Monday 10 June 2013

it's been a while... the trouble I've been up to

It has been quite a while and so I thought I needed to share some of the plant trouble I've been getting myself into. To be honest, it has been quite the disciplined planting season. But there are some treasures that have found their way into the garden and I am thrilled to share.

First off is yucca land. The yucca 'margarittaville' and yucca aloifolia purpurea on the bottom right and top of this photo both were planted today! I'm hoping the sunny slope will provide a good home for them to grow.

Here's another look. Notice the yucca aloifolia being slightly under the fronds of the trachycarpus. I'm hoping that provides a good amount of shelter for it.

And I shared about my Cistus order a while ago, but these next two nolina 'la siberica' came on my order from them a few weeks ago. They had been sitting in their pots in the I don't know where to plant this pile and finally made it into the ground today.

I hope these are fast growing! anyone with experience care to weigh in?

And here's where the plant purchasing trouble really starts to ramp up. A new palm has entered the garden! I finally got my hands on a sabal! Though I've been hoping for sabal minor, I had zero will power when the prospect of a sabal palmetto came about! I know it will be painfully slow here, but I'm hoping that the southern exposure and rock in behind will give it a bit of an edge.

Another exciting plant purchase came last week when I gave into the temptations of this callistemon citrinus. I am still yet to find 'woodlanders hardy red' - the object of my plant hunting desires - but I am loving this one. Who knows, maybe this will be the beginning of a callistemon purchasing addiction?

And in true Louis fashion, I couldn't buy just one sabal, I needed two!! This one is larger and sits potted in the hottest location in the yard.

 And last but not least, the other yucca corner received a new hesperaloe parviflora. I had been lusting after a huge 5 gallon one with multiple bloom stalks but they sold before I gave myself permission to buy it! Darn! Lesson learnt: always give into impulse plant lust. But this wonderful one gallon found it's way home and into my garden. I feel as though I want to soften/hide the rhodo in behind with some mexican feather grass. The other thought is to pull it out all together and plant a new tree - maybe arbutus?

Anyways that's the wonderful trouble I have been up to! how about you!? what plant lust trouble have you gotten yourself into?

6 comments:

  1. You have been up to a bit of plant fun there. That all looks very familiar to me but you are so far north. Good choices for your garden.

    It's interesting as well to see some of our natives have managed the trip in good shape. The sabal might be slow growing but I am sure nothing, not even snow or extremely low temps, can kill it. The same with the hesperaloe which should grow fast enough to produce multiple stalks in a year or two.

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    1. Thanks, Shirley. Some of the desert loving plants do quite well here. Many people in the PNW go crazy planting expensive annuals that sulk and die out without constant watering all summer long. Whereas I get to sit back and enjoy! It's really quite wonderful.

      I'm glad to hear about the Sabal. They are a favourite of mine! I love the stands of them all along the Gulf Coast. And hesperaloe is one of my all time favourites. I finally gave into the temptation and am only sad that it took this long.

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  2. Hi Louis! I've been missing your posts and hoping that all was well with you! You've got some fabulous new plant acquisitions & it's nice to hear from Shirley that nothing will kill your sabal! My I don't know where to plant it area is pretty crowded and overflowing all over the garden.

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    1. Thanks, outlaw! Nursery life during the end of May proved quite taxing of my spare time and energy so something had to give - at least temporarily. How have you been?!

      I kind of love those piles of plants that seem to pile up. I don't think any gardeners life would be complete without a few of them kicking around at all times.

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  3. What a happy morning to see a new post from you! Of course I was hoping you'd tell more about those free agaves you found in Vancouver...

    I have two Nolina 'la siberica' in my garden. Sadly I can't report they've been fast growing. Hopefully you'll have better luck.

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    1. Thanks, danger!!! I will share of my agave adventures! It was epic!

      I'm hoping for good nolina growth. They look a bit scraggly but Good to know. At least I won't be thinking there's something wrong with them.

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