Rain Delay

My husband and I got busy with another project late last week.  It involved removing one of the large 'Blue Flame' Agaves in the south-side garden, although upon deliberation, not one I'd originally identified.  Instead, I targeted the largest one, which was also the most damaged by sunburn and scarring.  I quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to handle it by myself and sought help from my husband.  He took care of the heavy lifting, with me helping to remove the debris.

I'll start with a before and after shot.

The top photo was taken in early January.  The bottom one was taken on January 31st.  If you don't immediately see the difference, look at the area behind the Euphorbia 'Sticks on Fire' at the center of each shot.

I took this photo using my cell phone after my husband cut off all the agave's leaves and dug up the core of the plant.  He used a small saw given to us as a gift to cut the hefty leaves - until it jammed and he had to revert to manual tools.

This is the agave's trimmed carcass, which I couldn't even pick up.  We rolled it into a corner to dry out for a time.

The leaves were so heavy, they had to be left in our driveway to dry out before we loaded them into our green recycle bins for pickup yesterday with their weight evenly distributed between the three bins.  The agave's carcass will be cut into two or more pieces before they go into the recycle bin next week.  Meanwhile, I got to work cleaning up the area opened up by its removal.  I cut back the Vitex trifolia, woody sections of one of two Salvia clevelandii, and the dead spikes around the base of the Dasylirion longissimum (aka Mexican grass tree).  I also removed masses of Senecio serpens (aka blue chalksticks), pups of Agave americana mediopicta 'Alba', and pesky grass weeds with deep roots (which could be crabgrass or possibly bermuda grass planted long ago by prior owners).  I can't claim I got all the grass weeds as some are wrapped under and around other large, prickly agaves.

This view from the west side looking east doesn't look much different

This side view shows off the 3 Agave mediopicta 'Alba' that have been partially hidden for some time

View of the cleared area from the dirt path behind the bed, offering sight of the seldom seen Agave 'Mr Ripple' on the lower right.  I added soil suitable for cactus and succulents to smooth out the bare areas.

View of the area from the east side looking southwest.  The yellow trug behind the Euphorbia 'Sticks on Fire' was full of cuttings.

I replanted some of the area I'd cleared with cuttings of Senecio serpens but there's still a good-sized empty spot to be filled.

There are 9 Senecio serpens clumps here and a few others outside the photo's frame on the left

This is the empty spot

I've been considering options for filling the open space while leaving sufficient room to facilitate future weeding and other maintenance work.  Rain interrupted my work schedule.

I filled several trugs with rainwater once daylight arrived but it was coming down so hard and fast I didn't even try moving any of it.  As it was, I got soaked just going to pick up the newspaper from the driveway.

I considered moving this Agave attenuata 'Raea's Gold' to the open area but these agaves are liberal puppers and I don't need a replay of my problem with 'Blue Flame'.  This is the mother plant we removed from the back border in December because it was crowding Aloe vanbalenii x ferox.  It's currently in a pot.  I may plant it in the community garden at the entrance to our neighborhood once it's developed more roots.

I have an Agave ovalifolia 'Vanzie' planted at the back of the south-side bed about 6 feet away from the empty space (shown left).  It's handsome and doesn't pup so I'm inclined to plant the small specimen of the same plant I've had in a pot for a year (shown right) in the middle of the empty area.

As filler material, I'm considering a variety of Aeoniums.  Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium 'Jack Catlin' (pups that had been hidden behind the agave we removed, which hadn't received the sun needed to bring out their burgundy edges), A. 'Velour' (shown in another area of my garden), and 2 other varieties I purchased by mail order a few months ago, A. 'Octo Ink' and A. 'Dark Star'.

I still have plants in need of new homes too.

The largest of the Agave mediopicta 'Alba' pups went into the empty pot in the north-side garden

2 more agave pups and piles of Senecio serpens that will probably be given away

We got 2.32 inches of rain in less than ten hours yesterday.  It came down heavily, causing freeway and local road closures for a few hours.  Our own neighborhood road, periodically used by skateboarders looking for thrills (despite signs prohibiting that), looked like a river for a time.  Today should be mainly dry but another, larger atmospheric river is expected to move through beginning late Saturday.  Current forecasts suggest that rain could continue through the following Saturday, which is a unnerving.  Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing.

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Foliage: Lost among the flowers?

In early Spring even the most foliage-focused gardeners I know can be distracted by the colorful blooms that take the stage by storm.  For someone like me who's a bit flower-obsessed to begin with, it can be difficult to even see the foliage for the flowers.  I recently took time to survey the foliage in my garden in a effort to balance my outlook.  I won't share every one of my foliage stand-outs (I covered many of these back in late December), just those that grabbed my attention for one reason or another this month.

The first one is a new introduction to my garden.

This is Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' (aka Golden Full Moon Maple), a dwarf Japanese maple I picked up at my local garden center in late February.  It reportedly has requirements similar to other Japanese maples; however, I belatedly discovered that my Sunset Western Garden Book doesn't recommend this species for my area.  So far, it's doing alright in a protected area with morning sun exposure.  I'm crossing my fingers that it'll survive our summer.

As usual, many of my top foliage picks are succulents.

I thought all the Crassula I planted here next to the Aeonium arboreum was C. pubescens radicans but only some of it's developed that variety's characteristic deep red color.  I like the mix of colors in any case.

I grow a lot of Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi'.  Last year, I added a variety called 'Kiwi Verde'.  I initially considered it 'Kiwi's' duller cousin but I've grown fond of it.  While it doesn't have the pronounced variegation 'Kiwi' is known for, the rosettes still develop attractive red edges and it's an even more robust grower.

Agave 'Blue Flame'  is making quite a statement in my south-side succulent bed this year

A couple of months ago, I added Aeonium 'Zwartkop' to embellish these 'Blue Glow' Agaves but  Lotus bethelotii 'Amazon Sunset' provides a nice accent too

Albuca spiralis 'Frizzle Sizzle' has emerged from its long underground nap

A variety of shrubs also caught my eye.

This is Artemisia californica, a California native as the name suggests.  It looked sad after summer's intense heat and I cut my 2 shrubs back hard.  They're looking great now.

Corokia x virgata 'Sunsplash' adds a subtle note of variegation to this bed in my front garden

Melianthus major has sprung back after I cut it nearly to the ground.  It provides a handsome contrast to Leucadendron 'Jester' and Phormium 'Amazing Red' here.

This is a plant I'd all but forgotten about until I cut back the ornamental grass that had threatened to envelop it.  It's Ochna serrulata, aka Mickey Mouse Bush.  I planted it in November 2014 and, even now, it's only a foot tall at best.  It's supposed to reach 8 feet in height at maturity but it certainly seems to be making a slow start.  It's an interesting plant, though, so I'll give it more time.

This is Pelargonium cucullatum 'Flore Plenum', possibly the most vigorous Pelargonium I've ever grown.  It produces pretty flowers but it's the foliage that originally attracted me.  Despite it's crinkly leaves, it's almost silky to the touch and it looks great when backlit.

I'll close with a succulent combination I'm particularly pleased with at the moment.

Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' and Hesperaloe parviflora make a happy combination

That's it for me this week.  Wherever you are, I hope you're treated to a warm, pleasant, sunny weekend.


All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Foliage Follow-up: Stressed out succulents

My Aloe wickensii provided the jumping off point for this month's foliage follow-up, the meme hosted by Pam at Digging.  I know that succulents will frequently turn red when exposed to water and/or heat stress but I didn't know that they could twist and turn themselves like acrobats until I saw this:

Originally planted in 2014, the area in which this Aloe wickensii is planted is more exposed now due to the thinning of nearby trees.  The photo on the left was taken from the side and the view on the right was taken from overhead.

According to an on-line source such shape changes can be a response to extreme heat and intense sunlight.  I felt like covering my head and hiding too after last month's awful heatwave, which occurred on the heels of a period of unusually cool spring weather.

The Aloe sent me looking for other signs of stress among my succulents.  Agave 'Jaws', which sits just a few feet away from Aloe wickensii in the same bed showed little sign of stress; however, upon close examination, I did discover a surprise

I almost stepped on a tiny Agave pup that showed up about a foot away from 'Jaws' (to the left of the larger plant in the photo on the left)

Aeoniums enter dormancy this time of year so their change of shape isn't extraordinary.

These Aeoniums, planted in the narrow space between the outer fireplace wall and the driveway, are curling inward but they're not nearly as stressed as those along the street entering our neighborhood, which look more like round balls.

Shade, especially afternoon shade, seemed to buffer some succulents.

Aloe vanbalenii x ferox, shown here partially in the shade of a peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa) with Sedum x rubrotinctum and Aeonium nobile, doesn't seem the least bit stressed

Agave bracteosa, planted nearby, is assuming a new shape but I think that's a natural progression in this case.  It's common names include Candelabrum Agave and Squid Agave.

The 2 Agave 'Blue Flame' that sit along the street receive a good amount of shade in mid-afternoon.  These 2 are in much better shape than the 'Blue Flame' and 'Blue Glow' specimens I have in full sun in the bed on the southeast side of the house, some of which suffered from "agave edema" when the heat suddenly soared last month.

The lower leaves of Agave impressa yellowed last year after the shrubs behind it died off and it received more sun but the bright red streaks shown here are new

The Agaves in the dry garden on the northeast side of the house showed no signs of stress.

Agave ovatifolia's only threat is being overcome by the spread of the trailing Lantana

And the same could be said for Agave vilmoriniana

All in all the succulents managed June's heat relatively well but I am thinking about moving poor Aloe wickensii.

Visit Pam at Digging to find other foliage highlights.


All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Lynda's Succulent Garden Revisited

In July last year, I posted photos of my friend Lynda's succulent garden.  Being both an artist and a perfectionist, she's continued to futz with both her design and her plant selections, which is good for me as every time she's planning a change usually means we make a trip to our favorite succulent garden center in Orange County.  In advance of one such trip, I took photos of the succulent beds in the front of her townhouse.

Her succulent beds are enclosed within tiered, brick-lined planters along the right and left sides of her sloped driveway.  Here's the first tier on the right side.

The bed is tightly packed but the plants are very happy

Close-up of Agave desmettiana, Graptoveria 'Fred Ives', Euphorbia tirucalli and Crassula capitella 'Campfire' 

Agave 'Blue Flame', Agave Blue Glow', more Graptoveria and Euphorbia, and Sedum rupestre 'Lemon Ball'

Another view of the plants shown above plus what I think is Agave pgymaea 'Dragon Toes'

The second tier planting bed on the right side featured (past tense) Opuntia santarita.  As it had become impossible to weed around the Opuntia, it was destined for removal when I visited.

Lynda intends to replace the Opuntia with another Agave 'Blue Flame'

Agave desmettiana, Euphorbia tirucalli and Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi 'Variegata' among other smaller succulents (Let me know if you can name the plant in front - I can't identify it Thanks to Jane, the plant in front has been identified as Crassula arborescens 'Blue Waves' aka Crassula ovata undulata)

The condemned Opuntia sandwiched between 2 Euphorbia tirucalli

Manfreda x 'Silver Leopard' backed up by Euphorbia and an unidentified Aloe

The succulent bed on the left side of the driveway is wider and serves as a divider between Lynda's property and that of her neighbor.  

Lynda added beach pebbles to create a pathway she could use when weeding the bed

Agave 'Joe Hoak' provides a focal point in this bed

Aloe cameronii (with what may be a crested Euphorbia in front)

Lynda has used plant repetition and contrasting foliage texture and color to great effect.  Since last July, she has removed the Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' that formerly shared the beds, added lots of rock, rearranged plants and added new ones.  It looks great now and I have no doubt that it'll look great next year too - only probably different.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

My Street-side Succulent Bed

A couple of weeks ago, I provided an update on my friend Lynda's succulent garden.  Well, Lynda didn't go shopping alone.  I, too, have been adding to my collection of succulent plants.  While some of my purchases have gone into our dry garden, the bulk have been added to the street-side succulent border I first show-cased in July.  It's still a work-in-progress, and probably will be for years to come, but it has filled in somewhat since I shared my first photos of the area so I thought I'd provide an update.

Wide shot taken from across the street

Side view of the border looking south

I've added some larger plants, mostly various types of Agave, but I've filled in with smaller succulents, including cuttings, so the border still looks sparser than I'd like.  It's easier to view in segments.

The most prominent specimens in this northern-most section are Agave 'Blue Flame,' Agave 'Blue Glow' (still relatively small), Calandrinia (Cistanthe) grandiflora (no longer in bloom), and a Chondropetalum tectorum that probably doesn't get the moisture it needs in this setting

Close-up of one Agave 'Blue Glow'

The next section is dominated by an Agave desmettiana 'Variegata' but there's also a Dyckia, Senecio cuttings, and a variety of Graptoveria and Graptosedum

Close-up of Graptosedum 'California Sunset' (left) and Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' (right)

The centerpiece of this section is Agave Impressa, which is surrounded by Dudleya and more Graptoveria

Close-up of Agave Impressa, which got a bit of sunburn during the height of summer

I'm happiest with this section, which contains, among other things, another Agave desmettiana 'Variegata,' 2 varieties of Kalanchoe, Euphorbia tiriucalli, and various types of Aeonium

The same section, viewed from the side

Close-up of Kalanchoe marmorata

Close-up of Kalanchoe thyrsiflora

This last section contains a variety of Aloes, another Agave 'Blue Flame,' Senecio amaniensis, 3 unidentified Sansevieria, and Graptopetalum 

Close-up of Senecio amaniensis with a couple of bloom spikes

Close-up of an Agave pup given me by Lynda - she thinks it's A. pygmae

A few things are bugging me about this border.  First, the plants are more of a hodge-podge than I'd like but that's what comes of trying to make do with cuttings on hand.  Succulents, even small ones, can be pricey.  Second, I haven't managed to hide the drip irrigation lines.  I'm trying to decide whether to cover them with cactus mix, add more groundcover materials or stone, or simply wait for the plants to get larger.  Third, the Pittosporum hedge with which the succulents share space presents a problem.  The hedge material was in horrible shape when we moved in and, after experimenting with cutting back a couple of the shrubs last year, I hacked them all back severely in January.  They've yet to recover and I'm toying with the idea of removing all or part of them.  But that's a big job so I'm going to wait and see if our rainy season gives them a boost.  The shrubs, which I think are Pittosporum rhombifolia (now classified as Auranticarpa rhombifolia), also tend to become chlorotic if not regularly treated.  On the other hand, no hedge or a see-through hedge exposes the area beyond to view from the street and I'm not sure I like that.  I've dabbled with that area now and then but it hasn't received a lot of attention and it's something of a mess.  However, I've slowly been adding succulents there too, so it may eventually become a logical extension of the street-side border.

View of area behind the street-side succulent border

I've added cuttings of Aeoniums (in plentiful supply), Crassula 'Campfire,' and Senecio here

Close-up of Crassula 'Campfire'

It's coming together, albeit more slowly than I'd like.  Patience isn't one of my virtues.


All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party