Plant list for my garden reveals agave lust and native love
Speaking of dialogue between gardeners, I’ve been hankering to make a plant list since reading that Loree at Danger Garden listed hers. And she made her list in response to a query by David of The Desert Edge. So you see how these conversations ricochet around the blogosphere.
Loree’s list reveals the depths of her agave passion—and she’s in cool, rainy Portland, Oregon! My own plant list (click on the link or look in the sidebar under Digging Deeper) reveals a not-surprising level of agave lust as well. But it also indicates an abiding love of native plants, and they truly sustain my garden for the long haul through weather extremes.
Love and lust. I figure if you have both going on in your relationship with your garden, you’re doing good. How about you? Do you have a plant list, and what does it reveal about your plant passions?
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Love and Lust is perfect for Valentines Day. I have a plant list. I don’t see a theme other than perennials and shrubs. Hmmmm Maybe I will take a closer look. Have a Romantic Day. Maybe you will fall in love with another Agave. 🙂
It’s entirely possible, Lisa. Good thing I don’t have to be monogamous where plants are concerned. —Pam
Pam, you have a very impressive plant list. Isn’t it amazing how many plants can be grown in one garden. I attempted a plant list some years ago when we were on a tour and I was amazed at how many plants I had. I never managed to finish the list. I do know if I go to the nursery today I will undoubtedly fall in love with some more plants. Now, surely I could fit another plant in somewhere.
I’m sure you could, Jenny. In fact I’m quite sure your list would be much more extensive than mine already. It amazed me how long it took to put this list together. Yes, a lot of plants can be squeezed in when one has the inclination. —Pam
Pam,
Happy Valentines Day.
You do, indeed, have an impressive plant list. And I can see what you mean about agave lust, as that is an impressive list on its own.
I love that blue bottle tree an am curious about what was used to perch the bottles on. I have seen some nice metal ones, but using a 4 by 4 is narrow and compact.
Yael
It’s my modernist take on the bottle tree—glad you like it. Here’s a link to a post I wrote about making this bottle tree. —Pam
My plant list is definitely filled with natives, primarily perennials and shrubs, with a few annuals here ‘n there. I’m also a sucker for blooms-of all sorts. I have to make myself plant something that isn’t known for its blooms. But, I won’t baby anything, so they have to be tough, tough, tough.
Yes, tough is the key when gardening in Central Texas. I used to have a lot more flowery plants in my old garden, which was sunny. My new garden has so much shade, and I’ve tried to reduce my annual maintenance, so I’ve moved to more structural plants. But I do love flowers too. —Pam
Love and lust depending on the plant. I’m sure to refer back to your helpful plant list as I plan the backyard here. I followed the dialogue on plant lists and turned it into the “ABC’s” of my garden by highlighting a single plant in each post. David at Tropical Texana plans a similar series from his garden soon and I’m planning a post encouraging others to join in. And so it goes…
I’ve been enjoying your ABC garden posts, Shirley—creative and clever! I look forward to seeing David’s list too. They are quite revealing. —Pam
What a fabulous (passionate) Valentines day post! Your plant list is impressive and I like the way you’ve organized it. Is it fairly comprehensive? I’ve still not managed to complete mine, like a garden it is a work in progress.
I think next I need to tackle a library list. We were at a used bookstore in Seattle and faced with a wonderful selection of garden related books I couldn’t remember if I owned a few of the titles all ready or if I had checked them out from the library. Old age creeping in…
I might have missed one or two plants, but it’s a comprehensive list. I did not include plants I’ve grown in the past or that died. I’m going to try to keep it current—“try” being the key word! I love your idea of a garden-book library list. I started one a long time ago on this blog; it’s still in my sidebar under Garden Books. But I eventually stopped adding to it and now I just tag my new book reviews by category, under Books. Still, a simple alphabetical list would be nice… —Pam
Wow! That is some plant list. I don’t think it surprises any of us, that you love those agaves.
I’ve tried keeping a plant list. It’s not easy, since things have come and gone from this garden.
I bet it’s not easy to keep it updated! I got my list from my journal, going page by page looking for plant names. I left off the ones that I no longer grow, and I’m going to try to keep the list current as a handy reference—much easier than flipping through pages in my hand-written journal. —Pam
I do have a plant list and I did put it on Excel a few summers ago to keep up with it. Very revealing! Then I have another LONG list of plants I lust for!
The plant wish-list would be an even more revealing document, Linda, illuminating one’s botanical fantasies! —Pam
Yes, I have a plant list. It reveals my lust and incoherence at the nursery. I have it under my second page tab and I haven’t been very good at updating it either. I also have learned that I do not follow a plan well…
Incoherence—ha! I think most people who love to garden also love plants, and lots of them. The collector’s syndrome—a common condition I struggle with too. —Pam
Have you counted how many?
Nope, and I have no plans to. Getting the list together was enough librarian work for me. 🙂 —Pam
My list is on file cards in an old library cabinet. It is a ton of cards and it scares me to think of compiling a list. Sure piles up fast, doesn’t it. Enjoyed your list and the links to the other bloggers. Thanks.
It does pile up fast. I’ve only been planting in my current garden since 2008, and I’ve only just started on the front garden, and it still took hours to put together my plant list. I can’t imagine how long it would take you, Linda. —Pam
I love your bottle tree! I am about to get one and I’ve been saving various bottles for it. However, I would love to use all cobalt blue bottles. Was there a particular place you got them?
Yvonne, a friend had saved up her sake bottles and gave me her collection. Otherwise, I guess you have to acquire them the fun way: by drinking sake! —Pam
I used to keep a list, but lately I’ve been a terrible impulse gardener. Not to mention my 1200 bulbs I couldn’t pass up this fall…a 40% discount! I think I need to get back to a plan, otherwise I’m going to find myself on an episode of “Hoarders” — plant edition. Thanks for the reminder to get back to making a plan–and sticking with it.
Oh, I don’t follow a plan for my own garden either. I do try to keep onesies and twosies at bay by buying multiples of plants I like. My collector impulse manifests itself with agaves and other woody lilies, which I like to highlight in pots. Your bulb collection is pretty amazing. I’m having trouble imagining how much work it must have been to plant that many. But what a spring display you’ll have! —Pam
hi Pam, I just read your comment about being from Greenwood, talk about a small world! I know you are going to the Spring Fling, you ought to zip down to Greenwood, it is only two hours away! Where in Greenwood?
You should see the plant list I have handwritten since moving here, oh my….pages and pages. Will get it into a spreadsheet or some kind of list sometime.
Hi, Janet. We lived in several different neighborhoods near the high school (there was only one then, Greenwood High) over the years: Wellington Green, Belle Meade, Idlewood, and Cherokee Hills. I can’t believe I even remember their names. I’m afraid I won’t have time to zip anywhere else on this trip though. —Pam
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