8 garden projects I worked on in June 2025

Larger projects get their own time to shine on this blog, but most of the work done in the garden is in the form of smaller projects. And there’s never a shortage of those. Here are eight projects I worked on in June.

Project #1: grounding my boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris)

After growing to a fairly good size, the ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) in the front yard died for reasons unknown. I’m still puzzled because it had sailed through winters far wetter than the last one. The silvery canes were attractive even dead and I considered leaving them for their sculptural look. But with space at a premium, it just didn’t make sense.

Ocotillo right of center

The replacement for the ocotillo was growing ten feet away in a terracotta pot: a Boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris), an ocotillo relative native to Baja California where it’s known as cirio. I’d been wanting to put it in the ground for a while but didn’t have a suitable spot. Until now. It will be much happier in its new home.

Boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris) in front of the tall Corten planter. The cactus on the right is a cardón (Pachycereus pringlei). The two grow together in Baja in the Valle de los Cirios near Cataviña (read this great article).

My Boojum tree is still small, but it’s already 10+ years old. It’s definitely not a fast grower. If you want to see more mature specimens, check out this photo I took at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Arizona.

Project #2: grounding Euphorbia polygona ‘Snowflake’

Project #2 involved grounding another plant that had been confined to a container, Euphorbia polygona ‘Snowflake’. I can’t even remember how long it had been in this Susan Aach pot, but far too long — the stems along the edge were elongating and falling over because there simply was no room left inside the pot.

Euphorbia polygona ‘Snowflake’ in a Coral Reef Wave pot by Susan Aach

Here it is in one of the new succulent beds in the backyard, surrounded by dyckias, aloes, agaves, and even a hechtia

Project #3: grounding a newly purchased Echinopsis ‘Sun Goddess’

As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, putting plants in the ground was at the top of my to-do list in June. I have many echinopsis/trichocereus hybrids with pink, orange, magenta, and yellow flowers, but only one with white. That’s why I was thrilled when Kyle found an Echinopsis ‘Sun Goddess’ for me. This chunky cactus produces pure white flowers, as you can see here.

I had just the spot for it at the base of my sago palm (Cycas revoluta) so I built it a small mound with a rock border:

Echinopsis ‘Sun Goddess’ sitting pretty in is new mound; lots of terrestrial bromeliads on the left

Project #4: installing new rock borders

Speaking of rock borders: My go-to rock yard, Dixon Landscape Materials, has received a new delivery of rustic red boulders — the type of rock I’ve used all over the garden, including the new succulent beds in the backyard — so I bought a few hundred pounds (actually, 800 pounds in two trips in our minivan). This allowed me to extend the rock borders along the sidewalk and inside the front yard fence. I have a few more loads to pick up. Eventually, every bed will have a decent rock border so soil and top dressing won’t end up on the path or sidewalk anymore.

Project #5: resetting an Agave applanata ‘Cream Spike’ with dead roots

The Agave applanata ‘Cream Spike’ in the front yard has been in the ground for ten years (according to this post). It’s always looked good — until recently when I noticed that the lower leaves were dying at an alarming rate.

Agave applanata ‘Cream Spike’, not so happy

I proceeded to dig it up to see what’s going on. All the roots were dead. Why? I have no idea. Maybe they rotted last winter even though it wasn’t a particularly wet one?

It’s a special plant so I decided to give it one more chance. I cut off the dead leaves and replanted it in soil amended with extra pumice for drainage.

Unfortunately, the leaves are continuing to desiccate, but I’m hoping ‘Cream Spike’ will grow new roots and pull through.

Project #6: removing flowering Agave mitis ‘Nova’ and replanting the area

Because almost all agaves die after flowering, many people dread it. I used to be that way, too, but now I see it as an opportunity to switch things up. That’s why I wasn’t all that sad when the Agave mitis ‘Nova’ in the backyard sent up a flower stalk.

Agave mitis ‘Nova’

I hand-pollinated ‘Nova’ with pollen from a Mangave ‘Purple People Eater’ I had in the fridge, but it didn’t set seeds. Not every attempt to create a hybrid is successful, especially when the genetics are as mixed up as they are with mangaves. Since my pollination attempt had failed, there was no reason for the agave to stick around  any longer. It didn’t take much effort to dig it up (yeah, Root Slayer!), and into the green waste bin it went.

In its place are five (!) new plants: three I had waiting in the wings (a slightly variegated Agave mitis ‘Nova’, Agave hiemiflora, and Mangave ‘Praying Hands’), and two I had just bought at Curious Flora (Bukiniczia cabulica and Lithodora diffusa). I fully expect having to move one or two of the agaves as they grow, but maybe not. We shall see.

After

Project #7 — ongoing: beautifying the backyard

After years of neglect, I’ve started to pay more attention to the shadier areas of the backyard. The east side is dominated by four massive bay trees. Almost nothing grows under them because their fibrous roots extend all the way to the surface and suck up all the moisture and nutrients. I’ve been adding larger plants in containers to add interest to those areas. It’s an ongoing process, but at least it’s in motion.

Foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’) asks for nothing except a bit of water now and then — and looks good all the time. On the left is a Cordyline ‘Festival Burgundy’. It adds a nice pop of color, especially when it’s sidelit like this.

Project #8: repotting cactus seedlings

#8a: Echinopsis ‘June Noon’ seedlings

Two years ago I sowed seeds collected from the Echinopsis ‘June Noon’ in the front yard (see here). The seedlings were finally big enough to transplant into 2" pots.

Seedlings from ‘June Noon’ seeds

I didn’t count how many seedlings there were, but easily 50. I didn’t need or want 50 so I picked the largest ones. Still, I ended up with 19 pots. Lots to give away when they’re a bit bigger.

Since ‘June Noon’ is a hybrid, there’s no way of knowing what the seedlings will look like. They could look like either parent (‘Diehl’s Hybrid‘ and ‘Newland’s Orange’), like ‘June Noon’ itself (yellow and white flowers), or like something else entirely. We won’t know until they’re mature enough to flower, in another three to five years.

‘June Noon’ seedlings in their individual 2" pots

#8b: German echinopsis hybrid seedlings

Speaking of cactus seedlings, it was time to repot my German echinopsis hybrids. I’ve blogged about them before (here and here). I started with about 100 seedlings, but I tossed the 20 weakest growers last July and planted the remaining 82 in individual pots. With plenty of water and fertilizer, they’d bulked up quickly and needed to be moved to larger containers.

Here they are in 4" pots where they’ll remain until they’re flowering size (another two or three years):

I just counted them: there are 65 plants in 4" pots.

When a cactus drinks too much too fast

This is what happens when a cactus absorbs too much water too fast. No worries, the crack has already healed.

More projects waiting to be tackled in July!

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