danger garden: September 2016

If you know me — or have read this blog for any length of time — you know I love summer and have a hard time leaving it behind. If life could continue on in perpetual summer I would be a very happy camper. However since the writing is on the wall, I'm trying to come to terms with reality. Trying.

Thinking about which plants to feature today I'm struck by a few that are forging ahead, winter be damned. Like the ever optimistic Tetrapanax papyrifer, once again it's starting to push out bud clusters and begin the race against Mother Nature to get those flowers open before a freeze zaps them limp.

Will this be the year?

And check out the Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana)...that I wrote about on Tuesday.

After blooming earlier in the summer it's finally forming fruit (at least I think that is what's going on here, there is another plant, which also bloomed, just a few feet away).

They look to have a long way to go before they're edible, kinda risky in late September. Ticktock ticktock...

This Euphorbia was an unrooted cutting when given to me. Now it's putting out new growth...

If you know what it is I'd love an ID...

The point where the older, blue/grey, growth meets the new bright green growth is terribly cool. I've enjoyed watching this develop.

There is even a little side nubbin!

My Stapelia has two huge buds...

Problem is I had to move it from where it was hanging on the front of garage and in the course of doing so there was an accident. This whole section, now tucked into the to of another container, was broken off the mother plant.

This bud was prematurely popped open in the fall.

Two sections of plant were snapped off. This large piece and another smaller one, which I'll be giving to a friend.

I hope there's enough energy stored up in there to open the buds as they would have done if still attached. We shall see.

In "non-blooming" favorites I really liked the way the Passiflora 'Sunburst' has worked it's way around the wire loops I hung in the Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’ — so much so I'm (almost) forgiving it for not sending out any of those fabulous orange flowers.

Lots a leaves...

Some of them quite large.

Hey! Maybe I'll get a few flowers after all...

After finding those little buds I searched this tropical Passiflora — P. rovirosa'Purple Tiger' — for any signs of pending bloom. I got nothin! Since I have to dig it to overwinter indoors, it better hurry up and do something, or else it risks getting left out to freeze...

Below the Passiflora is Echium candicans 'Death Star', also not hardy and there will be no attempt to overwinter it...

I enjoyed that fabulous foliage for the summer and something else will take its place next year.

Only a couple of branches revered to solid green. If it was going to live I would have removed them.

This is fun! My Nolina Microcarpa bloomed last spring (photos here) and the first few leaves that emerged post bloom ended up squiggled.

Imagine if the whole plant was squiggly! Okay that might be a bit much.

These are very cool though...

Wrapping up this rambling post is a pair of Tillandsia I picked up at the Farwest Show in August. If my photos/memory are correct that's a Straminea thickleaf on the left and Capitata guzmanioides n the right.

I've enjoyed the bit of Lotusland they've brought to Clifford (the Magnolia macrophylla in which they're hanging out)...it's nearing time to take them indoors though...

Okay so this hasn't been much of a "favorites" post, more of a "what's going on in the garden" kinda thing. I guess my mood is showing. After all my favorite is still summer.

Behind Madame Ganna Walska's home (around which we explored last week) is the Cactus Garden...

From the Lotusland website: "This extensive collection of columnar cacti was donated to Lotusland in 1999 by Merritt Dunlap, a longtime friend of Madame Walska. Dunlap began his collection in 1929 and grew approximately 40 percent of the plants from seed."

"...The new garden area was designed by Eric Nagelmann on three-quarters of an acre and contains about 300 different species of cacti, grouped by their country of origin. Paths snake between raised beds, converging on an elevated viewing terrace near the center of the garden.

Three hundred tons of diorite boulders were used to create the beds, and stunning formations of basalt create more drama at the lawn entrance and throughout the garden, which opened in 2004.

Notable specimens include species of Opuntia endemic to the Galapagos Islands; several blue, sculptural species of Armatocereus from Peru; and a complete collection of the genus Weberbauerocereus. Accent plants, including boojum trees (Fouquieria columnaris), dry-growing bromeliads, and several Agave species provide contrast and interest."

I was thrilled to see so many specimens in bloom during our July visit.

(that darn smudge is on the inside of the camera lens!)

I neglected to take a photo at the bottom of the stairs, before I climbed to the "elevated viewing terrace" — so this screen shot of their website will have to do...