Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Agaves! Free to a good home...

***update, the agaves went fast—thanks everyone!***

Taking a break from the blog was a good decision, and I'm not going to lie; I entertained the idea of not picking it back up again. I've been doing this blog thing since March of 2009 and have published over 3,390 posts. That's a lot of time spent photographing, editing photos, writing, uploading and then dealing with Google/Blogger's never-ending software nonsense. 

Then I received an email asking if I'd help rehome some agave pups, and I got to thinking about the community I've built around this blog. The people I've met and gotten to know. How wonderful you all are, as evidenced by the many heartfelt comments on my last post, about losing my dad.

So here I am, sharing the story of 57 Agave salmiana pups that are available, free to anyone in the Portland area who wants to grow a giant spiky agave. Agave pups Matthew Boyd removed from this beautiful, spiky, giant (just to the right of the large opuntia patch, below) in his NE Portland garden...

I first "met" Matthew after I shared photos of his blooming Agave ovatifolia (here) back in June of 2021. That agave is still standing, or, well, leaning...

It was fun to walk up and check out the bloomed out agave up-close, a year later.

It's counterpart across the steps looks pristine, no signs of blooming here.

Although there is moss! (I think all of us PNW agave growers have experienced moss in our agaves at some point).
So back to the prolific spiky giant. It's hard to tell just how big it is, in this photo.
Here's another shot with my hand, for scale.

Back when Matthew and I first exchanged emails he shared that this agave was already planted when he and his wife bought the house. It's resemblance to the large agaves growing just a few blocks away (here) and the fact they too send out a lot of pups had me wondering if perhaps they weren't related—a neighbor walks by and admires, a gardener shares, you know how it goes.

Anyway, do you live in the Portland area? Do you love agaves? Do you have room for a large agave? Well then Matthew's got a pup for you! Many of them are small, but keep them in a pot and put them in your sunniest (we will get sun, eventually), hottest, spot and water them over the summer. 

Keep them dry over the winter, and—although it's hardy once planted out in the ground—you should probably protect it if we get a cold snap next winter and it's still in a pot.

Then once it gets to a good size—filling the pot it's in—plant it out in a sunny well drained location late next spring. 

Matthew has moved these pups (along with a few opuntia and veggie starts) to his front steps at 2871 NE Alameda St, Portland, OR 97212. He'll leave them there through the weekend, stop by and grab one or two! And thanks Matthew, for allowing me to help spread the agave love...


All material © 2009-2022 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

25 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 08, 2022

    Very generous! (and the house is gorgeous).
    I'm glad you decided to come back, (even if frequency will be reduced).
    chavli

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    1. Thanks for your continued reading and commenting, Chavi

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  2. gerhard@succulentsandmore.comJune 08, 2022

    So happy you're back. You've been a massive inspiration over the years and I can't imagine a world without your blog!

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  3. AnonymousJune 08, 2022

    Mom “suggested” I stop by for one so we will!! - hopefully there will still be one! :)

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    1. Hope you got one and it grows well for you!

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  4. AnonymousJune 08, 2022

    Please don't drop the blog! Just do it at a pace that feels good to you!

    And these agaves are so fabulous; I wish I had room!

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  5. I'm glad you elected to come back to blogdom, Loree! I fully appreciate the toll maintaining a blog can take, and I've recently been considering whether it's time to let go even though I don't have the time invested in the process that you do. But I don't derive the same satisfaction from IG and, as you noted, the community forms through a blog is invaluable. I don't live among a local gardening community as well-connected as yours and I know I'd miss a lot if I wasn't able to share the ups and downs of my garden with others who can fully appreciate them. However, I do think that periodic breaks may be useful and that blogging on a schedule as I've done can get tedious.

    I hope Matthew's agave giveaway goes well. I could virtually guarantee that If I put out a stash like that, they'd be gone within hours. Between our ever-deepening drought and increasing water restrictions, my SoCal neighbors seem to be finally catching on to the appeal of growing succulents ;)

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    1. From what I hear they were indeed gone in hours. Even though we're currently experiencing a VERY rainy spring, the appeal of agaves wins out, yay! I am glad you're sticking with your blog as well, I look forward to reading about your experiences and seeing your beautiful garden. I read every post, even though I've been bad at commenting lately.

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  6. I too wonder why I continue mine. It has been helpful in remembering how the garden has changed over time, and especially how small some of the plants here once were, and how long they've been here.

    Yours is a lot more interesting.

    Everything on the web individual and much corporate has moved to FB and Instagram and now tiktok. I rather like the quiet backwater of blogs. Less ads, trolling, and such.

    Nice of that neighbor to offer the plantlets. He's got a gorgeous home and garden there.

    What's that green stuff between the leaves? Moss? Here we have--dust.

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    1. "the quiet backwater of blogs"... well said! Although I must disagree that mine is more interesting.

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  7. AnonymousJune 08, 2022

    Have always been interested in the possibility of placing agaves in the Fishingham Garden hellstrip - in place of the now tired yuccas. Hope to go by a pick up a couple little ones. Thsnks!

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    1. I hope you did, and I hope they are successful!

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  8. Jeanne M DeBenedetti KeyesJune 08, 2022

    Wow! That is one big Agave! I would love one but not sure I have a big enough space now. Wellll, it could be in a pot for a year or two or definitely dig something else up. This may be the house I fell in love with Agave 'Vanzie'? Wonder if there will be any pups left when I get over there this weekend. Thanks! BTW, glad you didn't give in to the urge to stop blogging. We all enjoy your thoughts, travels, pics and your amazing and interesting posts.

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    1. Sounds like the agaves were all gone same day, but that shouldn't stop you from scheming on a place for one in your garden.

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  9. Thank-you for continuing to entertain and engage us with your blog. I can't imagine what it would be like to come up with material for so many posts. Congratulations. It's quite an achievement. And you are so correct re: a community of people who feel like we know you though most of us have probably never met. You have created a network of like minded gardeners. Something to be celebrated these days.

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  10. AnonymousJune 09, 2022

    Your gardening style has been a huge influence on my own garden here in NE PDX. When friends or passers by comment on my garden you inevitably enter my thoughts, and I feel so lucky to garden in this unique area with inspirations like you as a guide. Jim N Tabor.

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    1. Thanks for those kind words Jim, and your support over the years.

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  11. Thank you for continuing to blog, Loree. Though I have only started commenting recently, I always look forward to reading danger garden and enjoy how your personality (and sense of humour) shine through in your writing. I work in a nursery and you'd be amazed how many times your blog posts come up when I'm searching for info on a particular plant, despite the fact that we live on opposite sides of the world. I sure appreciate the time and effort you put into your posts on the weird, wonderful and spiky ;)

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    1. Thanks so much for commenting Horticat, I'm glad you started to share your thoughts. So... where exactly do you live?

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    2. I’m in Adelaide, South Australia - about as far from Portland as you can get! :)

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  12. I know I rarely comment, but I’d be bereft if you stopped blogging, Loree. I hope you continue – at least for a while longer. And I stopped by Thursday afternoon for an agave from Matthew’s stock; all gone! You definitely spread that agave love. ❤️

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    1. Well I'm glad they all found homes, but sorry you didn't get one Jane!

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