Daily Dose Blogger Bios
My Leading Lady
As my dear readers very well know, I have a deep horticultural passion for agaves. ALL agaves. I do have my favorites, however, and Agave medio-picta 'Alba' is right there at the top of the list. I consider it a very feminine agave ... it looks girly to me, like it wears perfume and likes make-up.
You all must think I'm crazy. I have arguements with my gardens and I assign my plants gender. I think it's because I was an actor for most of my life. I started gardening when I made the decision to quit - I realized I had to stop when I actually dreaded getting an acting job. But even though it was the right choice for me, it was painful, and I turned to the life affirming activity of gardening to replenish what I'd lost during those years of work in 'the business'. In the garden I began to play again, the kind of playing I did when I was in the theatre, in rehearsals, and the knot that had formed in the pit of my stomach relaxed. I only know one way to work - so I used my acting tools in the garden, staging scenes, creating relationships, finding the 'dramatic action' ... and I still work that way.
I see plants as actors, playing their parts - and in my front garden, Agave medio-picta 'Alba' is my leading lady. She holds the stage firmly, yet effortlessly; she lets her supporting players have their moments, but even when the main focus isn't on her, she remains compelling. She can be a ham, but I forgive her - I have also been known to be a bit of a ham.
She's been giving wonderful performances lately, and I wanted to let her have her moment in the spotlight.
Take a bow, Agave...
Quick question, apropos of this post: In a post you once provided online sources for cacti and succulents. Steve's Succulents dot come or Dan's Cactus Emporium... something like that. Do you know what I'm talking about? Can you refresh my memory?
yes, Chuck, that was Daniel's Specialty Nursery - but now it's called gosucculent.com ... I remember he was going to close down the other site a while ago - I guess this is why.
The huge variety of cacti and succulents is still incredible - the way you navigate the site looks the same. Maybe he sold it.
The ols site had a great reputation ... maybe we need to place a small order to see if this new incarnation is up to snuff? I'm always up for buying more cacti and succulents!
Tonight I have been catching up on all the excitement I've missed since I last checked in @ Jan17-19. I have really missed my daily dose. Way back then I had shared my frustra-tion with succulents. I'm sorry to say nothing has changed much with my ecchevarias, they seem to turn into fabric. Yes,I said it fabric I tell you. First,their little petals start to separate, then they get totally flat,they lose their green color and become grey and when you touch them it feels like soft cotton fabric. I can't figure out what the problem is, I water only when they are dry. I am am still hopeful that someday I will do right by them, see these hens multiply and have many many chicks. Any ideas? Help meeee.....
What a beautiful diva, Germi. She steals the show.
SRoysner1! Fabric echeverias! Oh my! I have seen that before, actually - one of my neighbors has beautiful Echeverias 'Metallic', but they are planted in a shady area. They are fine in the heat, but once it gets cooler, even if water is withheld, the leaves get soft ... they seem to lose their 'umph'.
You might want to check the soil to make certain it is bad enough. Succulents LOVE rocky, sandy, gray-looking soil - anything slightly rich will make them go all big and soft.
One dire possibility is that the echeverias are suffering from a soil - born bacteria or fungus. I had a fungus come into my collection a few years ago, pigybacked on a pretty aloe I bought at a cactus show ... it almost wiped out all my aloes and echeverias. These things happen sometimes - and that is when you have to start over.
Remember, the difference between a black thumb and a green thumb is persistance!
Wicked ! Hi !
Isn't she just too much? My pretty little 'Alba' makes me happy everytime I look at her!
You know what,changing the soil type is probably the only thing I haven't tried with my Ecchevarias, so I am excited to have something else to try. Also I am getting the feeling that while they need light I will have to be careful with how much direct sun they get. Funny how much difference there is between Fresno and Sherman Oaks,where a girlfriend has hers outside all year, they get no special treatment and get watered with everyone else, yet they divide and multipy all over the place. I will however keep trying every and any idea until I get it right, gain their trust and they grace me with their young. I'll let you know how changing them to a little more sandy and rocky soil works out.
Tell me the thruth, I was looking at Alba and decided that she sure looks like a flirty little thing doesn't she?