A walk around my garden - part 2

Weird section here.... I do have SOME agaves in pots.... I am trying to make our spaces functional, so that meant cleaning those pots on the ground.  I tend to like SMALL growing agaves (well ok, like might not be the right word, it's more that I have decided I really don't have room for many different LARGER varieties)

So this is one of our outside areas, the pots along the top of pool fence have 2L an hour drip reticulation.  At the height of summer they will probably get around 500ml dripped through each pot, twice a week.

At the end - in one of the pots is Agave macrocantha 'Blue Ribbon'.

I managed a large import of very nice plants from Andoran Stud a number of years ago, I love Jocelyn's plants, but its fairly hit and miss as to what she has available - she doesn't grow TC, its all done by beheading/coring etc.  So there are never huge numbers of plants, and they are VERY sort after.  At the time I managed to grab 2 of the Blue Ribbons.  Still love these (just not their shin dagger spikes!!!)

Agave macrocantha 'Blue Ribbon'

 this huge beastie came from a friend in Victoria, poor thing had to come over with all its roots chopped off, but its made a great comeback!

Agave 'Sharkskin'

And another Jocelyn baby....

Agave schidigera 'Queen of White Threads'

I have a few 'Lime Streaks', I was lucky enough to have a contact over East that could buy from wholesale over there, so for a fee, plants were picked up, cleaned, and we organised import permits into WA.  Still one of my favourite agaves.

Agave parryi 'Lime Streak'

This one, which I am assured is a potatorum, came from a friend over East while I was attending the Sydney Get Together in 2017.  She's growing well, and is quite a looker

Agave potatorum

'Fireball' - what can I say, I fell in love with this one when I saw it growing in Victoria in 2016.  Was lucky enough to be able to do a swap in NSW last year (at the cost of one Agave desmetiana 'Galactic Traveller' pup... and this one joined the family!

Agave parrasana 'Fireball'

Agave V-R mediopicta, not an unusual one for WA, they ARE around, the colouring on this one is kind of a lime green, which is fairly common over here.    But hey it ticked off a wish list item!

Agave victoriae-reginae mediopicta (WA version)

Now this beauty was an ebay auction win from Hamiltons Cacti.  Simply beautiful leaf shape and markings

Agave verschaffeltii variegated

I'm told this one is Rum Runner, but honestly I'm not completely sure. Either way, its not my favourite of the isthemensis variegates, new growth tends to be more green.  Keep looking for one I think is much nicer!

Agave isthemensis variegated

Another auction win from Hamiltons 😂

Agave isthmensis "Smoke"

This one I was lucky enough to nab - its an indo import that has just gone through quarantine.  Gorgeous colours on it.

Agave victoriae-reginae mediopicta (imported version)

Picked this one up in my early years of collecting from a local WA seller.  Pretty sure its the same as 'Smoke' above.  

Agave isthmensis "Smoke" ?

Now this is the isthemensis that I REALLY love.  Look at that white!!!

Agave isthemensis mediopicta alba

When I first started ordering plants on permits, white rhino's were no where near as highly in demand as they are now.  At the time I think I paid $50 for my original plant (small but very health).  Since then she has grown a bit, and had a number of babies.  I'll be keeping a few of these I think as I want to make sure I have more plants coming along.

Agave victoriae-reginae 'White Rhino'

Another local pickup, developed some nice central variegation, its just not strong

Remember that Andoran Stud order.... yep another one from Jocelyn

Agave potatorum mediopicta aurea

locally purchased Golden Princess... not that impressed with the colour on this one, still on the hunt for a better speciman.

Agave victoriae-reginae marginata 'Golden Princess'

This one came from Paul Forster in NSW.  Prolific little thing!

Agave pygmaea

Andoran again...

Agave victoriae-reginae

Jocelyn again.... this cubic I nearly lost, as no roots when it came over, and it took 9 MONTHS before I finally got it going, now its growing like a weed!

Agave potatrum 'Cubic'

This cutie came from a local sale, don't think that is the correct name [really - you're suprised ?]

Maybe 15cm across and not looking like getting any wider.

Agave potatrum 'Mini-mini'

Agave isthmensis

Just a random clump of little growing agave 😆

Hard to tell in this photo - but this one has white marginata variegation.  Still looking for a stronger variegatied version of this.

And that's about it for the agaves along this section.  Another day I will post about the other plants along here, but I only have so much time in a day.....

A walk around my garden... part 1

I've recently been spending a lot of time working out exactly what I want to do with my plants and garden.  I used to consider myself a collector. Which meant everything in pots, sorted, labelled and well organised to an inch of their life (anybody who knows me would be laughing their socks off at that )  Ok yes in pots, but not all that organised.

I've had some challenges over the last year or two, that have seen me withdraw more and more from the succulent society.  It's not that I don't still love them, but I need to admit I just don't have the time or energy for monitoring and looking after a million pots.

So I am being brave, and I've been ripping up garden beds and recreating things. This is not helped by a very helpful Ginger Ninja that likes nothing better than to dig up my plants, or throw soil over things, so this is far from perfect, and its all very much an immature garden.

Overview of the section we are looking at today

This is one plant that he definitely seems to have a problem with, sold to me as  Agave angustifolia 'White Ribbon'.  This is a kind of albino form of the normally practically lethal, prolific angustifolia.

Plant delights in the US sells this one as Agave angustifolia 'Woodrowii'

Agave angustifolia 'Woodrowii'

This one came from a good friend over east. It has seasonal gold variegation.  So the colour comes and goes. Definitely a potatorum... but the official name, I have NO idea, however Ian Hayes tells me its Agave potatorum 'Sunrise' so I'm going with that!

I'm told over east they have a problem selling this one, as when the yellow is fully developed people just think it looks sick, and when its gone, it just looks like a normal potatorum.

Agave potatorum 'Sunrise'

Looking a tad sorry for itself (I think the cats have been fighting again, and one MAY have landed on this one)

Agave bracteosa 'Monterrey Frost' or Agave bracteosa marginata alba

Agave bracteosa "Monterrey Frost"

 Now this is one that nearly everyone should know

Agave 'Snow Glow'

 This one is a little guy at the moment - Agave isthmensis

Agave isthmensis

My poor beheaded Blue Glow - regrowing some new offsets.  The head of this rooted nicely, but I'm afraid I passed that onto a friend.  There is only so many, non variegated plants a girl can keep.

And just for something different - this garden bed has a couple of nice variegated spiral aloe's  (and yes I SO need to weed again!) 

Aloe polyphylla variegated

Aloe polyphylla variegated

And finally, buried in the back corner, is my beheaded Blue Glow... growing a few babies now!

A stop at a private garden

This one is just some plant porn :)

On the way back from Bunbury I stopped in at a friends place.  She's spent a HUGE amount of time in her garden over the last couple of years, and has produced a stunning backyard.

See all this gorgeous crushed brick, she actually sieved this to get the bigger pieces out for the front section with the echeveria's.  The larger bits just didn't look right!

Golden Barrel cactus - she grew these from seed.  This just looks awesome (and I don't LIKE cactus that much!)

now this looks stunning doesn't it... its a bread pallet of all things!

 created when she threw all the leaves off an arrangement she was working on into one container...

 the colours are just superb!

Graptopetalum rusbyi - always a favourite when in flower.

Crassula capitella thyrsiflora looking stunning.  It goes this fantastic stacked shape and colour.  Then the darned thing flowers, and every SINGLE leaf that comes off that flowering stem can grow another plant.  Once you have one established, it's practically a weed.  But darn its a pretty one!

Graptopetalum mendozae  - I freely admit I have a thing about grapto's.  But who wouldn't, look at this stunning display!

 If anyone was at the Perth Garden Festival earlier this year, they may recognise this lady.  All the semps are still looking stunning!  Of course the cat photo bomb was an added bonus 😁

I didn't take anywhere near enough photos (and none at all of her growing area).  But still, you get the idea!

Owy's Garden - A Gorgeous nursery in Bunbury

This weekend Perth is hosting Succulenticon - a conference for  all the different Australia Succulent and Cactus Societies. A chance  to visit some gardens, catch up and make friends from around Australia, and learn something new.

I had a friend fly in from Sydney on Wednesday, so we've been mapping out "places to visit" that were not included on the tour schedule.

Due to distance from Perth, Owy's garden was unfortunately not included, so that seemed  a great place to start.  A bit of a drive from Joondalup way, but well worth it.

Dave and his parents have create a virtual oasis for succulent/cactus minded people.  The beautiful gardens are impressive and would make for some fantastic photo shoots (we could picture wedding photos there.... just maybe not with little kids)

Anyway - first the gardens.

Sometimes its easier just to let photos speak rather than type words.

I must admit - not so many photos of the sale area here, but a great supply of succulent, cactii, bromeliads, and indoor tropically looking plants (that's the technical term - right ?)

Lots of lovely arrangements, premade, just in case you think you can't do it yourself

More cactus than you can poke a stick at (and a stick length is about as close as I want to come to these beasties... still not a fan of the spikies)

Was chatting with Dave's dad, that did most of the building and sourcing of materials.  He actually MADE this wagon. [darn it, no chance of something like that for my back yard!]

Dinosaurs still keep appearing in spots around the garden.

A lot of the shelves etc have been repurposed from metal recyclers - and it looks fantastic.  Suits the place perfectly and definitely adds to the charm. 

Dave and his family are super friendly and helpful.  They do their darndest to source plants for people that are looking for anything in particular, and I've seen some of the photos of gardens they have helped create.

All in all, Bunbury is lucky to have them, and its well worth the drive for those that AREN'T in Bunbury. (ESPECIALLY if you like dinosaurs 😁 - just remember to keep the kids/kids at heart out of the garden, agave spikes HURT)