A Sudden Garden Emergency

 

The sky seemed ominous yesterday morning

A sudden garden emergency.  Coming home from our dog walk yesterday, I noticed something was wrong with Agave gentryi 'Jaws'.  The base of several healthy leaves was strangely wrinkled, and the older leaves were flattening, leaving a central cone of leaves prominent and isolated.  

 

Just a few days ago, the rich green leaves of 'Jaws' looked fine:

Until suddenly they didn't.  Uh oh.  Could it be the dreaded Agave snout weevil?  I jumped on it--retrieved green waste bin, shovel, and pruning saw and started cutting.   A sharp odor of rot emerged from the Agave as I chopped.

Yes, Agave snout wevil it was.  Drat.  I got the entire Agave, including the rotting crown, into the bin.   Two grubs and a half dozen or so beetles tried to escape.  I crushed them all with the (gloved) ball of my thumb and stood for several minutes watching the soil for any movement.  Bingo:  two more beetles appeared.   Crushed, with extreme satisfaction.  They make a loud snap when crushed.  More watching, more waiting.  Nothing.   Then carefully sifting through the soil--one more.  Crushed.  Then more watching.  Then more sifting.  Then more watching.   No more weevils seen.  

Since I was working the area anyway, I did what I'd planned to do with the area after 'Jaws' flowered and died.  'Jaws' never got to flower, unfortunately.   I moved the Aloe wickensii that has never been happy over and up the slope about three feet.

It's the reddish Aloe on the far left:

Then, added three Aloe burhii (circled) re-rooted this summer.   The fourth Aloe burhii (top one circled) was already planted on the slope.  Although rain threatened, and although a fine Agave was lost to a terrible Agave pest,  it was lovely to be out there.  Now every Agave (and Yucca and Dasylirion?) in the garden must be treated with a systemic insecticide to stop the spread of the weevil.  Needs must.  Work the problem.  Keep calm and carry on. 

Solace found in noting seedling growth, like that of  seedling-of-Leucospermum 'Tango':

As well as seedlings of Matthiola (Stock) that initially didn't look like they would survive:

Solace to be found also in new Aloe flower stems arising,  and earlier emergers coloring up and opening.

'Moonglow' with the white-flowered A. ferox in the background:

A. rubroviolacea:

The reddish ferox there with stopped-for-the-winter Agave parrasana flower stalk just visible in the far background:

White ferox with a background of Opuntia microdaysis:

A. capitata unknown hybrid grown from the garden's own seed:

A bit of the front slope with A. lukeana foreground right.  It's in a dry spot--perhaps too dry for an east African Aloe--no flower stem yet.  Alluaudia procera and "silver dollar jade", Crassula arborescens, also in the photo:

Aloe 'David Verity''s flowers turn from red to a pale ivory-yellow when they open, providing a dramatic contrast:

A. cameronii with A. hardyi in the background:

A. thraskii opening and attracting bees:

Even when there are serious garden issues, other parts of the garden still bring joy.  Have you noticed that too?