Succulents and More™

The peak of the cactus bloom ( here and here ) is behind us, but there’s rarely a week without at least a few cactus flowers. The two below, Echinopsis  ‘June Noon’ and Echinopsis  ‘Salmon Queen’, are repeat bloomers. For ‘June Noon’, it’s the fifth wave this year. The flowers are smaller this time, probably because of our summer heat (we’re heading into another mini heat wave above the century mark). Echinopsis  ‘June Noon’ Echinopsis  ‘June Noon’ Echinopsis  ‘Salmon Queen’ ⤵   Aechmea fasciata  is blooming – always a personal highlight. It lives outside all year, suspended in a hanging basket from our Japanese maple. What started out with one plant has grown into a clump of four. Last August, the two on the left flowered ( see here ); this year, it’s the two on the right. Aechmea fasciata  flowers Aechmea fasciata  flower ⤵  Over the years, I’ve killed more desert roses (aka adeniums) than I care to remember. According to expert ...

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you probably know that the Root Slayer is my favorite gardening tool. This shovel with a serrated V-shaped tip cuts through roots and just about anything in its path. I use it for a variety of tasks, including removing plants and digging holes (even in clay). Thanks to sharp rip-saw teeth on both sides of the shovel part, it slices through obstacles like nothing else I’ve tried. Just as importantly, it has a long shaft with a steel core that provides extra leverage – usually enough for me to pry out root balls.  If this sounds a bit like a commercial, it is. Not because I’ve been paid to say nice things about the Root Slayer (as if!), but because I’m truly happy with it. But even the best tools break sometimes. That’s when you can tell how good a company is.  Three weekends ago, I removed the bloomed-out Agave bovicornuta in our front yard ( see this post ). Aside from the reciprocating saw I used to cut off the leaves, my Root Slayer w...

As I remove larger agaves from my garden (like this bloomed out Agave bovicornuta and soon  Agave shrevei var. matapensis × guadalajarana ), it’s a logical time to think about replacements. While in the past I might have chosen plants of equal size (typically “medium-size” species), I’m now leaning towards smaller agaves. There are two main reasons: I can squeeze more plants into the same space – maybe three, four or even five small agaves vs. one bigger one. And when they eventually flower and die, removal will be much easier. As I’m working through different scenarios in my head for the two areas in the front yard that will need replanting, I’ve created a list of petite agaves that top out at 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter as adults. Admittedly, the cutoff is a bit arbitrary: Some species or cultivars are just a bit bigger than 12 inches, while others that are under 1 foot individually form clumps which are much wider. Some of the agaves listed below are easy to find (especially ...