Graptoveria Silver Star

This one is one that I often come back to study. I like its look and the red tips..and I am very pleased I have  had it a while and haven't killed it. There's always time!

Agave Montana..from the inside

I've seen some beautiful photographs of the imprints of Agave leaves..and a while ago I took a few pictures. Feel brave enough to post now

Yucca Colourguard flowering

 Not only is this foliage on this Yucca pretty special but the flower is too
( once you spray the aphids off )

Does size matter? yes when it comes to Agaves

Whilst some of my small collection of Agaves are putting on growth , my  visit to my friend Chris's garden has put my plants size into perspective.  But it's no means a negative.

The positive from  this is that my plants could with care end up the mammoth sized Chris has achieved with his very special specimens. 

This is my Agave Montana, which currently  rules the roost sizewise, but as I said previously it's more of a pup. 

Now to Chris's Montana with his arm for reference..whooper!

Now my little scruffy Ovatifolia has some serious growing to do

and with luck to grow as Chris's Ovatifolia has. Its the reason I wanted one.

Agave Montana..unfurling at its own pace

Im sure Im not the only one who marvels at the imprints formed on new leaves and they slowly open.

This is from the Agave Montana which is growing at an impressive rate. But compared to a friend of mine its just a pup.

Anyone for a Allium drumstick ?

Just before the Agapanthus come to life, these little drumsticks rise up and sway in the wind.
I find them fascinating with their colouring and shape.

  

It grows were it wants!

I've got a grudging respect of californian poppies, I like them alot but they simply will only grow where they want to grow.

And not in the places you most want them in . Like this one which has seeked safety in the leaves of a Yucca Linearis .

Translucency ..the sign of Echeveria Agavoides root rot !

I don't like posting about negatives, but if you can learn from it, then its going to make you a better and more observant gardener.

Here was my prized seedling of a red edged Agavoides that was before the recent monsoon of rain, it was romping away with good growth.

Now after spotting signs off it being over watered I thought maybe we could save it, but alas as you can see from the colouring once it turned that translucent colour in the leaves, its a goner unfortunately !

So it begs the question, how do you recreate the ideal conditions of a Echeveria from Mexico to withstand the english climate?  For us soil for plant means growth, but if the plant in it's native habitat it grows on a rocky outcrop it will not enjoy literally drowning in a pot. 

Looking at the internet literally had me spinning in a circle, so many opinions but no firm answer. My recent import from Germany arrived in just pumice and lava rock, no soil at all. But I've also had bought plants in soil, dry soil mind you, but soil never the less.

With that in mind the experiment is to provide a fast drainage system, whilst lightly drenching th roots and providing minerals from the substrate to feed the plant.  

Easy eh ? No, but I'll find a suitable potting compost one day!

So disappointed to lose this one, as one of a kind. I'm hope the nursery grower has some more seedlings in the future.

Red Edged Agavoides..a new arrival

This is a recent arrival from a good nursery in Germany that thankfully isn't connected to ebay. Just a straight forward purchase, its quite refreshing to just know the price and pay.

Anyway after losing two quite special Agavoides to the monsoon of rain we had recently, this has been potted up to my soilless, yes soilless potting mix. 
I've decided its better to remember to water than to lose a succulent to root rot. 

Not on my watch!

Time will tell if I've done the right thing with the potting mix, and its always a learning process as I refuse to keep them under glass. I like the way the sun affects their coloring and blotching of the leaves.

Delosperma Copper bursts into life

After losing last years blaze of  purple Delosperma  , we decided to go with another colour and as the bed has Californian poppies with their burst orange colouring, we thought we'd go with copper.

Watsonia ..Best Red..sums it up nicely !

Our Watsonia Best Red is doing very well this year..sending up multiple spikes of  bright red flowers

Started off like this

Opened out to this

Fleabane ..Erigeron Karvinskianus

Let's call it Fleabane , it's less of a mouthful.

It's from the daisy family, but for us its reminds us of greek holidays with it's pink and white flowers that sprawl over pots and raised beds. It seeds itself happily everywhere and were happy to let it do so.

The Xeric Bed..more colour!

The idea was to grow mainly succulents and spikies of various hues of green with the odd splash of colour. 

But when it comes to delosperma, Lampranthus and Californian Poppies they just do their thing and its a pleasure to watch them grow provided that don't invade .

Anyway, its was always the idea that Angie and myself would have somewhere to sit on a sunny day/warm night that felt like perhaps somewhere else.   Of course there is always improvements we could do, but were getting there.

They really zing in the sunshine

The copper Delosperma

Our Agave Ovatifolia is looking happier 

This Aloe Striatula is thriving in the bed, at the expense of blocking out a large Agave Montana behind it. So next year it will have to be moved, but meanwhile we'll enjoy the flowers.

Agavoides updates....signs of growth and a new arrival !

Amongst the collection are quite a few tiddlers and seedlings, but there's definite signs of growth .

Here's a few pictures to share

More colour and growth are making this one stand out as something special. 

Next up is Purple Dark Tips, slow to grow but in growth and developing those tell tale blotches.

This Red Edged seedling has produced a real growth spurt and again shows so much promise. It has great markings.

  

This quirky little fella is a cross from my friend Chris and is a Ebony seedling. 
His mature plant is a beauty and this is developing that character.

Honey Pink is blotching nicely too

This seedling is very structural in form, almost spiky and agave like

I really like the markings and here's a word, translucence of the leaves 

This quirky Pink Sirius puzzles me over its growing habits but seems happy to throw out pups.

Lastly is a new addition to make up for accidentally killing  another  specimen.
Known as Burgundy or Red Wine, its dark red colour make it stand out.

Spiky Norman ..Yucca Aloifolia

I know it's strange..giving a plant a name, but in this case its out of respect for its fearsome spikes. Its known as The Spanish Bayonet for that very reason. 

It is very architectural and currently stands at around 4 feet tall, and last year flowered for the first time .
When I took the picture, the spider webs bothered me but in truth I'm too scared to get in there and clean them out.   They can stay!

Yucca Rostrata...

I have always admired this Yucca having seen this in a friend's garden and a few botanical parks. Never thought it would be in our garden , but happily  it is, well there is 4 of them now in various shapes and sizes.

This one is my main plant, happily growing in a stone gabion  near the house where it can be seen and admired in the sunshine or lit up in the evening with the wind blowing through its leaves.

Last year I made the brave decision to show the trunk, but already this year it has gone back to its sphere like shape.  Its a beauty!

  

Flowering Trachy

Trachycarpus Fortunei ..but to us nicknamed " Hairy Mary " Or  "Cousin It" from The Adams Family film if you don't get the reference.

We've had this for a number of a years, its flowered before in another location before it was moved and then sulked for two years before gracing us with flowers again. It's now very happy and despite looking like sides of smoked haddock at times, it is nevertheless fascinating and exotic.

Yucca Baccata..I think?

Well thats what Ive been told, but it doesn't matter. Since its liberation from foreign climes some years ago as a pup it has sat happily in its terracotta pot. It is vicious, but I can't help admire its lime green leaves and attitude.

Placed in my xeric bed it looks great backlit by the evening sun.

   

Aloe arborescens variegated

How this has grown over the years from the tiny piece I acquired many moons ago.
It quite happily stays in the greenhouse unheated wrapped in some fleece, and this year tried to flower within the fleece. If only I knew what it was up to.

It is certainly a talking point whether you enjoy its appearance or not, but for me the variegation within the leaves are amazing

  

Hard to miss..not hard to like

Its hello again to the Lampranthus. This time both Tresco Brilliant and Tesco Red.

These really zing out in the garden.