Yard talk

 

An early morning cell phone shot of my garden. The tissue culture variant yucca rostrata has a gorgeous large bloom right now, it skipped last year. 

It is also called a beaked yucca, a beautiful plant and a great addition to the xeriscape garden.

The big yellow spiked agave is a variety of tequiliana if my memory serves. It must be the sweetest flower in the garden, both the hooded orioles and bees are just crazy about it.

Perhaps they are getting drunk?

The short flowering tree on the very left is so nice, the Mexican Bird of paradise, caesalpinia gilliesii. 

What a welcome plant in the garden and as they grow they get only prettier, a lot of character in their trunk and shape. And the hummingbirds love them.

Do you see the somewhat ratty looking leaves on the large Butia Capitata or Pindo Palm?

I don't want to prune them because the bottom trunk is 85% covered with night blooming cereus and it likes the shade. 

The mass of the symbiotic plant is frightening but the stout tree is bearing its burden with dignity and produces foot wide flowers during the frequent blooms.

So I can handle a scraggly beard, the payoff is worth it. 

By the way, if you have never tasted the fruit of the pindo or jelly palm, it is a treat, Slightly astringent but sweet, very refreshing!

I am really looking forward to puttering around the garden tomorrow.

I have a bunch of stuff to plant.

My Brahea clara was not doing so well, I think I have maybe righted its ship. Fingers crossed.

The sabal is on its last legs, mule palm and the rest of the palms look great.

Mule is so interesting, a sterile cross between a queen and a butia. Fast growing and has the best qualities of both parents. 

I bought mine from Bill Earley at Las Palmas Ranch and it is really growing beautifully.

I guess there is a critter eating bamboo right now, a mealy worm I think. Be on guard. Fusarium is continuing to take its toll on the canariensis.

I bought myself a present the other day, a shiny new pair of 1" cut Corona pruners. I deserve it and so do the plants.

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When you drive by the Good Earth Nursery on Mission, look for the Puya alpestris flower to the left of the driveway. 

Phenomenal blue spike, takes about nine years to bloom.

Theirs is not full color yet, I need to go by and take a picture. I have one but I fear it will take about another four years before I manage to get a flower.

Bill's bloomed this year but it was a scrawny blossom so I do not think there is any guarantees with the plant. And its leaves will shred you like a saw so it must be kept out of the way.