Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Here one day, gone the next

The holidays sneaked up on me this year.  There was a time when I routinely completed most of my Christmas shopping by Halloween, leaving a lot of time for decorating, baking, letter writing, and just enjoying the holidays in December.  I had to plan well in advance during my workaholic days as I'd never have managed to get everything done by Christmas otherwise.  Once I retired, I lost all sense of urgency - and I also gave up baking, began sending holiday cards electronically, and started doing the vast majority of my gift shopping online when sales peaked.  This year I suddenly realized that the holidays were just around the corner and I hadn't done anything.  So gardening activity abruptly stopped while I played catch up but, earlier this week, I decided I could surely fit in a small project.

In November's foliage post, I commented on the need to remedy some overcrowding in my garden.  One problem in particular stood out for me, which I thought I could remedy relatively quickly.

I'd underestimated the mature size of both the hybrid Aloe vanbalenii x ferox on the left and the Agave attenuata 'Raea's Gold' on the right.  As a result, they were bumping elbows to the detriment of both.  I was less enamored with the Agave in this instance and also knew it was a prolific pupper, which was going to complicate matters further.  I targeted the Agave for removal/relocation.


Is any garden project ever quick?  This one took a couple of hours and involved some destruction in the process but I got it done.

This photo shows the Aloe once the Agave had been removed (along with a lot of weeds).  I had to cut out the Agave's pups as they were still tightly attached to the mother plant.  I also discovered that I had to saw down the trunk of the mother plant in order to remove it without harming the Aloe.  The base of the Agave still needs to be dug out.

This is a wide shot of the area after the Aloe was removed.  There's now an adequate amount of room for the Aloe to spread out (I hope).

Several of the Agave pups were too small or damaged to save but 5 of them are suitable for transplanting.  I removed several broken and scarred leaves at the base of the mother plant (shown here sitting in an empty pot to keep it propped up).  Although it's still quite large I think it'll root in a pot with free-draining soil given 3-6 months.  Assuming it does, I can either give it away or transplant it somewhere else if I can find a suitable spot.


As I was working on this post, Pipig decided to offer her assistance so I thought it was a good time to provide an update on her.

The vet recommended a second week of oral antibiotics as last week's chest x-ray still wasn't completely clear.  She wouldn't rule out cancer but the oral antibiotic (Veraflox) had obviously made an impact after the original antibiotic injection had little effect.   

Most importantly, her gagging behavior stopped entirely.  She also started eating more and her weight increased to 7 pounds (still low but it's a start).  She's also been more active, as jumping on my desk and interfering with my computer activity shows.
She's actively seeking attention on a regular basis again too




Pipig and I will be making yet another trip to the vet this morning for a follow-up-ray to assess her progress.  Hopefully, it'll be the last trip, at least for this year.  Now that she's feeling better, she's much more vocal on her forty minute trips to and from the vet's office.



All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party


22 comments:

  1. I'm happy to hear that Pipig is feeling better. This is one of those years that just doesn't feel very Christmasy to me. It is going by so fast and will be here before we know it.

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    1. Given the larger context, politically and internationally, it's harder to get in the ho-ho-ho spirit.

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  2. Glad to hear the GOOD NEWS about Pipig. Fingers crossed your vet trip today will give you more peace of mind.

    Regarding your Agave attenuata, up here in Northern California, people would drool over it because attenuata is so challenging to grow. By I completely understand why you removed it--I remove plants all the time. Your aloe will appreciate the extra room.

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    1. Agave attenuata is probably the most common succulent in my area. I can't say how many I have in my garden, much less the neighborhood. Now, if this had been 'Variegata' instead of 'Raea's Gold', I'd have felt differently. As it is, at least 2 of the pups will undoubtedly go back into my own garden.

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  3. That's a beautiful A. attenuata and I am so glad that Pipig is doing better!

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    1. 'Raea's Gold' is very similar to the straight species of Agave attenuata. 'Kara's Stripe' has similar coloring but it's more dramatic. I have 2 of the 'Ray of Light' forms but I'd really like 'Variegata', which is more striking than any of the others in my opinion.

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  4. Good to hear Pipig is feeling better. And judging by the photos, the project was well worth doing. I'm loving all the gold shimmer in this area, with the beautiful texture of what I'm assuming is 'Cane's Hybrid' callistemon, the coleonemas, the red/gold leucadendrons -- and how the Yucca 'Bright Star' echoes the 'Joe Hoak' agaves. Dazzling planting! (And if you need a home for any of the gold agave pups, let me know!)

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    1. If you're in the area and would like to take the mother Agave and a couple of the smaller pups, let me know. The mother plant probably needs an opportunity to root in a pot before being planted out in the garden.

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  5. That's an excellent fix for the over crowding: it looks so good now and well worth the effort. (There's a bed you've designated for a total re-do... maybe A. attenuata, with its substantial size, could take part in that renovation).
    Pipig has the most gorgeous (and unusual) eye color! I'm so glad she's regained stamina, enough to help you with your blog :-)
    Chavli

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    1. Yes, the mother Agave could end up in the renovated area, although I already have the plain species form there. I'm thinking of adding a group of Agave parryi in that area but I haven't actually created a plan.

      I think Pipig's definitely better even if the vet isn't sure we've gotten to the core of the problem. I expect she just hopes she's not going to be locked in a carrier and hustled off to the vet again anytime soon.

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  6. We always want our plants to thrive, of course, but sometimes they just thrive too well! Your garden looks much better now you have taken care of the overcrowding.
    I hope Pipig remains well now. How old is she?

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    1. Unfortunately, I'm prone to planting things too closely due to an apparent problem judging distances, Joanne ;)

      Pipig is nearly 17. She was treated for cancer 4 years ago.

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  7. You always have a fascinating project Kris! Glad Pipig is responding to meds and getting energy back.

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    1. At Pipig's age I worry about every little change in her behavior but she's definitely doing better than she was a month ago!

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  8. So happy to hear Pipig is feeling more frisky! Your revamp looks very successful, definitely worth the time invested.

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    1. I agree that the fix was a good use of my time, even if it wasn't quite as quick and easy as I'd deluded myself to believe beforehand, Tracy.

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  9. Great news about beautiful blue-eyed Pipig!

    That Agave removal was a tough row to hoe. --hoov b

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    1. I was very concerned that I might break an arm off the Aloe, which is why I cut the mother plant's trunk instead of risking digging it out, HB. My husband offered to dig up the root ball and I was nervous about that too but, luckily, it was smaller than I'd anticipated given the size of the agave. All ended well.

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  10. Such good news about Pipig! Hope she continues to improve.
    Good work on the Agave, hope the process didn't draw too much blood! ;) Eliza

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    1. That Agave isn't particularly prickly so the process was painless, Eliza.

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  11. Active, affectionate, vocal and eating - all good news!

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    1. She's an elderly cat but she's doing MUCH better, Diana!

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