Submitted by twig on Fri, 06/22/2012 - 7:30am
Assorted succulents in xeriscape
It takes a lot of water to keep the standard issue lawn green, especially here in Zone 10, aka the desert southwest. So the hip, socially responsible thing to do -- right after you buy a Prius -- is to kill your lawn and install low-water plants -- cacti, succulents, trees and grasses that can survive in dry climates without regular watering. Sometimes they're local, native plants, but not always. Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 7:30am
Agave attenuata
Foxtail or swan's neck agave
About six weeks ago, this same flower was featured in Plantidote, but the buds hadn't opened yet. Now they're starting to -- what a difference! Ever so slowly, each one of those green, pod-like things is turning into a white flower. Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 7:30am
Agave americana
Century plant
Happy Winter Solstice! For some reason, this image says "first day of winter" to me -- maybe because I shot it around 4:30 one afternoon when it was already starting to get dark! Fortunately, now the days will be getting longer. Just a few more months of this cold/dark baloney. Hibernation gets more attractive every year. Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Mon, 12/05/2011 - 7:30am
Agave attenuata (blossom)
Foxtail agave, swan's neck agave in bloom
Just when I was ready to give up on finding anything interesting to shoot for upcoming Plantidotes, one of the backyard agaves burst into bloom. The image above is a close up of the flower stalk, which is between 4 and 5 feet long!! Really -- these things are huge! Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 7:30am
Senecio vitalis
Blue chalk sticks (in bloom!)
A South African native, blue chalk sticks love the warm, dry weather in Zone 10. They make an excellent ground cover for sunny areas of a xeriscaped yard. Typically, the little sticks stay close to the ground, reaching a height of 10" to 14". And once in a while, they bloom!! Actually, the "flowers" are a first for this plant, which I've had for years. Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 8:30am
Agave filifera
Thread-leaf agave
One of the smaller members of the agave family, thread-leaf agave's rosettes are only about 2 feet wide. Occasionally, the plants bloom, sending up six to ten foot tall stalks covered with flowers that more than make up for the plant's modest size. Read below the fold...
