One of the principal casualties of our recent water pipe replacement was the bromeliad-succulent bed that borders our northwest property line. Originally created in November 2017 and refreshed two years later, I was forced to dig up all the plants and remove all the rock and flagstones surrounding the bed prior to the arrival of the plumbers tasked with replacing the pipe a couple of feet beneath it. As the plumbing service fit us in when another of its projects was delayed, I had very little time to take care of that activity so I wasn't as careful as I might have been.
I took my time putting things back together.
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The plumbing crew offered to replace the flagstones for us, which was helpful as many of them are very heavy. They didn't use several of the smaller stones so the path is somewhat narrower than it previously was but that's okay. I carted in and arranged the rocks that border the bromeliad-succulent bed myself.
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As I tossed some plants in the rush to prepare the area for the plumbing work, I ordered a few replacements by mail. They're smaller than they may appear in this photo - all but one were in 2-inch pots.
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I also bought a flat of Ruschia lineolata 'Nana' (aka dwarf carpet of stars) to fill in around the flagstones. The dwarf mondo grass I originally used for that purpose never filled in well.
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Most of the succulents I had along the fence at the entry to the area were lost in the process of the plumbing project. I filled in with my go-to Aeonium arboreum and Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi' cuttings.
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I broke the bed up into 4 segments divided by more rock. I don't have names for all the plants here; however, this section includes a noID Cotyledon orbiculata, Mangave 'Pineapple Express' and various Echeverias. I put back the seashells I had around the edges previously but I may replace them later with more Ruschia.
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All the plants in this segment of the bed are bromeliads. The majority of them are offsets of Neoregelia 'Guinea x Pepper', my most prolific bromeliad The one in the back on the left is Vriesea ospinae var gruberi and the one in the back on the right is Aechmea orlandiana 'Rainbow'.
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This section is a unsatisfactory hodge-podge of plants at the moment, all too small to have an impact. I threw in an Agave vilmoriana 'Stained Glass' bulbil and an Agave attenuata pup but I may replace both with a larger agave. There are offsets of Aechmea 'Mend' (the pink-edged bromeliad) and what I think is Quesnelia 'Tim Plowman' plus 3 Echeveria agavoides and a tiny Aloe haworthia pentagona but I can't identify the other plants off-hand.
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The last section includes several Haworthia retusa, Aeonium 'Lily Pad', Crassula orbicularis var rosularis as well as some of my tiny new succulents, notably 3 Echeveria 'Melaco' and an Echeveria 'Chroma'
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My husband threatened to call bulk-pickup to take the chiminea but he gave in and hauled it to the back of the bed. (I told him I plan to use it to display Tillandsias and stuck one into the grate in good faith.) I moved 2 pots back into position too after trimming the broken stems of the surrounding hedge shrubs.
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Our irrigation problems continued this week. In the first instance, we discovered that the plumbers had cut through a plastic irrigation pipe when installing the new copper pipe. After that was fixed and we ran the section of the system that hadn't been functioning, we discovered problems with a valve that wasn't shutting off. That repair wasn't the end of it, though. My husband located three other malfunctioning valves and a few broken sprinkler heads. Once he fixes the last of these, we're hopeful that this will be the end of our irrigation woes for a time; however, the experience has had both of us considering whether a smaller plot with a less complex irrigation system may be preferable in the future. Meanwhile, I dream of a location that gets rain on a reliable basis.
Blogger was having hiccups last night loading photos as I tried to finish up this post so I'm quitting while I'm ahead with a final photo that has nothing whatsoever to do with the garden. Best wishes for a relaxing weekend.
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The 2 houseplants I had in this basket perished due to inattention. Pipig decided to take it over.
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material © 2012-2022
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
You did a nice job with all that. The areas look refreshed and will be even better after some growing.
ReplyDeletePipig looks very pleased with her new basket.
I got used to working on the irrigation--it's not so bad with practice. It was really annoying at first.
One neighbor on the street started watering only by hand. He said it cut his water use by 50% and it's the nicest part of his day. Most mornings he walks around his property with a hose and talks on the phone and waters. I will say his little lawn which is about 5x8 looks better than it ever has. He loves it--it's like his pet.
Hope your weekend is lovely.
I thought of you as my husband worked on the irrigation system and I mostly dithered around on the sidelines wringing my hands. We always say we're going to conduct biannual surveys of our system to detect problems but somehow we seldom actually do that until there are signs of a problem. I think these latest experiences were more frustrating because we spent so much time and energy preparing for the pipe replacement, as well as spending a pretty penny on it.
DeleteI've considered the fact that hand-watering is probably less costly and potentially more thorough but I've yet to find it a truly Zen experience ;)
Congrats on getting this area of your garden put back together! Reading your irrigation woes I am thankful I do not have an irrigation system, I can't imagine dealing with all of those issues. As we are looking into a continuing dry and warm October I continue to water by hand, well the back garden at least. I pretty much left the front garden on its own this year. I decision I hope I don't regret. We're now looking at a solid 3 and a half months with no rain, and record heat. Feast or famine here.
ReplyDeleteI'm almost more alarmed by your issues with rainfall as I am by ours, Loree. It's another indicator that trying to outrun climate change is probably a fruitless endeavor. My husband just told me that he was unable to repair the 3 valves he'd identified as problems and he's ordering replacements. In the meantime, there's more hand-watering in my future too. In her comment above, Hoover Boo described a neighbor that's embraced the Zen of hand-watering - maybe I need to discover that too.
DeleteWe have irrigation and there always seems to be a problem with it, mostly because I tread on some of the sprays whilst gardening! I haven’t had to use it for a couple of years, so I suppose when it is eventually turned on, there will be some evidence of breakage. Your succulent area looks wonderful, and will be even better after some growth, which will happen quite quickly I’m sure, with those types of plants.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of a Mangave before last Saturday…. A new discovery on SOS.
Be careful! Mangaves can cast a spell, especially if you live in a drought-prone area. I've slowly accumulated more than I can count off-hand.
DeleteThat was me, Jane from Mudgee! I’ve no idea why I’m now anonymous.
DeleteBlogger changed something in the manner it registers commentators, Jane. It seems to have particularly affected Wordpress users. Some people have found workarounds but I can't tell you what their approaches involve. The easiest approach is probably just to include your first name in your comment. In any case, thanks for coming back and identifying yourself :)
DeleteWhat a massive project. But your efforts to renew and refresh the areas look terrific. I wish my transplant/plant from cuttings were remotely as successful as yours.
ReplyDeleteThere are few plants that transplant and propagate as easily as succulents, Nikki. I can't say I'm nearly as successful propagating other kinds of plants.
DeleteCan I ask what your soil mix is? I'd been using Kellogg's palm cactus mix.
DeleteI made use of what I had on hand this time, Nikki, which was Kellogg's topsoil mix, some Dr. Earth cactus & succulent mix, and, in the area containing the bromeliads orchid bark (mixed in with the soil). As I recall, when I originally planted the area I used an organic cactus & succulent mix that's no longer available.
DeleteFirst of all, I hate nothing more than irrigation problems. My heart goes out to you, having to deal with more than your fair share!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I think your restored areas look phenomenal. You seized the opportunity and used it brilliantly!
Thumbs up from me for Ruschia lineolata 'Nana'. I bought a 1-gallon plant last year and divided it into several clumps, and they've thrived. The perfect filler/ground cover!
We're awaiting delivery of a couple more valves for the irrigation system. With the installation of those and several more sprinkler replacements, we should be done. Fingers crossed!
DeleteThanks for the feedback on Ruschia. I'm planning to get another flat to fill in areas in which the creeping thyme hasn't been happy.
The basket is a perfect fit, thank you!
ReplyDeleteShe's moved on again, Diana. As our temperatures have fallen, she sought out "her" heating pad and is now ensconced on the love seat in my home office with the heating pad underneath a knit throw, just the way she likes it ;)
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