Comments on: Woody lilies love the heat http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243 Austin gardener/designer chronicles the creation of her own gardens and showcases others with eye-catching photos in award-winning blog Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:59:41 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: chuck b. http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-127796 chuck b. Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:37:48 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-127796 (would you like some seed? I think I still have quite a bit more, and it germinated quite readily.) <em>Sure, I'd love some! I'll email you. ---Pam</em> (would you like some seed? I think I still have quite a bit more, and it germinated quite readily.)

Sure, I’d love some! I’ll email you. —Pam

]]> By: chuck b. http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-127795 chuck b. Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:37:08 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-127795 No, mine hasn't bloomed either. I just grew some from seed I got in a seed exchange. I'm wondering where to put the plants, and the decision will depend on the size of the bloom. I find it strange that I can't find any information about the bloom... Maybe blooms are rare for this plant and it prefers to propagate by pupping. (It obviously does bloom though, since I have seed.) <em><a href="http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/33496/" rel="nofollow">Dave's Garden</a> has some images of</em> Agave bracteosa <em>in bloom, Chuck. They look about 2 or 3 feet tall. ---Pam</em> No, mine hasn’t bloomed either. I just grew some from seed I got in a seed exchange. I’m wondering where to put the plants, and the decision will depend on the size of the bloom. I find it strange that I can’t find any information about the bloom… Maybe blooms are rare for this plant and it prefers to propagate by pupping. (It obviously does bloom though, since I have seed.)

Dave’s Garden has some images of Agave bracteosa in bloom, Chuck. They look about 2 or 3 feet tall. —Pam

]]> By: chuck b. http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-126377 chuck b. Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:33:35 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-126377 Hi Pam. Have you ever photographed/blogged the Agave bracteosa bloom? If so, could you please send me a note telling me where it is? I sowed some seed and got outstanding germination, now I'm trying to plan where they'll go. <em>It's never bloomed for me, Chuck. How long did it take yours to bloom? Mine has, however, produced a few pups. ---Pam</em> Hi Pam. Have you ever photographed/blogged the Agave bracteosa bloom? If so, could you please send me a note telling me where it is? I sowed some seed and got outstanding germination, now I’m trying to plan where they’ll go.

It’s never bloomed for me, Chuck. How long did it take yours to bloom? Mine has, however, produced a few pups. —Pam

]]> By: Jenn http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-122558 Jenn Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:05:34 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-122558 Good to see that the Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ will pup after blooming. This one is definitely going on my 'to try' list! <em>It's a beauty, Jenn. ---Pam</em> Good to see that the Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ will pup after blooming. This one is definitely going on my ‘to try’ list!

It’s a beauty, Jenn. —Pam

]]> By: mss @ Zanthan Gardens http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-122291 mss @ Zanthan Gardens Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:17:05 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-122291 My "woody lilies" ARE complaining about the heat--or maybe it's just the sun. Agaves, yucca, and even the cacti that are in full sun are sunburned. Even those plants that get plenty of water (like the canna in the pond) are sun damaged. I've put umbrellas over some of my tropicals. None of your photos show your plants in the sunlight. How much do they get? In contrast, the invasives such as the chinaberries which I've cut to the ground have sprung up and are a deep green. The nandina is still green although I saw it go brown in similar conditions in 2006. These invasives are getting along much better than most of the natives...which doesn't surprise me because this is not our native weather. Fine-leafed plants like asparagus fern and cypress vine seem to be weathering better than most. The oleanders don't seem to mind and are in full bloom. The Texas mountain laurel also seems untouched; its leaves are still dark green and glossy. <em>Nothing in my back yard gets full sun, MSS, except the live oaks overhead. Some of these plants get morning sun, others (the 'Whale's Tongue', the softleaf yucca, the Queen Victoria) a few hours of afternoon sun. I think I mentioned which ones get mostly shade, like the squid agave and the 'Macho Mocha' mangave. I know that some of the higher-elevation agaves (again, like the 'Whale's Tongue') can get sunburned during periods like this. I've also read that you want to occasionally water even your most drought-tolerant plants during periods of drought. After all, "drought-tolerant" doesn't mean drought-proof. ---Pam</em> My “woody lilies” ARE complaining about the heat–or maybe it’s just the sun. Agaves, yucca, and even the cacti that are in full sun are sunburned. Even those plants that get plenty of water (like the canna in the pond) are sun damaged. I’ve put umbrellas over some of my tropicals. None of your photos show your plants in the sunlight. How much do they get?

In contrast, the invasives such as the chinaberries which I’ve cut to the ground have sprung up and are a deep green. The nandina is still green although I saw it go brown in similar conditions in 2006. These invasives are getting along much better than most of the natives…which doesn’t surprise me because this is not our native weather. Fine-leafed plants like asparagus fern and cypress vine seem to be weathering better than most. The oleanders don’t seem to mind and are in full bloom. The Texas mountain laurel also seems untouched; its leaves are still dark green and glossy.

Nothing in my back yard gets full sun, MSS, except the live oaks overhead. Some of these plants get morning sun, others (the ‘Whale’s Tongue’, the softleaf yucca, the Queen Victoria) a few hours of afternoon sun. I think I mentioned which ones get mostly shade, like the squid agave and the ‘Macho Mocha’ mangave. I know that some of the higher-elevation agaves (again, like the ‘Whale’s Tongue’) can get sunburned during periods like this. I’ve also read that you want to occasionally water even your most drought-tolerant plants during periods of drought. After all, “drought-tolerant” doesn’t mean drought-proof. —Pam

]]> By: Blackswampgirl Kim http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-122073 Blackswampgirl Kim Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:18:00 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-122073 You know I'm drooling over this entire post, Pam... darn you for activating my "woody lily envy!" ;) <em>Turnabout is fair play, Kim. I was drooling over your smashing combos earlier this morning. ---Pam</em> You know I’m drooling over this entire post, Pam… darn you for activating my “woody lily envy!” ;)

Turnabout is fair play, Kim. I was drooling over your smashing combos earlier this morning. —Pam

]]> By: cat http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-121803 cat Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:08:06 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-121803 i just love this post..thank you so much for sharing and for giving me lots of ideas for our project of a backyard! ;) <em>I'm glad you found some good ideas here, Cat. And the nice thing about these plants is you can plant them in the summer! ---Pam</em> i just love this post..thank you so much for sharing and for giving me lots of ideas for our project of a backyard! ;)

I’m glad you found some good ideas here, Cat. And the nice thing about these plants is you can plant them in the summer! —Pam

]]> By: Aiyana http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-121692 Aiyana Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:49:08 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-121692 What a great collection of Agaves and various other succulents. Queen Victoria is one of my favorite Agave species, but I prefer the 'Compacta' form. It has shorter and wider leaves. I bought the only one I've ever run into, but left it at my former home. I stopped by there a few weeks ago to check it out (through the view fence) and couldn't believe how much it has grown in the four years since left it. It was good-sized then, and I thought it wouldn't get much larger. It was still perfect! Aiyana <em>I don't know the 'Compacta' Queen Victoria, but it sounds interesting. What a shame you had to leave it at your old house, though, especially as it isn't readily available and they take so long to grow. ---Pam</em> What a great collection of Agaves and various other succulents. Queen Victoria is one of my favorite Agave species, but I prefer the ‘Compacta’ form. It has shorter and wider leaves. I bought the only one I’ve ever run into, but left it at my former home. I stopped by there a few weeks ago to check it out (through the view fence) and couldn’t believe how much it has grown in the four years since left it. It was good-sized then, and I thought it wouldn’t get much larger. It was still perfect!
Aiyana

I don’t know the ‘Compacta’ Queen Victoria, but it sounds interesting. What a shame you had to leave it at your old house, though, especially as it isn’t readily available and they take so long to grow. —Pam

]]> By: LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-121663 LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:20:07 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-121663 Your heat tolerant plants in the last few posts all look lovely. But as much as I envy you for what you can grow, I don't envy you that heat. I'm almost embarrassed to say that I've been dying because it got up to 94.6 degrees here this past week. Guess I have nothing to complain about! <em>I don't envy me the heat either, Linda. It's a fact of life here every summer, if not usually this bad, but that doesn't stop me complaining about it. ;-) ---Pam</em> Your heat tolerant plants in the last few posts all look lovely. But as much as I envy you for what you can grow, I don’t envy you that heat. I’m almost embarrassed to say that I’ve been dying because it got up to 94.6 degrees here this past week. Guess I have nothing to complain about!

I don’t envy me the heat either, Linda. It’s a fact of life here every summer, if not usually this bad, but that doesn’t stop me complaining about it. ;-) —Pam

]]> By: Susie http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243&cpage=1#comment-121661 Susie Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:47:35 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=3243#comment-121661 I love the Whale's Tongue Agave...what a statement. It's heating up out here in So Cal, but not as much as you.....wish I had room for some agave. <em>There are some small ones, Susie. I bet you have room for a few of those. ---Pam</em> I love the Whale’s Tongue Agave…what a statement. It’s heating up out here in So Cal, but not as much as you…..wish I had room for some agave.

There are some small ones, Susie. I bet you have room for a few of those. —Pam

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