Oracle Gorge succulent sale today & tomorrow
Collectors of agaves, aloes, dyckias, yuccas, sotols, manfredas, and all manner of succulents and cacti, take note. Today and tomorrow, June 5-6, Oracle Gorge Cactus Nursery is open for its semiannual sale at the Westlake home of owner Bob Barth (click on the link for the address and a map).
I try to make it to at least one Oracle Gorge open house (click for a previous tour) every year because you can find unusual plants not available in local nurseries; I always find several I’ve been coveting from the Plant Delights catalog. Plus the volunteers working the sale are members of the Austin Cactus & Succulent Society, so they really know their plants.
Pictured above is what I bought this morning. I got there bright and early for best selection, but I’ve been on the second day before, and there are always interesting plants available then too.
But this one was gone in the first 30 minutes! Manfreda undulata ‘Chocolate Chips,’ which I’d been coveting since seeing it at Eleanor’s place; check out her pics of it in bloom at Garden of E. I snapped up one of the last ones, and Lazy Shady Gardener RBell, who was there at the same time, snagged another one.
I’ve wanted this since seeing it at Plant Delights: Agave bracteosa ‘Monterrey Frost,’ or variegated squid agave. Succulent society prez Jeff Pavlat (click for a tour of his garden) told me he isn’t sure yet whether this one is as cold hardy as the non-variegated squid, and since I have just the one I plan to baby it, maybe keep it in a pot.
Agave stricta, a spiny beauty I just couldn’t resist.
When you purchase several plants, you get your choice of two freebies to take home with you. Usually the choices are very small divisions (though still quite nice), but today I spotted a much larger Agave desmettiana ‘Variegata,’ which of course I snapped up since I lost two of these beautiful agaves over the winter. They must have freeze protection, so in future I will keep them in portable containers.
Agave leopoldii, also pictured at the top of this post, is another gorgeous agave I just couldn’t pass up.
So many great plants! Don’t miss the sale. And even if you don’t want to buy, you can still go and tour Bob’s four greenhouses, where he has many mature specimens that are not for sale but beautiful to admire.
Oracle Gorge Nursery Open House
June 5 & 6
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
602 Terrace Mountain Drive, Austin
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Oh yes, so gorgeous, love that chocolate chips! The stricta has such perfect symmetry.
It really does. I love that about agaves. —Pam
I have a new fascination with succulents since reviewing a book. I’ll have to get over to Tony’s for his next open house to see what agaves would work for me. I have to ask a stupid question…how do you avoid the sharp spines? I want to put one in my garden instead of just a container… but I think I’d have to put ping-pong balls on the spines to protect my backside when gardening! 🙂
That’s not a stupid question, Cameron, but a practical one. And the answer is—you guessed it—very carefully! When you’re working in the vicinity, trust me, after a few pokes in the backside, you won’t forget where they are. The bigger danger is a poke in the eye, so when I’m weeding around them, leaning down near spiny arms, I either wear goggles or move v-e-r-y slowly to be sure I see any spines before I encounter them. Since most agaves like to have a little growing space around them and not be crammed in with herbaceous plants that require wetter conditions, I find it pretty easy to work around them. And of course they don’t require any trimming themselves; you just plant them and leave them alone. —Pam
Gosh! you really found some beauties. Chocolate chips is gorgeous. Now you will have to do more pot buying. Unfortunately we had other things to do first- like walk 5 miles get hair cuts! We didn’t get there until 2pm and there was nothing left. Certainly none of the beauties you found. Probably a good job as you will see from my recent post.
Oh no, really? All the good stuff was sold on the first day? That’s a bummer for would-be buyers, but a good thing for the Cactus & Succulent Society, I suppose. —Pam
The chocolate chips manfreda is yummy. I also like the last agave with the little strings attached. I can see why you must go there. Fun fun.
Great post Pam, Thanks for all of the links to your older stories. What amazing resources you have to help expand your gardening palette. Currently sitting on the balcony bundled up, knowing I need to replace my tomatoes because of cold damage and dreaming of a balcony filled with cactus.
Pam, I have many Manfreda maculosa (I’m pretty sure that’s the one), “spice lily”. If you would like some and if I can figure out how to ship them, I’d be happy to share. If I can get my blog to wake up, I’ll post the photos.
Cheryl, I have had that manfreda before and still have access to one in my old garden. I may go back and get it before we sell the house. So thanks for your generous offer, but I’ll let someone else take you up on that cool plant. —Pam
So jealous! Everything is gorgeous. So glad you finally got a Choc Chips!
Great score, Pam. Love the ‘Monterey Frost’ bracteosa. I’d probably keep it in a pot too, just for close viewing.
Pam, if you keep fooling around with those agaves, you’re going to poke your eye out! I suggest using a nail clipper to cut off the points. Because if you don’t, you’re going to poke your eye out, so don’t come running to me.
ooo…that’s a nifty manfreda.
That Manfreda ‘Chocolate Chips’ looks delicious! I saw a mature plant, which was very full and large and I was told it grew rapidly, and have been craving that plant for my garden ever sense.
Hello there! I think I saw you there – I was in a cowboy hat, and got many of the same specimens as you. I loved Bob’s place!