Post pictures from your yard today
- Paul S
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Thank you.
Plant behind/left of the Agave ovatifolia is Chamaerops humilis 'Vulcano' - the dwarf cultivar. Here from the side.
The cactus in 1.01 is Trichocereus (Echinopsis) schickendantzii. never shown anyn iinclination to grow upwards, just sprawls around.
The agave that had flowered is Agave salmiana subsp. crassispina. Here a better couple of shots
Plant behind/left of the Agave ovatifolia is Chamaerops humilis 'Vulcano' - the dwarf cultivar. Here from the side.
The cactus in 1.01 is Trichocereus (Echinopsis) schickendantzii. never shown anyn iinclination to grow upwards, just sprawls around.
The agave that had flowered is Agave salmiana subsp. crassispina. Here a better couple of shots
- Paul S
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- nsp88
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
I guess I have mainly seen photos of them when much larger and didn't recognize them at that size. Awesome. I have some seeds of those I just started.
Really love your place. I think a while back I found and reshared some of your photos that had cactus or agaves and wildflowers that looked great. Guess I like your tastes in plants.
Those short bloom stalks always seem so out of proportion. I like them, I am just used to taller ones.
- jam
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Paul, I have seen your garden many times, but the wow effect never wears off. Creating slopes provides such depth and gives the garden a very natural look, despite using plants from different parts of the world. Very few people have the gift for the kind of composition where various plants are put together to eventually blend into one masterpiece.
Setting up a Chihuahuan laboratory.
- jam
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
That must have been the plot next door that Paul bought quite recently, and where he used the rubble from the old house to improve the drainage. Two different setups but both are absolutely stunning.
Setting up a Chihuahuan laboratory.
- Paul S
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- nsp88
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Yeah, that's what I was thinking of. I'm probably especially partial to it because I love poppies.
Also, just noticed your corks on the agave in bloom. Guessing you kept getting shanked while checking out the bloom
- JoyinAlb
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Very beautiful. That magenta definitely pops. If I saw that first photo as a stand alone post, I would not assume England.
How many years have you been collecting?
- Paul S
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Thank you. Yes, that is the point, really - to have a garden that doesn't look like it is in England.
I wouldn#'t describe myself as a collector, more a gardener. I've been gardening in 'exotic' style for nearly 40 years since I first had some outdoor space of my own. Where I live in England is very dry (20" a year) so after struggling to keep my bananas and treeferns alive I moved towards a more xeric style - for over 30 years now. It isn't anything you see very much over here, certainly not back then, so I have been very much ploughing my own furrow.
I wouldn#'t describe myself as a collector, more a gardener. I've been gardening in 'exotic' style for nearly 40 years since I first had some outdoor space of my own. Where I live in England is very dry (20" a year) so after struggling to keep my bananas and treeferns alive I moved towards a more xeric style - for over 30 years now. It isn't anything you see very much over here, certainly not back then, so I have been very much ploughing my own furrow.
- Gafoto
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Ain’t that the truth. Finding xeric plants around here (a literal desert) is amazingly difficult. Mormons grew up using copious amounts of irrigation and the influx of an extra million or so people hasn’t broken the habit yet.
Not exactly my yard, but these are Agave chrysantha x parryi mishmash plants from the Sierra Ancha sprouted in January, just getting their true leaves: All kinds of variety!
- Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
The local Austin nurseries seem to already push natives or hardy xeric plants. The last 3 winters and 2 summers have helped clarify what will survive here longterm, I’ve noticed less and less attempts at tropical species. I’m always up for trying new species that are close to proven ones. The common columnar cactus are Neobuxbaumia polylopha, Saguaro, and Trichocereus terscheckii. I’ve found a number of similar Trichocereus that so far have done well the past 2 winters in low to mid teens F (with a tarp thrown over).
Austin, Texas
- mcvansoest
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
My front yard looks a bit like a jungle (or as jungly as we can get in AZ) atm... the 'wildflowers' are in full swing - there is some stuff in there that I did not intentionally plant... I have a timer going on when the first 'tidy up your yard' messages will start coming from the city... no HOA, but a city that is to a point replacing that with regards to 'messy' yards.
Tall ones in the first pic are cardons, the shorter squat one is my Saguaro that is looking more tank like by the year Tall green one in the 2ns pic is my terscheckii you can see its tip is not looking all that happy it did not like last summer and it has taken a very long time to recover or look like recovering. All the way in the back against the house you can see the spiking sobria.
My bougie and firesticks are also apparent... firesticks has decided it wants to sprawl... not want I want, but it is what it is... the bougie is on its way growing out of a heavy prune... so looks fairly manageable/managed at the moment, by the end of summer it will be a giant unruly monster...
Tall ones in the first pic are cardons, the shorter squat one is my Saguaro that is looking more tank like by the year Tall green one in the 2ns pic is my terscheckii you can see its tip is not looking all that happy it did not like last summer and it has taken a very long time to recover or look like recovering. All the way in the back against the house you can see the spiking sobria.
My bougie and firesticks are also apparent... firesticks has decided it wants to sprawl... not want I want, but it is what it is... the bougie is on its way growing out of a heavy prune... so looks fairly manageable/managed at the moment, by the end of summer it will be a giant unruly monster...
It is what it is!
- Gafoto
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
You can usually find Red Yucca and probably ‘Color Guard’ but that is often the extent of it. I have seen Yucca rostrata stocked (once) and never Yucca elata, much less other hardy Yucca. I’ve seen more than a few Agave parryi var. truncata, which are all Huntington Clones which will not survive our winters.Meangreen94z wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 10:32 am The local Austin nurseries seem to already push natives or hardy xeric plants. The last 3 winters and 2 summers have helped clarify what will survive here longterm, I’ve noticed less and less attempts at tropical species. I’m always up for trying new species that are close to proven ones. The common columnar cactus are Neobuxbaumia polylopha, Saguaro, and Trichocereus terscheckii. I’ve found a number of similar Trichocereus that so far have done well the past 2 winters in low to mid teens F (with a tarp thrown over).
There are lots of xeric plants I’m trying to grow that are clearly marginal but quite a few that are happy as clams here. Joshua Trees like SLC better than most spots in Nevada as far as I can tell. I never see them for sale here, sadly.
- Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
In the past I’ve had to order a lot off the internet. I found a local nursery that buys heavily from wholesale growers in Arizona, and will order pretty much anything I show them.Gafoto wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 2:13 pmYou can usually find Red Yucca and probably ‘Color Guard’ but that is often the extent of it. I have seen Yucca rostrata stocked (once) and never Yucca elata, much less other hardy Yucca. I’ve seen more than a few Agave parryi var. truncata, which are all Huntington Clones which will not survive our winters.Meangreen94z wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 10:32 am The local Austin nurseries seem to already push natives or hardy xeric plants. The last 3 winters and 2 summers have helped clarify what will survive here longterm, I’ve noticed less and less attempts at tropical species. I’m always up for trying new species that are close to proven ones. The common columnar cactus are Neobuxbaumia polylopha, Saguaro, and Trichocereus terscheckii. I’ve found a number of similar Trichocereus that so far have done well the past 2 winters in low to mid teens F (with a tarp thrown over).
There are lots of xeric plants I’m trying to grow that are clearly marginal but quite a few that are happy as clams here. Joshua Trees like SLC better than most spots in Nevada as far as I can tell. I never see them for sale here, sadly.
Yucca brevifolia seem incompatible or atleast tricky in Central Texas. I have not seen or heard of any longterm success stories. Seedlings or small Yucca rotted within a year. I’m now trying trunking in large mounds of fast draining soil. They made it through the winter fine. Whether it’s this year or another we will inevitably hit a heavy period of rain, which local reservoirs desperately need, and that will be a test.
Austin, Texas
- Gafoto
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
A lot of the Mojave plants just won’t tolerate humidity and mist for any period it seems. It can’t be a wet feet issue, my Joshua Tree tolerates frozen wet roots all winter long. Then again it’s almost never warm and wet here. I’ve learned the hard way that another Mojave native, Agave utahensis, will accept frozen saturated soil in winter but it will rot to mush in a hurry if it’s warm and wet indoors. Overwatering kills them very very fast.Meangreen94z wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 4:37 pmIn the past I’ve had to order a lot off the internet. I found a local nursery that buys heavily from wholesale growers in Arizona, and will order pretty much anything I show them.Gafoto wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 2:13 pmYou can usually find Red Yucca and probably ‘Color Guard’ but that is often the extent of it. I have seen Yucca rostrata stocked (once) and never Yucca elata, much less other hardy Yucca. I’ve seen more than a few Agave parryi var. truncata, which are all Huntington Clones which will not survive our winters.Meangreen94z wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 10:32 am The local Austin nurseries seem to already push natives or hardy xeric plants. The last 3 winters and 2 summers have helped clarify what will survive here longterm, I’ve noticed less and less attempts at tropical species. I’m always up for trying new species that are close to proven ones. The common columnar cactus are Neobuxbaumia polylopha, Saguaro, and Trichocereus terscheckii. I’ve found a number of similar Trichocereus that so far have done well the past 2 winters in low to mid teens F (with a tarp thrown over).
There are lots of xeric plants I’m trying to grow that are clearly marginal but quite a few that are happy as clams here. Joshua Trees like SLC better than most spots in Nevada as far as I can tell. I never see them for sale here, sadly.
Yucca brevifolia seem incompatible or atleast tricky in Central Texas. I have not seen or heard of any longterm success stories. Seedlings or small Yucca rotted within a year. I’m now trying trunking in large mounds of fast draining soil. They made it through the winter fine. Whether it’s this year or another we will inevitably hit a heavy period of rain, which local reservoirs desperately need, and that will be a test.
Can you grow creosote or bigtooth sage there or are they also too humidity sensitive?
I have a good source of larger plants when I visit St. George and I don’t mind buying all the special snowflakes off the internet. Lots of the Agave hybrids are so rare and new I can’t expect any of them to be landscape size. It’a quite satisfying to have a vast pipeline of small plants that I can count on growing up and planting in the ground over the next few years.
- Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Creosote grows to the south of San Antonio as you head towards Laredo and of course in West Texas. I’m actually trying 2 of them just for the smell after a fresh rain.Gafoto wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 10:47 pmA lot of the Mojave plants just won’t tolerate humidity and mist for any period it seems. It can’t be a wet feet issue, my Joshua Tree tolerates frozen wet roots all winter long. Then again it’s almost never warm and wet here. I’ve learned the hard way that another Mojave native, Agave utahensis, will accept frozen saturated soil in winter but it will rot to mush in a hurry if it’s warm and wet indoors. Overwatering kills them very very fast.Meangreen94z wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 4:37 pmIn the past I’ve had to order a lot off the internet. I found a local nursery that buys heavily from wholesale growers in Arizona, and will order pretty much anything I show them.Gafoto wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 2:13 pm
You can usually find Red Yucca and probably ‘Color Guard’ but that is often the extent of it. I have seen Yucca rostrata stocked (once) and never Yucca elata, much less other hardy Yucca. I’ve seen more than a few Agave parryi var. truncata, which are all Huntington Clones which will not survive our winters.
There are lots of xeric plants I’m trying to grow that are clearly marginal but quite a few that are happy as clams here. Joshua Trees like SLC better than most spots in Nevada as far as I can tell. I never see them for sale here, sadly.
Yucca brevifolia seem incompatible or atleast tricky in Central Texas. I have not seen or heard of any longterm success stories. Seedlings or small Yucca rotted within a year. I’m now trying trunking in large mounds of fast draining soil. They made it through the winter fine. Whether it’s this year or another we will inevitably hit a heavy period of rain, which local reservoirs desperately need, and that will be a test.
Can you grow creosote or bigtooth sage there or are they also too humidity sensitive?
I have a good source of larger plants when I visit St. George and I don’t mind buying all the special snowflakes off the internet. Lots of the Agave hybrids are so rare and new I can’t expect any of them to be landscape size. It’a quite satisfying to have a vast pipeline of small plants that I can count on growing up and planting in the ground over the next few years.
Austin, Texas
- Melt in the Sun
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Aloe 'Spiney' decided to bloom with a dwarfed and mangled stalk this year, and much later than past years. I think I have one pod setting, hopefully from the A. gariepensis pollen I stuck on it.
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- Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
A shot of my Chihuahuan Desert garden. The palm is Brahea dulcis
Austin, Texas
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
@Meangreen94z All those containers in the background really detract from the beauty. I can be down there this weekend to take them off your hands.
What sort of cactus are in the foreground?
What sort of cactus are in the foreground?
Mckinney, Texas. 30 Miles North of Dallas. What I'm trying to grow: A ovatifolia: whales tongue, frosty blue, vanzie, sharkskin, parrasana, montana, parryi JC Raulston, Bellville, Bluebell Giant, havardiana, polianthiflora, parviflora, havardiana x neomexicana
- Paul S
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
I delighted to see you have your priorities sorted out. Most ordinary people, when they move into a new house, get the inside fixed - maybe a new kitchen and/or bathroom. Bit of redecorating.
- Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
The cactus is Echinocereus coccineus var. paucispinus. It’s a work in progress. I will have plenty of empty containers you can have.
Actually my wife wanted control of the inside, so it worked out. The next 2 months are the time to get stuff in the ground locally, to get them established for the potential harsh summer and winter.
Austin, Texas
- nsp88
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Tall yuccas and palms that go in - do they not need to be staked up? Seems like I always see them with a relatively small root ball/pot size.Meangreen94z wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 6:42 pm A shot of my Chihuahuan Desert garden. The palm is Brahea dulcis
IMG_9858.jpeg
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today
Weather they need it or not, for me the effort of staking them in is the insurance premium I pay so I don't have replant something I already planted. I always found a replant to be 10x harder than the initial plant.nsp88 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 12:06 pmTall yuccas and palms that go in - do they not need to be staked up? Seems like I always see them with a relatively small root ball/pot size.Meangreen94z wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 6:42 pm A shot of my Chihuahuan Desert garden. The palm is Brahea dulcis
IMG_9858.jpeg
Mckinney, Texas. 30 Miles North of Dallas. What I'm trying to grow: A ovatifolia: whales tongue, frosty blue, vanzie, sharkskin, parrasana, montana, parryi JC Raulston, Bellville, Bluebell Giant, havardiana, polianthiflora, parviflora, havardiana x neomexicana
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Today's Little Project
Man, this getting older gig is rough. ONLY took me 3 hours to dry stack that little stretch, empty 2 bags of growers mix and plant 4 plants.
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Mckinney, Texas. 30 Miles North of Dallas. What I'm trying to grow: A ovatifolia: whales tongue, frosty blue, vanzie, sharkskin, parrasana, montana, parryi JC Raulston, Bellville, Bluebell Giant, havardiana, polianthiflora, parviflora, havardiana x neomexicana
- nsp88
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Re: Today's Little Project
Is that myrtle spurge new to you or have you grown it here a while? Curious how it does here.