Fill the frame?
Dasylirion longissima and Euphorbia 'Sticks On Fire'. Tagetes lemonii in the background and the silvery-blue plant is Mariana sedifolia.
The project took a slight detour, as garden projects often do. Just outside the wall of the project area was a large Baccharis. There were a few problems with the Baccharis. First and worst, it was hosting a big rat's nest. Next, it looked pretty bad without a good amount of water. Third, the front slope has an Agave/Aloe theme, and the Baccharis didn't work with that. Fourth, Agaves and Yuccas waiting in pots are now large enough to go into the ground. Seventeen lovely Agaves, of which at least ten would be better off in the ground.
Newly declared Baccharis-free zone:
One thing I will say about Baccharis: the tiny leaves it drops over time makes a magnificent mulch. It was good for a while, and provided Towhee habitat, but we won't miss it, because it also provided rat habitat. Yeeech! I found Towhee nests in several roses, so hopefully they can live with that.
I'm going to extend the belt of 'Blue Glow's around the curve. The smaller ones were all from 4" pots.
Beyond that, A. guingola will be the centerpiece of the space because it is the largest grower. I hope to fit A. ovatifolia, A. harvardiana, A. parryii truncata, A. gypsophila, and a few others into the space as well. And a couple of Yucca. Another area of the slope is approaching the density I am hoping for, but the rest of it still needs to fill in. I'd like to add another Mariana sedifolia, but is there room? I'd like to move the Dyckias currently crowding Yucca linearfolia to the strip past the Cypress, below the Pittosporums, but the thought of moving Dyckias is absolutely terrifying.
Which is rational, when you consider the common name for Dyckias is "Sawblade". No matter. Onward, onward. Fill the frame.
Dasylirion longissima and Euphorbia 'Sticks On Fire'. Tagetes lemonii in the background and the silvery-blue plant is Mariana sedifolia.
The project took a slight detour, as garden projects often do. Just outside the wall of the project area was a large Baccharis. There were a few problems with the Baccharis. First and worst, it was hosting a big rat's nest. Next, it looked pretty bad without a good amount of water. Third, the front slope has an Agave/Aloe theme, and the Baccharis didn't work with that. Fourth, Agaves and Yuccas waiting in pots are now large enough to go into the ground. Seventeen lovely Agaves, of which at least ten would be better off in the ground.
Newly declared Baccharis-free zone:
One thing I will say about Baccharis: the tiny leaves it drops over time makes a magnificent mulch. It was good for a while, and provided Towhee habitat, but we won't miss it, because it also provided rat habitat. Yeeech! I found Towhee nests in several roses, so hopefully they can live with that.
I'm going to extend the belt of 'Blue Glow's around the curve. The smaller ones were all from 4" pots.
Beyond that, A. guingola will be the centerpiece of the space because it is the largest grower. I hope to fit A. ovatifolia, A. harvardiana, A. parryii truncata, A. gypsophila, and a few others into the space as well. And a couple of Yucca. Another area of the slope is approaching the density I am hoping for, but the rest of it still needs to fill in. I'd like to add another Mariana sedifolia, but is there room? I'd like to move the Dyckias currently crowding Yucca linearfolia to the strip past the Cypress, below the Pittosporums, but the thought of moving Dyckias is absolutely terrifying.
Which is rational, when you consider the common name for Dyckias is "Sawblade". No matter. Onward, onward. Fill the frame.
Wow, those are amazing plants coupled with excellent photos. If you had submitted them to GGW instead of the first winner, they would have been winners as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you Andrea! In those pictures I was trying to apply what I had learned from reading Saxon Holt's educational comments and posts. I think I learned something--I hope so anyway. The lighting was brighter on these, creating punchier color...
ReplyDeleteThe color in these pics is just fantastic. Looks like your 4" Blue Glows have done a lot of growing already. What a great slope for them to do more!
ReplyDeleteFascinating! Totally different plant palate than I have to work with here. Fun to see what you do with all of it.
ReplyDeleteI love that bed. I am so jealous of all your beautiful plants and planting.
ReplyDeleteBut I do not envy you moving the dykia, evil plants!
Spectacular combinations. These are some of your most beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteFilling the frame indeed! Love the planting project and these photos. And I hear you about the dyckias. My huge clump really needs to be depupped and thinned, but it's just not gonna happen.
ReplyDelete