Monday, July 30, 2018

Schefflera down, SoCal dreaming

When I began blogging I noticed the first photo of each post would show up on other blogger's blogrolls, next to the name of my blog (if they had their settings set to include photos). Aware of this I made sure the first photo was always a pretty one. Obviously I've gotten over that issue because this is not a pretty photo...

The above shot was taken at the end of June, when I returned from a week away. I'd been kidding myself the Schefflera taiwaniana was just going through it's annual old-leaf drop. After all the new growth looked fine...

However by mid July even the new growth had turned crispy. Root rot? Verticillium wilt?

Here are the stems I cut off, yes there's a little brown smudging, but is that enough to indicate a Verticillium problem?
The fact I'd been trying to water enough to keep the sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) — planted at the Schefflera's base — happy and green does make me suspect maybe root rot is the case.

Whatever caused it, the fact is I now had a dead (or dead looking) multi-stemmed shrub in my garden. What to do?

As happens my friend Evan had recently posted (on Facebook) photos of some plants he ordered from Bird Rock Tropicals. They looked great and I ordered a couple. Faced with bare stems — and emboldened by a birthday check in the mail from my parents — I took inspiration from Lotusland and the Nichols Garden and ordered a few more. Here are my inspiration photos, first Lotusland ...specifically I'm looking at the Tillandsia mounted on the branches...

And the Nichols Garden...

Of course I am very aware these gardens are both in climates where these plants can be outside year round.

I'm not that lucky.

Here's my small attempt at a similar thing in my garden...

And yes, that's one random Scheflerra branch on the far right that never showed any signs of stress. The shorter one on the far left is a separate plant.

The incredibly bright and insistent sun we've been experiencing here in Portland over the last few weeks made photographing this all quite difficult. Not that I'm complaining, I LOVE the sun.

I wired the Bromeliads and Tillandisa in place and then used Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) to hide the wire and tie it all together.

I'm happy with how it turned out — giving me something to enjoy while I decide what to do with the blank spot where there used to be a handsome Schefflera. However, there has been a large number of people through the garden in the last couple of weeks and only one of them even mentioned it, the rest kind of threw a sideways glance and quickly adverted their eyes. So I've gathered this might not be for everyone. Which is fine.

There's another new addition, a pink Cryptanthus, hanging on the trellis

And a couple new Tillandisa there as well.

It's all temporary of course, because unlike SoCal this will all have to come down when the temperatures drop in a few months...

***late breaking update*** working on this blog post I realized maybe the branches especially were a little underwhelming; an installation made of thin sticks, an obviously dead "something" dressed up. So I pulled in a couple of largish moss covered branches I was holding aside for a future fern table. I like the extra dimension. But of course that means I may need just a few more Bromeliads....

Weather Diary, July 29: Hi 99, Low 64/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

31 comments:

  1. I like it and I get where you're going, but it does kind of have a "Muppets on sticks" look to it. I'm not sure more and heavier branches is the solution. I would wire more Bromeliads to the existing tall thin dead limbs, all along the length of them.

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    1. Yes that would be FABULOUS! But, uhm... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

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    2. I just went out and looked again (placing the larger branches in yesterday's 99 degree sunshine didn't really allow for careful contemplation) and I do love the addition of bigger branches, what they bring doesn't really show up in photos. Plus the horizontal nature of the largest will allow for a really big Bromeliad! (again, $ though).

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  2. I for one think your "fix" looks great. I've been on garden tours and after a few hours it gets harder to absorb details. At least you get to enjoy the new display for a while as you plan the next scheme for the space. Planning is great fun too.

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    1. Thanks, and of course you're right about the details, and planning!

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  3. You always turn lemons into lemonade!

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  4. I love the idea that you didn't just rip it out. That tends to be what I do in frustration and then think of all the things I could have done . . . Nice redo.

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  5. Good job. I can tell you that my sensitive plants can tolerate quite a bit of dry.

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    1. Your in-ground sensitive ferns? Interesting. I'd been told they require consistent moisture.

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  6. A fun solution to an unfortunate loss. I like it, but I can see how people might not feel the same way. It is perhaps a little bare, especially compared to the wonderful, large Schefflera it used to be. But boy do I understand the whole $$$$ thing. With bromeliads, the cost can add up fast.

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    1. Portland Nursery Houseplant sale next weekend...

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  7. I like it! Did you bare root the bromeliads before wiring them onto the schefflera stems? They're not supposed to need soil but I'm afraid to try that. The day before my garden open, the Nichols garden inspired me to try something similar with the living but now large enough trunk of one of my trachycarpus with some tillandsias and bromeliad pups kicking around the greenhouse in 4" pots. (balanced the pots and tried to hide them with Spanish moss. No one noticed my effort either unless I pointed it out. Yours blends well with your tropical metal wall o' plants.

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    1. The company I ordered from sends them bare root, so I just took it from there. I'd love to see a photo of your "planted" Trachycarpus, it sounds marvelous. Pretty please?

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  8. I love them! I love the trellis with bromeliads, tillandsia etc too. I tried something similar and then got caught off guard by 18 degrees. Which is not supposed to happen here. I am always dreaming of SoCal, my native land. I don't think I will make it back. Recently I found out Galveston has a milder climate than Houston. I am considering moving there when I retire. If my kids are still living in here!

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    1. Ya, 18 degrees would bring this to an ugly end. Isn't Galveston rather flood prone?

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  9. As always making the most of the situation. Looks great.

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  10. How sad to see the droopy death spiral of your Schefflera. I like the solution though ,and it buys you some time while you figure out the next plan of attack for that spot. It's mystifying when a plant just ups and dies.

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    1. It is! And not knowing exactly why did died I am hesitant to plant another Aralia there.

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  11. Looks like fun to me, but I keep thinking about how much work you have to put in bringing things inside in the fall. I wonder how you do it!

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  12. Water your schefflera with H2O2. It’ll instantly oxygenate overwatered soil and chase out any root pests. It may help you keep from losing it entirely.

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    1. What!? I've never heard of this. Thanks for the tip.

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  13. Oh, that hurts to lose such a big scheffie -- but let the bromeliad games begin!

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    1. Oh man, now I want to rename this post!

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  14. I’m so sorry about your schefflera. I wonder if that’s what happened to mine too. I was actually looking at your scheffy a couple weeks back in a photo and noticed it getting scarce. I love the idea of bromeliads until you figure it out.

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    1. I'm not able to remember the particulars of your plant's demise, did you plant another?

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    2. It just slowly turned yellow and lethargic and died in the middle of summer. My assumption was that it was dry and so I gave it extra water. I have not replaced it... yet.

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  15. I really like what you did. It's the kind of look I wish I could pull off. You make it appear so easy!

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