Post pictures from your yard today

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Gafoto
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#301

Post by Gafoto »

Meangreen94z wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2024 5:22 pm
westfork wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2024 2:45 pm A hazy sky made for a very red sun this morning. Here it is behind an Opuntia cyclodes:
G3XIMG_4000 Opuntia cyclodes at Dawn 9-12-2024.JPG

But my wife caught me messing around taking pictures in the arid berm at dawn:
Arid bed at dawn 9-12-2024.jpg
That’s my favorite time to go out. Right before the sunrise and have a good hour or so by myself.
It’s (usually) the best time to avoid being harassed by other humans. I often get caught peeping at the plants. They never disappoint.
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Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#302

Post by Meangreen94z »

Gafoto wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2024 9:21 pm
Meangreen94z wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2024 5:22 pm
westfork wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2024 2:45 pm A hazy sky made for a very red sun this morning. Here it is behind an Opuntia cyclodes:
G3XIMG_4000 Opuntia cyclodes at Dawn 9-12-2024.JPG

But my wife caught me messing around taking pictures in the arid berm at dawn:
Arid bed at dawn 9-12-2024.jpg
That’s my favorite time to go out. Right before the sunrise and have a good hour or so by myself.
It’s (usually) the best time to avoid being harassed by other humans. I often get caught peeping at the plants. They never disappoint.
Exactly
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edds
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#303

Post by edds »

IMG-20240913-WA0000~2.jpeg
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The view out of my bedroom window this morning. Fortunately just a ground frost on the flat roof and not a proper freeze as all my tender plants are still outside!
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Paul S
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#304

Post by Paul S »

yikes! That's early for a ground frost. :shock:
edds
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#305

Post by edds »

Fortunately nothing on the actual ground or plants, just on the flat roof.
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Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#306

Post by Meangreen94z »

Still hot here. Around 99°F(37°C)
Puya mirabilis flower
Puya mirabilis flower
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Puya mirabilis flower
Puya mirabilis flower
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Austin, Texas
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Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#307

Post by Meangreen94z »

Leucophyllum langmaniae . A different species than the common frutescens. Leaves are an olive green, with crème purple leaves. Its native to the area around Monterrey and Saltillo in Mexico.
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nsp88
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#308

Post by nsp88 »

Meangreen94z wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2024 7:07 pm Leucophyllum langmaniae . A different species than the common frutescens. Leaves are an olive green, with crème purple leaves. Its native to the area around Monterrey and Saltillo in Mexico.
IMG_4147.jpegIMG_4154.jpegIMG_4155.jpeg
Those are spectacular blooms!
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Gafoto
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#309

Post by Gafoto »

nsp88 wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2024 7:30 pm
Meangreen94z wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2024 7:07 pm Leucophyllum langmaniae . A different species than the common frutescens. Leaves are an olive green, with crème purple leaves. Its native to the area around Monterrey and Saltillo in Mexico.
IMG_4147.jpegIMG_4154.jpegIMG_4155.jpeg
Those are spectacular blooms!
They really are. My ‘Texas Ranger’ sage grew a tiny bit this year and produced a single flower. Pictures like that make me want to try other species and see if I can get my plant actually happy.
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RCDS66
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#310

Post by RCDS66 »

Meangreen94z wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2024 7:07 pm Leucophyllum langmaniae . A different species than the common frutescens. Leaves are an olive green, with crème purple leaves. Its native to the area around Monterrey and Saltillo in Mexico.
IMG_4147.jpegIMG_4154.jpegIMG_4155.jpeg
Wow..... these blooms look stunning :U
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Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#311

Post by Meangreen94z »

Gafoto wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 5:46 am
nsp88 wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2024 7:30 pm
Meangreen94z wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2024 7:07 pm Leucophyllum langmaniae . A different species than the common frutescens. Leaves are an olive green, with crème purple leaves. Its native to the area around Monterrey and Saltillo in Mexico.
IMG_4147.jpegIMG_4154.jpegIMG_4155.jpeg
Those are spectacular blooms!
They really are. My ‘Texas Ranger’ sage grew a tiny bit this year and produced a single flower. Pictures like that make me want to try other species and see if I can get my plant actually happy.
Leucophyllum is popular here to the point the nurseries cycle in various species, cultivars, and hybrids . I’ve started to collect the various species as I find them. I have atleast frutescens, langmainiae , candida, laevigatum, minus and a very white form that appears to be zygophyllum. Which grows down along the border near the Amistad Reservoir and into Mexico.
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nsp88
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#312

Post by nsp88 »

Gafoto wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 5:46 am They really are. My ‘Texas Ranger’ sage grew a tiny bit this year and produced a single flower. Pictures like that make me want to try other species and see if I can get my plant actually happy.
It seems like half the Cenizo around here are puny, scraggly, barely hanging on, and rarely bloom. I don't know what the deciding factors are. I have seen people on Facebook groups talk about it takes a couple years before they take off. Not sure if that is always the case or not.

That zygophyllum is one of the coolest looking ones.

I just saw this while leaving an appointment:
Screenshot_20240916-125612.png
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Melt in the Sun
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#313

Post by Melt in the Sun »

Urginea maritima flowering for the second year in a row...a short-lived flower but a comforting harbinger of cool weather to come! Bismarkia in the background is finally settled and growing nicely too, but it's got a ways to go.
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westfork
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#314

Post by westfork »

It seems odd soaking the arid berm right before winter, but the weather demands it. So at dawn this morning I gave the entire berm two to three inches of moisture. Going to be 88 degrees, 35 mph wind gusts, and sunny (too much) today so the plants and surface dried quickly. Evapotranspiration still over .2" per day with the low humidity.
G3XIMG_4087 soaking the arid berm 9-30-2024.JPG
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Plants have to be healthy going into winter to survive 20 to 30 below zero (f) and winter is our dry season with frozen soil so no chance of a moisture recharge until spring. We have had no real rain in seven weeks and have discovered plants that cannot take the extreme drainage of our arid berm in a drought (delosperma, and probably sempervivum and manfreda).
G3XIMG_4091 Fall soaking agaves 9-30-2024.JPG
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The old dog is always around,
G3XIMG_4098 soaking the arid berm 9-30-2024.JPG
G3XIMG_4098 soaking the arid berm 9-30-2024.JPG (438.94 KiB) Viewed 400 times
but then this berm doesn't get hit by critters like the more remote ones.
Siouxland: USDA Zone 4b/5a & heat zone 6/7. Extremes at our farm: 108 F to -38 F.
Arid grassland with dry sunny winters, moderate summers, 27" annual precipitation.
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Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#315

Post by Meangreen94z »

Here are my seed grown Yucca neomexicana. They have done extremely well. I plan on growing more
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RCDS66
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#316

Post by RCDS66 »

westfork wrote: Mon Sep 30, 2024 8:12 am It seems odd soaking the arid berm right before winter, but the weather demands it. So at dawn this morning I gave the entire berm two to three inches of moisture. Going to be 88 degrees, 35 mph wind gusts, and sunny (too much) today so the plants and surface dried quickly. Evapotranspiration still over .2" per day with the low humidity.
Plants have to be healthy going into winter to survive 20 to 30 below zero (f) and winter is our dry season with frozen soil so no chance of a moisture recharge until spring. We have had no real rain in seven weeks and have discovered plants that cannot take the extreme drainage of our arid berm in a drought (delosperma, and probably sempervivum and manfreda).
G3XIMG_4091 Fall soaking agaves 9-30-2024.JPG

The old dog is always around,G3XIMG_4098 soaking the arid berm 9-30-2024.JPG but then this berm doesn't get hit by critters like the more remote ones.
This is a great landscape. 20 to 30*F below zero :o What arrangements you do to protect these plants in winters?
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westfork
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#317

Post by westfork »

RCDS66 wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2024 9:28 pm This is a great landscape. 20 to 30*F below zero :o What arrangements you do to protect these plants in winters?
-The cactus, yucca, & dwarf conifers are on their own.
-Five semi-hardy agave are forked out of the ground and put in a cold dark garage when temperatures start staying in single digits (f) and the gravel is frozen about 8 inches down.
-The other agave were covered three times last winter with rose cones when we received some unusual winter rain. We normally have no rain in the winter, but then it was a warm winter with our low at -22f (-30C) and our lowest daily high at -10f (-23C).
M3IMG_5502 rose cones on agaves ahead of a winter rain 1-7-2024.JPG
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There were over 100 plants on this berm last fall and only a few winter killed. But it was a mild winter. Perhaps the biggest survival factor (besides genetics) is the construction of the berm for extreme drainage. Raised and sloped to enhance runoff. Soil mix is 80% river rock and 20% or less topsoil leaving air gaps within the soil profile. NO coarse sand - learned a long time ago that coarse sand and small aggregate holds moisture long enough to freeze solid. This mix allows internal drainage for longer when the ground is frozen four feet deep. However, it does require watering even the arid plants their first year while roots are developing. This works for our growing conditions but probably wouldn't for many others.
Siouxland: USDA Zone 4b/5a & heat zone 6/7. Extremes at our farm: 108 F to -38 F.
Arid grassland with dry sunny winters, moderate summers, 27" annual precipitation.
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RCDS66
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#318

Post by RCDS66 »

westfork wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2024 1:26 am -The cactus, yucca, & dwarf conifers are on their own.
-Five semi-hardy agave are forked out of the ground and put in a cold dark garage when temperatures start staying in single digits (f) and the gravel is frozen about 8 inches down.
-The other agave were covered three times last winter with rose cones when we received some unusual winter rain. We normally have no rain in the winter, but then it was a warm winter with our low at -22f (-30C) and our lowest daily high at -10f (-23C).
M3IMG_5502 rose cones on agaves ahead of a winter rain 1-7-2024.JPG
There were over 100 plants on this berm last fall and only a few winter killed. But it was a mild winter. Perhaps the biggest survival factor (besides genetics) is the construction of the berm for extreme drainage. Raised and sloped to enhance runoff. Soil mix is 80% river rock and 20% or less topsoil leaving air gaps within the soil profile. NO coarse sand - learned a long time ago that coarse sand and small aggregate holds moisture long enough to freeze solid. This mix allows internal drainage for longer when the ground is frozen four feet deep. However, it does require watering even the arid plants their first year while roots are developing. This works for our growing conditions but probably wouldn't for many others.
This is a phenomenal effort. I can't even imagine how it would be growing succulents at -30*C. I have seen temperatures as low as -50*C but I wasn't growing plants there, I was hiking / just trying to survive. As I can see, it is a real hardwork maintaining an outdoor succulent garden in zone 4. Great effort that needs good knowledge of doing the things and flawless execution during those critical days when it is too cold :U :U
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Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#319

Post by Meangreen94z »

Agave chrysantha
Agave chrysantha
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Manfreda maculosa-Texas native
Manfreda maculosa-Texas native
IMG_4933.jpeg (767.5 KiB) Viewed 251 times
Echeveria strictiflora- West Texas native
Echeveria strictiflora- West Texas native
IMG_4935.jpeg (739.24 KiB) Viewed 251 times
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nsp88
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

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Post by nsp88 »

Meangreen94z wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 6:18 pm IMG_4932.jpegIMG_4933.jpegIMG_4935.jpeg
Where did you even find the regular E. strictiflora? All I can ever find is v nova. Still planning on trailing it outside eventually (once I get offsets as a backup). It was outside all summer in the raised bed but I put it in a portable planter for the winter.

How does it handle wet in the winter? Do you cover them?
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Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#321

Post by Meangreen94z »

nsp88 wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 6:52 pm
Meangreen94z wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 6:18 pm IMG_4932.jpegIMG_4933.jpegIMG_4935.jpeg
Where did you even find the regular E. strictiflora? All I can ever find is v nova. Still planning on trailing it outside eventually (once I get offsets as a backup). It was outside all summer in the raised bed but I put it in a portable planter for the winter.

How does it handle wet in the winter? Do you cover them?
They were a gift from a friend who grew them from collected seed. They will be out this winter, they grow in the Davis and Chisos mountains , so cold won’t be a problem, it will possibly be moisture. Where I’m at is a little drier than Tyler. We will see.
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nsp88
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#322

Post by nsp88 »

Meangreen94z wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 8:26 pm
nsp88 wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 6:52 pm
Meangreen94z wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 6:18 pm IMG_4932.jpegIMG_4933.jpegIMG_4935.jpeg
Where did you even find the regular E. strictiflora? All I can ever find is v nova. Still planning on trailing it outside eventually (once I get offsets as a backup). It was outside all summer in the raised bed but I put it in a portable planter for the winter.

How does it handle wet in the winter? Do you cover them?
They were a gift from a friend who grew them from collected seed. They will be out this winter, they grow in the Davis and Chisos mountains , so cold won’t be a problem, it will possibly be moisture. Where I’m at is a little drier than Tyler. We will see.
Looking forward to seeing how they handle your winters!
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westfork
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#323

Post by westfork »

Meangreen94z wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 6:18 pm IMG_4932.jpegIMG_4933.jpegIMG_4935.jpeg
Have you found any special quirks with that Manfreda maculosa? I am wintering one of the 'Hondo Robusto' forms of these outdoors this year. The most northwestern populations of M. virginica have done well here except we are a bit too dry and sunny for their liking. I read a post where maculosa survived down to a zone 5 with a good microclimate, and the Hondo Robusto looks to be along the northern edge of the maculosa native range.
Siouxland: USDA Zone 4b/5a & heat zone 6/7. Extremes at our farm: 108 F to -38 F.
Arid grassland with dry sunny winters, moderate summers, 27" annual precipitation.
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Meangreen94z
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#324

Post by Meangreen94z »

westfork wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 11:51 pm
Meangreen94z wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 6:18 pm IMG_4932.jpegIMG_4933.jpegIMG_4935.jpeg
Have you found any special quirks with that Manfreda maculosa? I am wintering one of the 'Hondo Robusto' forms of these outdoors this year. The most northwestern populations of M. virginica have done well here except we are a bit too dry and sunny for their liking. I read a post where maculosa survived down to a zone 5 with a good microclimate, and the Hondo Robusto looks to be along the northern edge of the maculosa native range.
Coldhardycactus.com lists it as zone 5/6, they are more honest in their experience than other nurseries. This one was in a container last January when we dropped to 14°F, which definitely didn’t help it. It burned but came back. These love extra water and being planted in ground. It has put on drastic growth this year.
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Gafoto
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Re: Post pictures from your yard today

#325

Post by Gafoto »

My Manfreda maculosa just died straight to the ground once it dropped into the teens. Did fine in 11 degrees but that’s obviously not zone 5/6. It came back but only once the soil temp was good and warm in June. I’m considering more manfreda as they might be a good solution for areas that get shady in the winter. Most Agave aren’t fans wet and cold areas that refuse to dry out.
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