are still too painful.

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    1. Oh Alan, I'm sorry! We'll find you an agave that will make it there...

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  9. Between you and Pam at Digging, I can see I'll probably have to rip out my new front garden to plant all the agave and succulents you tempt me with. Seriously, you two! And just when I thought I was happy gardening for bees and butterflies. I'm having trouble subduing my lust for that stripey guy front and center in the last photo. There's got to be a container around here somewhere ...

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    1. Oh Vicki of course you need a few agaves in your garden! Come to think of it I only saw one little tiny agave in that lovely post Pam did on your garden...

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  10. So...your dedication to documenting the operation for all of us led you to the heart of the matter? Guess you just discovered yet another reward for the (some would say dubious) blogging life.

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    1. Indeed Ricki! I was just going to take the shovel and be gone with them, then I thought "I should take a photo first"....

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  11. An excellent agave outcome considering the winter we've just been through. Smiling because I just picked up A. medio-picta Alba at a plant show. Talk about a looker and it's said to be quite hardy. I like the combination though it's a given that almost anything will look good with A. ovatifolia.

    Love those steel rings with the agaves in them.

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    1. Big A. medio-picta Alba grown in the ground are so graceful and stately. Your climate will probably allow such a thing?

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  12. I am so glad they are doing well under your great care! It also sounds like you and Gerhard have the same cold Stan and I had a while ago. Quite a beast! Get better and look forward to the next update!

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    1. Ya I have to say this one has really thrown me, I've never sneezed so much in my life, glad you've come out the other side of it.

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  13. Some good news there Loree and you've inspired me to blog about my recent agave plantings on the front of our house. Some of our containers looks very similar to your green one (gorgeous shade btw!). Perhaps next year the ovatifolia will be the sole occupant of that green pot.

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    1. Yes! I can't wait to read about your agave plantings. That green container was another one of my many scores when my friend Bridget moved, and you're right...I will probably end up pulling out the Agave lophantha 'Splendida' at some point.

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  14. You gave them very pretty pots. Looks like their trip wasn't too arduous. :)

    Agaves look very strange next to a thick green lawn. It must be me. Eyes are not used to lawn any more.

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    1. Ya this is the time of year where every lawn in town is lush and green. Don't worry though, by the time you're here in July they should all be a lovely shade of "Portland gold"...

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  15. Excellent to know they got through. I can understand your excitement at finding that a expected rotted core, turned out to just be one leaf.

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    1. I wouldn't have dreamed it possible...if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

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  16. I'm glad your americanas made it. I saw some pretty rough-looking ones in North Carolina but they received exactly the same treatment removing the damaged portions.

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    1. Glad to hear it, if the plant is trying to survive it's nice when it's given the time and care it needs. Not that I'm always so kind...

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  17. Your TorC agave looks a lot like my macroacantha 'Blue Ribbon' which for a long time opened new leaves with lots of discoloration, for different reasons of course. In my agave's case, I have no idea why. Possibly the grower experienced temps too cold? New leaves seem to be clean. What little heartbreakers these agaves can be.

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