It's time to share how things are doing after record winter rainfall (over 27" since the beginning of December) and a snow and freezing rain event back in early January. By "things" I mean the ones that were experiments, technically USDA Zone 9-ish plants left out and/or my Agaves and other succulents that are planted out in the ground. The very wet ground. And this is gonna be a long post. I let the camera finger get a little carried away!
Let's start in the back garden. Last year I had two orange blooming Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw) in containers on the patio. Since they were small I went ahead and tucked them into the SPGreenhouse, what the heck. The heater was on when it got down to 24F outside and look, they're still alive! (they're the green strappy-leaved things)
The Asparagus densiflorus 'Myers' planted out in the ground is still alive too...and obviously I need to get started on clean up! (pine-cones everywhere...)
The Grevillea 'Superb' – well it's not exactly dead (yet)...
Leucadendron 'Silvan Red' is looking good. A few leaves have turned brown though, I hope I'm not jinxing it!
You might recall there was an Echium candicans 'Variegata' I had hopes for, but it's a gonner and already composted. The E. fastuosum got hit hard by the cold/ice...
But there is new growth popping up all along the stems, so that's cool!
Salvia apiana is not looking good.
Grevillea 'Ivanhoe', of the three plants in my garden this one looks the best – but they're all still alive.
I meant to dig these little Agave pups and the Opuntia before winter – they're not planted in particularly well drained soil – but forgot. It doesn't look to be bothering them much though, perhaps the palm is taking up most of the water.
The smaller pups on the far right in this photo are basically rotting away, thankfully the larger guys seem to be fine, only minor damage on their lower leaves.
Agave bracteosa continues to be a super-star...
And Agave 'Mateo' is showing off the coping skills of it's one known parent, A. bracteosa
Agave striata is looking like a champ.
The Agave parryi 'JC Raulston' pup has some rot, as does Echeveria secunda...but...unless things get worse (like a really wet and cool spring...it could happen, but I am praying that it doesn't) they should make it...yay!
Agave gentryi ‘Jaws’ has a tumor, or two.
But overall looks really good. That's Agave gracilipes at about 12:00 and another 'JC Raulston' pup just under it. Grevillea x gaudichaudii is creeping in from below.
Grevillea x gaudichaudii has some foliage damage, but other branches (see above) look fine.
Unlike what used to be a cute little Agave parryi trio. They're not going to pull through...
The trio of Agave parryi dish planters however, no problem!
Here's where I admit I've lost track of what some of these Agaves are. I believe this one came from the Agave rescue, but maybe not.
This one did for sure, and as you can see it's really unhappy. It was knocked back hard the winter of 2013/14 and had made a valiant recovery. I don't know if it's up for doing it again.
On the left Dyckia choristaminea 'Frazzle Dazzle' joined by another Agave without a name. I divided a huge 'Frazzle Dazzle' last spring and planted out a few pieces. This one doesn't look like it's going to make it.
This one has a chance...
When last we saw this Opuntia polyacantha it was bent over in half and covered with ice. I like this version better.
Let's move out to the driveway where the humongous Agave weberi is holding court.
He's got some bad spots, which indicate future arm amputations, but all in all he's looking grand.
Ditto for his friends next door who've spent all winter out in the wet – except for the period with the snow and ice, I managed to grab them before that hit, the only thing I did to prepare.
Now we're out in the front garden and here's the big (for me) surprise...four of my seven Echium wildpretii are still going strong!
When these guys were encased in ice I figured that was the end, but they pushed on through...here's to summer blooms! (fingers crossed)
This Agave americana (yes, that's really what it is) has already gone through surgery.
It lost a few arms. As you can see in the photo above there's another one that's got the crud. I'll leave it until it gets worse and we (hopefully) have a dry spell forecasted.
This little Echinocereus triglochidiatus v. gonacanthus keeps on keeping on!
And Agave 'Silver Surfer' is spotless (although not terribly silver, is he?)
Agave americana var. protoamericana, another "rescue" who came back from the brink a couple years back. Can he do it again?
Agave parryi 'JC Raulston', with a dusting of Arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths' flowers...
All the A. parryi 'JC Raulston' look great.
I love this plant!
Agave ocahui has some ugly damage to it's older leaves, but the center still looks good.
Gross!
Agave ovatifolia, this one started life here has a tiny little pup...it's doing well, but will be loosing an arm.
Ditto for this one.
The leaning Opuntia is a lasting result of the cold and ice, I keep hoping it will upright itself (like they often do) but I'm beginning to think I'll need to prop it up.
The Agave americana it seems to be protecting is doing fine.
The Ochagavia carnea has been in the ground since spring of 2014 and is starting to clump up. No issues with the cold, wet, or ice.
This little Agave lophantha 'Splendida' pup didn't fare so well. I wonder if a larger plant would have done better?
I planted this pair (Agave americana and Agave americana var. protoamericana) last fall as part of the OCK planting. Normally I wouldn't dream of planting Agaves so late in the season, but I was feeling daring. The A. americana has had some issues (you can see the amputation scars) but overall I think it's going to be okay.
Agave utahensis, doing well.
Saxifraga taygetea 'Rotundifolia', is also fine – despite its USDA Zone 10 label (which must have been an error). I regret that I didn't visit Sky Nursery when I was in Seattle a couple weeks ago and buy a few more! (what was I thinking?)
*Sigh* so beautiful! I was shocked when I looked back at an old post (2013) and saw how small this Agave ovatifolia was when I planted it. Completely unscathed by winter, yay!
The ugly puncture wound you may have noticed came from when we got our windows replaced last spring, the dots all around it from a hail storm.
But I have no idea when this big slice occurred, thankfully they're both on lower arms and can be removed later if need be.
This is the second A. ovatifolia planted in that same general area, and congrats! With that you've reached the end of a very long post...(kind of like our very long wet winter). Here's to warming, drying, weather...soon!
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Thursday, March 3, 2016
I love you Corona! (or how procrastinating paid off)
You've heard me complain — this winter has been wet, very wet. We've broken all sorts of records for precipitation. Skies like this one (on February 2nd to be exact) with that beautiful shade of blue, have been rare.
When I decided to plant an Agave ovatifolia in this large container I knew it wouldn't be going anywhere over the winter (too heavy), so I built a little cover for it out of PVC and an old shower curtain (that story here). Last winter was such the cover came off frequently, this wet winter however, has meant it's stayed on, a lot. Too much...
We have a problem.
Yuck, and on an inner leaf too...
How to get in there and cut it out without creating an even larger problem by damaging the leaves around it?
Well I did like anysmart lazy person would do and put that off for another day...
Wednesday February 24th was that day. It had gotten a lot worse over those three weeks.
My usual tool for cutting off rotting Agave arms is a serrated steak knife, it works like a charm. However there was no way to get in there and cut without doing damage to the other leaves. I tried a couple of my other snips and pruners but none were up for the job.
Then I got an idea! What about those odd curved grape snips Corona put in the swag-bag I received at the NWFG Show tweet-up?
I remembered looking at them and thinking they were strange, what with their long curved blades and small body.
But there couldn't have been a better tool for the job.
They fit in there perfect, the curve echoed the natural shape of the agave, and they were so sharp that cutting was effortless.
No other leaves damaged in the process!
The finished job. I had this same thing (a rotting inner leaf) happen on an Agave victoriae a few years back. It was easy to get to though and once I cut out the offending appendage the wound dried up and the plant is still alive and looking great.
Gross right?
Look what the "skin" is doing, it's like thin vellum...
The surgery was followed by two dry days, now the rain has returned and the cover is back on. Fingers crossed everything will be okay. Oh..and tomorrow we'll look at how the rest of my garden is doing post-winter...(ya, it's meteorological spring and that's good enough for me...). Meanwhile, thank you Coronal Tools! (and the moral of this story...if you wait long enough to do an unpleasant task the right tool just might fall into your hands!)
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
When I decided to plant an Agave ovatifolia in this large container I knew it wouldn't be going anywhere over the winter (too heavy), so I built a little cover for it out of PVC and an old shower curtain (that story here). Last winter was such the cover came off frequently, this wet winter however, has meant it's stayed on, a lot. Too much...
We have a problem.
Yuck, and on an inner leaf too...
How to get in there and cut it out without creating an even larger problem by damaging the leaves around it?
Well I did like any
Wednesday February 24th was that day. It had gotten a lot worse over those three weeks.
My usual tool for cutting off rotting Agave arms is a serrated steak knife, it works like a charm. However there was no way to get in there and cut without doing damage to the other leaves. I tried a couple of my other snips and pruners but none were up for the job.
Then I got an idea! What about those odd curved grape snips Corona put in the swag-bag I received at the NWFG Show tweet-up?
I remembered looking at them and thinking they were strange, what with their long curved blades and small body.
But there couldn't have been a better tool for the job.
They fit in there perfect, the curve echoed the natural shape of the agave, and they were so sharp that cutting was effortless.
No other leaves damaged in the process!
The finished job. I had this same thing (a rotting inner leaf) happen on an Agave victoriae a few years back. It was easy to get to though and once I cut out the offending appendage the wound dried up and the plant is still alive and looking great.
Gross right?
Look what the "skin" is doing, it's like thin vellum...
The surgery was followed by two dry days, now the rain has returned and the cover is back on. Fingers crossed everything will be okay. Oh..and tomorrow we'll look at how the rest of my garden is doing post-winter...(ya, it's meteorological spring and that's good enough for me...). Meanwhile, thank you Coronal Tools! (and the moral of this story...if you wait long enough to do an unpleasant task the right tool just might fall into your hands!)
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Wednesday Vignette: determination
Above: Euphorbia rigida seedlings sprouting in a crack between the foundation and driveway of my neighbor's house. Below: the parents, in my garden.
Approximate distance traveled = 10 feet. Wednesday Vignettes are hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum.
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
In a Wooden Container on Tuesday...
Some of you may have seen this image on Instagram a couple of weeks ago. I was so excited about my new Bayce I had to share what a great base it made for my woven lamp. As I noted then, Lila seems to approve.
Are you wondering what the heck a Bayce is? Well then you must not follow Allan's blog It's Not Work it's Gardening where he's written about his new company, Nimble Mill. The Bayce is a "plant container or plant stand with a beautiful, two-toned look. The upper section is made of cedar in its natural colors, while the base is pine and available in a variety of colors." The Bayce is joined by the Worn, Trang, Druhm, and mini-Bayce (that's for now, being the creative type I'm pretty sure he's probably already cooking up other designs). Here are a few photos "lifted" from his website....
Alan personally designs and builds each piece, it's been a pleasure to watch him develop and launch the product line. I've drooled over the simple clean designs and rich colors, so when Alan asked if I'd like to receive a Bayce to try-out and review on my blog I wasted no time in saying "yes please!" What he had no way of knowing was how well the design fit with other furniture already in my home...
See the theme?
Evidently I have a thing for rounded corners.
And dark wood. Isn't that dark base dreamy?
As are the natural tones and patterns of the wood, which are enhanced by the simple treatment they receive.
Signed and numbered (I got #1?!). Details like this make me happy.
And it's not just about the aesthetic details, Alan pays attention to the functional ones as well. He includes two wooden blocks/risers with each Bayce. Using one, or both, in some fashion can help any container achieve the right height within the Bayce, since you're not planting directly in it, but rather using it as a sort of decorative cache-pot.
I decided to use my Bayce to hide the ugly legs on my Zingiber malaysianum 'Midnight', so no riser was needed. I wanted the plant to sink in as far as possible.
That's better!
Love that foliage...
This plant will go back outdoors when the temperature rise, but it's spent winter hiding in a corner of the "media room" (a fancy name for the extra bedroom where a TV and computer live). Now it gets to come out and join us in the living room. And you probably picked up on the fact the title of this post is a play on "In a Vase on Monday" the wildly popular meme that has us gardeners filling a vase with cuttings from our gardens.
Perfect! Although truth-be-told I scooted it out a bit to get a better photo of it.
Here's where it's actually placed. Oh and don't worry about that heat-vent behind it, it's not used.
Because the Bayce is so darn versatile I have no doubt this is just one of a million different ways I will use it...thanks Alan for letting me try it out! Curious to see more? Visit Nimble Mill. Oh and as Alan notes on his website, he's welcoming dealer inquiries!
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Are you wondering what the heck a Bayce is? Well then you must not follow Allan's blog It's Not Work it's Gardening where he's written about his new company, Nimble Mill. The Bayce is a "plant container or plant stand with a beautiful, two-toned look. The upper section is made of cedar in its natural colors, while the base is pine and available in a variety of colors." The Bayce is joined by the Worn, Trang, Druhm, and mini-Bayce (that's for now, being the creative type I'm pretty sure he's probably already cooking up other designs). Here are a few photos "lifted" from his website....
Alan personally designs and builds each piece, it's been a pleasure to watch him develop and launch the product line. I've drooled over the simple clean designs and rich colors, so when Alan asked if I'd like to receive a Bayce to try-out and review on my blog I wasted no time in saying "yes please!" What he had no way of knowing was how well the design fit with other furniture already in my home...
See the theme?
Evidently I have a thing for rounded corners.
And dark wood. Isn't that dark base dreamy?
As are the natural tones and patterns of the wood, which are enhanced by the simple treatment they receive.
Signed and numbered (I got #1?!). Details like this make me happy.
And it's not just about the aesthetic details, Alan pays attention to the functional ones as well. He includes two wooden blocks/risers with each Bayce. Using one, or both, in some fashion can help any container achieve the right height within the Bayce, since you're not planting directly in it, but rather using it as a sort of decorative cache-pot.
I decided to use my Bayce to hide the ugly legs on my Zingiber malaysianum 'Midnight', so no riser was needed. I wanted the plant to sink in as far as possible.
That's better!
Love that foliage...
This plant will go back outdoors when the temperature rise, but it's spent winter hiding in a corner of the "media room" (a fancy name for the extra bedroom where a TV and computer live). Now it gets to come out and join us in the living room. And you probably picked up on the fact the title of this post is a play on "In a Vase on Monday" the wildly popular meme that has us gardeners filling a vase with cuttings from our gardens.
Perfect! Although truth-be-told I scooted it out a bit to get a better photo of it.
Here's where it's actually placed. Oh and don't worry about that heat-vent behind it, it's not used.
Because the Bayce is so darn versatile I have no doubt this is just one of a million different ways I will use it...thanks Alan for letting me try it out! Curious to see more? Visit Nimble Mill. Oh and as Alan notes on his website, he's welcoming dealer inquiries!
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Monday, February 29, 2016
The Water-Saving Garden book party and giveaway...
Today I am thrilled to be part of an online "blog-party" celebrating the release of The Water-Saving Garden, the new book by Pam Penick.
A sort of follow-up to the hugely successful Lawn Gone!, The Water-Saving Garden is going to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in gardening with less water. The keyword there is gardening, Pam isn't advocating for spaces where plants are replaced by AstroTurf and gravel (although gravel does make a great mulch or alternative hardscape in a water-saving garden). Rather she explains how we can be surrounded by the natural beauty of plants in our gardens, while still conserving one of nature's most precious resources.
Pam gardens in Austin, Texas. Like many parts of the West the folks in Austin have suffered extended drought. Pam writes from experience, her own — as well as other gardener's — and includes colorful, lush photos to illustrate her points.
So if you don't live in Texas, Arizona, California...this book probably isn't for you, right? Wrong. We all should be gardening in a way that respects our resources. In the part one of the book "Drink Up the beauty & ingenuity of a water-saving garden" seven different gardens are profiled, two of them in Oregon — where it rains all the time — right? Nope, wrong again. Our modified Mediterranean climate means we have long (and seemingly getting longer) dry summers. Why not plant for this reality?
If you're a regular reader of this blog then you already know one of the gardens profiled in this section quite well, the Kuzma Garden. I'm also proud to note there are a few photos from my garden in the book, as well as ones from Scott Weber's garden, Tamara Paulat's garden and JJ De Sousa's garden as well as a few other locals...(sorry my Portland pride is showing!)...
After she tours you through the dazzling gardens at the beginning of the book, Pam then covers how to "make your garden a Water Saver, not a Water Guzzler" with tips on keeping rain water on your property, alternative irrigation ideas, and thoughts on the roles which soil, mulch and shade play in the garden.
Part three "Planting the water-saving garden" explores plant choices including where, how and when to plant. Part four "oasis or mirage? creating the Illusion of water in the garden" covers how to use water (or the illusion of it) for maximum effect in the garden. Finally part five lists 101 plants for planting in water-saving gardens.
For another perspective on Pam's book I invite you to read a review written by Kris, who blogs at Late to the Garden Party. Kris lives in the Los Angeles area and is gardening with a community required 36% reduction of water usage (from 2013 levels, when she'd already started to cut-back). Kris illustrates her book review with personal accounts (and great photos) from her garden. Read it here.
Now for the giveaway! (what's a party without door prizes?) I am delighted to be giving away a Circle Pot from Potted!
You know how much I love my Circle Pots, (I have orange and chartreuse) here's your chance to have one of your own, and get this...the winner gets to choose the color they get! The Circle Pot is a Potted design, and it's perfect for displaying water-thrifty succulents, Bromeliads, Tillandsia, or whatever your heart desires. To be entered to win leave a comment below by midnight on Sunday, March 6th. You MUST include a way for me to get a hold of you if you are the winner. That means if you're not linking to an active blog I need an email address! Winners will be announced on March 7th.
But that's not all! Six other bloggers are also do giveaways to celebrate The Water-Saving Garden. Click on over to comment on their posts for a chance to win these great prizes:
The fine print: One entry per person for each giveaway. Shipping available within the continental U.S. only (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Photos and book cover reprinted with permission from The Water-Saving Garden, by Pam Penick, copyright © 2016, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs copyright © 2016 by Pam Penick.
Photos without listed credit are © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude. I received a complementary review copy of The Water-Saving Garden from the publisher.
A sort of follow-up to the hugely successful Lawn Gone!, The Water-Saving Garden is going to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in gardening with less water. The keyword there is gardening, Pam isn't advocating for spaces where plants are replaced by AstroTurf and gravel (although gravel does make a great mulch or alternative hardscape in a water-saving garden). Rather she explains how we can be surrounded by the natural beauty of plants in our gardens, while still conserving one of nature's most precious resources.
Pam gardens in Austin, Texas. Like many parts of the West the folks in Austin have suffered extended drought. Pam writes from experience, her own — as well as other gardener's — and includes colorful, lush photos to illustrate her points.
![]() |
| Lakewood Garden, Austin, TX. Photo Credit: Pam Penick |
So if you don't live in Texas, Arizona, California...this book probably isn't for you, right? Wrong. We all should be gardening in a way that respects our resources. In the part one of the book "Drink Up the beauty & ingenuity of a water-saving garden" seven different gardens are profiled, two of them in Oregon — where it rains all the time — right? Nope, wrong again. Our modified Mediterranean climate means we have long (and seemingly getting longer) dry summers. Why not plant for this reality?
If you're a regular reader of this blog then you already know one of the gardens profiled in this section quite well, the Kuzma Garden. I'm also proud to note there are a few photos from my garden in the book, as well as ones from Scott Weber's garden, Tamara Paulat's garden and JJ De Sousa's garden as well as a few other locals...(sorry my Portland pride is showing!)...
![]() |
| The garden of JJ De Sousa, Portland, OR. Photo Credit: Pam Penick |
After she tours you through the dazzling gardens at the beginning of the book, Pam then covers how to "make your garden a Water Saver, not a Water Guzzler" with tips on keeping rain water on your property, alternative irrigation ideas, and thoughts on the roles which soil, mulch and shade play in the garden.
![]() |
| Gravel Paving. Photo Credit: Pam Penick |
Part three "Planting the water-saving garden" explores plant choices including where, how and when to plant. Part four "oasis or mirage? creating the Illusion of water in the garden" covers how to use water (or the illusion of it) for maximum effect in the garden. Finally part five lists 101 plants for planting in water-saving gardens.
![]() |
| Curbing along a residential street in Portland is bumped out to capture run-off. Photo Credit: Pam Penick |
For another perspective on Pam's book I invite you to read a review written by Kris, who blogs at Late to the Garden Party. Kris lives in the Los Angeles area and is gardening with a community required 36% reduction of water usage (from 2013 levels, when she'd already started to cut-back). Kris illustrates her book review with personal accounts (and great photos) from her garden. Read it here.
Now for the giveaway! (what's a party without door prizes?) I am delighted to be giving away a Circle Pot from Potted!
![]() |
| Circle Pot in Orange. Photo Credit: Potted Inc. |
You know how much I love my Circle Pots, (I have orange and chartreuse) here's your chance to have one of your own, and get this...the winner gets to choose the color they get! The Circle Pot is a Potted design, and it's perfect for displaying water-thrifty succulents, Bromeliads, Tillandsia, or whatever your heart desires. To be entered to win leave a comment below by midnight on Sunday, March 6th. You MUST include a way for me to get a hold of you if you are the winner. That means if you're not linking to an active blog I need an email address! Winners will be announced on March 7th.
But that's not all! Six other bloggers are also do giveaways to celebrate The Water-Saving Garden. Click on over to comment on their posts for a chance to win these great prizes:
- Gail, at Clay and Limestone, is giving away a 55-Gallon Black Rain Barrel from Epoch Rain Barrels
- Pam, at Digging, is giving away a $100 gift certificate from High Country Gardens
- Rebecca, at Gossip in the Garden, is giving away a Live Succulent Planter from Boxhill
- Genevieve, at North Coast Gardening, is giving away 3 bags of 1/8-in. pumice (to 3 winners!) from General Pumice Products
- Dee, at Red Dirt Ramblings, is giving away a 65-Gallon Rainwater Urn from Gardener’s Supply Company
- Shirley, at Rock-Oak-Deer, is giving away a 50-Gallon Rain Barrel and Chesapeake Stand from The Rain Barrel Depot
The fine print: One entry per person for each giveaway. Shipping available within the continental U.S. only (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Photos and book cover reprinted with permission from The Water-Saving Garden, by Pam Penick, copyright © 2016, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs copyright © 2016 by Pam Penick.
Photos without listed credit are © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude. I received a complementary review copy of The Water-Saving Garden from the publisher.
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