Within the span of five days, I visited two more garden centers in the search for plants to fill vacancies in the succulent bed I've been renovating. I can't claim any discoveries that have pulled the entire picture together in my mind but, for me, building a garden bed is a painting rather than a puzzle. Each decision alters the overall composition.
Armstrong, my local garden center, part of a chain, provided relatively few choices in terms of either agaves or Leucadendrons. There were more aloes than I'd expected but nothing unusual and the agave selection was very limited. I considered a few alternatives.
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| I briefly considered Dasylirion longissima (left), Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta' (right rear) and Yucca linearifolia (right foreground) but ruled out each for different reasons |
I didn't find the Leucadendron 'Summer Red' I'd fixated on, or any Leucadendrons in one-gallon containers for that matter.
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| Armstrong had Leucadendrons 'Winter Red' and 'Ebony', both of which I already have in my garden |
For reasons I can't fathom, I was attracted to one ceramic piece that had nothing whatsoever to do with my shopping list but better sense prevailed.
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| The Talavera-style ceramic gecko was cute but expensive and I've absolutely no idea where I'd put it |
I didn't check off any of my bigger ticket items but I didn't go home entirely empty handed.
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| I bought 2 small pots of Osteospermum 'Serenity Coral Magic' and one small pot of O. 'Serenity Dark Purple' (because they didn't have any more). I also bought 3 of each of the Echeverias shown in the bottom row in 2-inch pots (left to right: Echeverias 'Afterglow', 'Mexicano', and 'Serrana'). |
On Tuesday, a neighbor and I took a trip to Flora Grubb Gardens in Marina Del Rey. That garden center offered a lot of choices in terms of water-wise plants.
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| The large area directly west of a freeway exit was loaded with Agaves, Leucadendrons, and Leucospermums among other plants |
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| There were a range of mixed succulent vignettes like these arrayed throughout the garden center too |
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| Clockwise from the left are: a mix of agaves, cactus, and Leucadendrons; Agave gypsophila 'Ivory Curls'; and Agave americana mediopicta 'Alba' |
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| Display of Leucadendrons and pots (left) and Leucadendron 'Red Eye' (right). I was briefly obsessed with the latter but, as it can grow up to 20 feet tall, I reluctantly turned away. |
My friend was focused on Leucospermums.
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| Closeups of just a few Leucospermum flowers, clockwise from the upper left: L.'Flame Giant', L gueinzii, L. 'Helene', and L. 'Naomi' |
Other plants sounded a siren's call but were resisted.
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| Another Anigozanthos in the Bush Gems Celebration series. This one is 'Aussie Spirit'. It was in a larger pot than the 'Masquerade' variety I'd purchased a week before in a one-gallon pot at Deep Roots and more than twice the cost. |
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| The Grevilleas on display included 'Long John', 'Misty Pink', and 'Sandra Gordon' |
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| From left to right are Beschorneria yuccoides, Podocarpus henkelii, and assorted bromeliads |
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| I've been a little obsessed with Beschorneria since my neighbor showed me this specimen in her front garden last weekend. She says it was planted at least 8 years ago and this is the first time it's bloomed. I have 2, one older than that but unfortunately almost entirely buried under my ginormous Leucadendron 'Chief'. The other, a variegated 'Flamingo Glow', is still small after 2 years in the ground. Planted from a 4-inch pot, I think I have a long wait ahead before it blooms. |
This shopping trip was more productive than the last one. I spotted a butterfly and purchased two large plants, although only one of these was on my original list of prospects.
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| My phone identified this butterfly as a mourning cloak |
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| I bought yet another Agave 'Blue Glow' but this one came in a 3-gallon container. I planted 2 smaller specimens of the same agave, picked up last year in 4-inch pots, on either side of the spot intended for the larger one. In lieu of a Leucadendron, I selected Chondropetalum tectorum (aka small cape rush) to add a touch of softness to the bed. I have a larger version of this plant, which I love, but it grew far bigger than advertised and overwhelmed its spot. This one should only grow 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. |
I haven't entirely decided whether to get a
Leucadendron for the succulent bed as well. Despite its price, I've been reconsidering the
Leucadendron 'Startreuse' I saw at Deep Roots. At the same time, I've begun thinking about alternatives and I've added
Phormium to my prospects list.
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| A Phormium 'Maori Queen' like this one in a garden bed near the front door might be a nice option |
I've another local succulent outlet in mind for a visit in the near term. I'll be sourcing smaller succulents to serve as fillers and groundcovers. As I'm also considering removing one or two woody Abelias from the area adjacent to the one I'm renovating, I may have even more space to fill before my renovated bed is ready for its reveal.
Best wishes for a wonderful weekend! It appears that ours may come with at least a little more rain.
All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
As exciting as a reveal of a new bed is, part of the fun is the waiting, the plant hunting, taking your time...
ReplyDeleteI can see Osteospermum 'Serenity Coral Magic' and Phormium 'Maori Queen' complimenting each other very well, color wise, as does Echeverias 'Afterglow' (love that little one).
The gecko would have looked sweet on the lath house. Just saying :-D
Chavli
It did occur to me after the fact that the lath house and the gecko might be suited to once another, Chavli. But the combination of its $100+ price tag and the frequency with which critters "visiting" the space knock things down probably make it a poor investment.
DeleteI second all of Chavli's comments. I would love to have the"Serenity Coral Magic" and "Maori Queen" in my yard, and also the small Cape Rush. I, too, look forward to the great reveal. Happy Gardening!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping I can find more of that coral Osteospermum, Jeanette. Phormiums are usually readily available here so I'll see what surfaces when I sniff around a bit. We got a bit of a soaking this morning but, once the soil dries out a bit, the Chondropetalum (and the agave) will go into the ground.
DeleteYou are in the thick of it, making decisions and hunting around, how fun! I have been drawn to the Talavera snake, but they are so pricey. Looking forward to seeing how this all turns out.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to how it all turns out too, Tracy. If I expand my efforts to include removing 2 ancient woody Abelias, I expect that may take longer than I'd anticipated.
Delete"a painting rather than a puzzle"... I will be thinking on that one for awhile. Although I never have identified it as such, I suppose I approach a new planting like it is a puzzle. I like your idea of painting however and agree that each decision alters the overall composition.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of a "puzzle" what comes to mind are the pictures that come broken up in irregular but predetermined pieces. When I start a bed from scratch I usually identify a few plant prospects but give myself the freedom to insert elements on a piecemeal basis, resulting in something I never envisioned at the outset.
DeleteNursery visits are always productive even if you don't buy anything. Always educational. I think Armstrong's really gears up for Mother's Day and there's a lag in interesting plants until then.
ReplyDeleteMother's Day - that's a interesting observation!
DeleteSo many good plants to choose from, but too little space for them to grow! ;)
ReplyDeleteI like the choices you've made so far.
Hope the weekend brings just enough rain. Eliza
I started removing a shrub in the area under renovation this afternoon to give me a bit more room to work with. However, as I'm only about a third done and my body is already complaining, I suspect I'll stop once that one's out, rather than taking out one or two more as I'd originally discussed ;) As to the rain, we got another 0.16/inch, which is enough for now.
DeleteI'm not in Southern California so I have no idea of the distance involved, but if you don't mind a drive Planter's Paradise nursery in El Cajon has more Talavera pottery than you can imagine, and at good prices as well. Laura Eubanks features them on her Design for Serenity u-tube channel, and next time I'm down in SoCal, I plan to drop by. They have rare succulents as well
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Sue! That's about a 3-hour drive each way, assuming that the traffic gods are kind, so it's probably not someplace I'll get to unless I'm down that way for other reasons but good information to keep in mind should the possibility present itself.
DeleteI'm looking for a leucadendron, too, and was surprised my local Armstrong had, like, two varieties (both too big). Nice osteos you've picked up and a beautiful specimen of 'Blue Glow'.
ReplyDeleteLike many other things, plant prices seem to have exploded since the pandemic, Nikki. I keep wondering if breakdowns in the supply chain during that period led growers to hold plants back, leading to larger plants in larger pots at higher prices. As much as I like lower prices, I also prefer to start plants from smaller specimens but those are hard to find these days. Flora Grubb Gardens in Marina Del Rey offered a wide selection of Leucadendrons BUT most were in 3-gallon containers.
DeleteTotally agree. I prefer smaller so I have a smaller hole to dig. But I did find 'Safari Goldstrike' at, of all places, Lowes. It's the perfect size for what I want -- 4-6ft tall/wide.
DeleteGreat finds! Good luck as you continue your quest! I'm always fascinated by butterflies and other species that populate diverse climates and ecosystems. Mourning Cloaks are common here, too, this time of year (starting in late winter). People have been reporting them on wisconsinbutterflies.org since February. Happy Spring!
ReplyDeleteThis was my first sighting of a mourning cloak here this year, Beth, but then I've spotted precious few butterflies in general thus far.
DeleteI like your choices so far. The hard part does seem to be finding the smaller to mid-size drought tolerant plants. Most of them simply get too big too fast for where I want them to go. Went to Hortlandia plant sale on Friday and then to several Portland nurseries on Saturday in some rather dreary, cold, wet weather. I don't know if the selection was off or if it was the weather dampening our spirits, but the selection seemed poor with lots of humdrum, run-of-the-mill boring, water-thirsty plants. The sticker shock really kicked in too - $65+ for 2 gallon not-so-special plants and $13-$25 for little 3.5" pots with puny little plants in them. No way.
ReplyDeletePlant prices have exploded since the pandemic it seems, Jerry. My local garden center is selling 4-inch pots of succulents for $6.99 now and 2-inch pots for $4.99. During some of my giveaways of free succulent cuttings, I mention that in the flyer I stick out of the curb with the plants ;)
DeleteI love restios, but don't quite trust the 'dwarf' labels. Then I veer towards sedge or grass, which might, stay dwarf.
ReplyDeleteWell, the original Chrondroptelum I got 10+ years ago was labeled as a dwarf but it proved itself to be C. elephantipes. I still have it even though it drapes itself over the tops of 3 Agave 'Blue Glow' planted in front of it. The new one is more obviously the dwarf cultivar C. tectorum 'Campo' so I think I'm okay, although I planted it in a spot that should accommodate it even if it overachieves ;)
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