Touring a gorgeous garden is always a nice way to spend an hour or so – but when things get personal, and you discover the gardener shares a passion of yours, well, it’s even better. I bet you can guess what passion I am referring to?
While on a blogger’s pre-tour for this coming Saturday’s HPSO/Garden Conservancy event I was thrilled to discover Chris Mitchell and I share a love for Agaves.
There were containers spread around her garden, here a pair of Agave americana ‘Variegata’ and a sexy A. ‘Blue Glow’…
But she’s recently gone a step further and created an area where she can put some of her treasures in the ground…
She’s had this handsome Agave parryi for years (I didn’t ask exactly how many years, but she’s attached, and can you blame her?). I think it’s going to be just fine left in the ground through the winter.
It’s the star of the planting! Along with the gorgeous blue Senecio which she’s growing as an annual.
Ok wait, did I say “the star?” Well maybe it’s got competition. Check out this combination of the dark Sedum (‘Vera Jamison’ maybe? Or ‘Bertram Anderson’?) with Agave parryi ‘Cream Spike’…dreamy!
And I should mention that ‘Cream Spike’ is having a bit of an identity crisis. Check out this post on Succulents and More where Gerhard discusses the troubles the experts are having in determining exactly who its parents are. Not that we really care when it looks this amazing, right?
Notice how the new growth on the Opuntia pads mimics the conifer planted behind, isn’t that wonderful?
Ah, there’s that A. parryi again…
And check out the “mulch” Chris used to hide the fact she sinks a large plastic container into a heavy decorative one. I was tempted to do this in my garden with my recent windfall of Spanish moss, now I think I just might!
Finally I have to share a image of the Agave wagon! What does a gardener do when she’s got too many pups?…
Thanks again for sharing your fabulous garden Chris! Want to see it for yourself? Tour this Saturday, tickets available at the garden, info here.