I guess I'd better get on with it...like a good blogger I took photos (on April 27th) but then still couldn't quite decide how to go about sharing them. How to compare the "now" with what was before? Finally I decided to cut my previous Agave report, filed on Nov 1, 2016, in with the current reality. It makes for a long post so I'm separating the front garden (today's post) and the back garden, which we'll see tomorrow.
In case you're just tuning in. Winter 2015/16 was a mild one, so everything in the garden as running on a few year high. That all came crashing down with winter 2016/17 and its multiple ice storms, cold temperatures and snow, lots of snow...which certainly overstayed its welcome. Then we had more rain than, well, ever. Records were broken, and rain continued to fall. It's been one for the record books no matter how you slice it. What two things are the enemy of happy Agaves? Wet and cold. Wet and warm, not a problem, happy Agave. Cold and dry? Hey, no problem, they'll just hunker down. But wet and cold...okay, ya, you get the point, on to the photos...
Nov 2016 - the focus here was on the big blue Agave americana at lower center. It went in the ground in 2012, it's the pup from one of my in-laws plants which grew in their garden in New Mexico. It had been through the bad winter of 2013/14 and survived.
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I had high hopes it would pull through again. Then these splotches started showing up mid-February.
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Photos taken after I severed a couple of mushy arms. Hoping that would be the end.
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But things just continued to go down hill.
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Many times when I was working in the front garden people stopped to comment on it. Visiting friends commented on it. My husband repeatedly commented on it. These were not comments of the positive variety.
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Despite its less than lovely looks it was still very much alive. I didn't want to give upon it.
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Nobody puts my Agave baby in the yard waste container! (ya, lame 'Dirty Dancing' reference and I haven't even seen the movie). Suffice to say I'm not giving up on this one, although I have moved it to a slightly less visible location.
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Agave 'Silver Surfer' then.
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Agave 'Silver Surfer' now. No problems, other than a couple splotches.
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A pup from one of my A. parryi 'JC Raulston', separated and planted at the base of the Genista aetnensis. Then...
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Now. A little knocked back, but hey...still alive.
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A pair of A. bracteosa. Last November...
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And now. Ha! They laugh at winter.
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Here's the first of several Agave parryi 'JC Raulston'— and pups — then. I've previously joked about these Agaves being made of plastic, becasue they never show any signs of stress.
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Well that's not the case any longer. They're definitely voicing their displeasure with the winter weather.
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Unhappy mamas, unhappy pups.
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Another A. parryi 'JC Raulston', Nov 2016...
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And April 2017...
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Another, then...
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And now...
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And another! Then...(with a pup of Agave parryi var. couesii on the far right)...
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And now. Yes, they've got some battle scars. They're no longer picture perfect...but...they're still solid, not mushy...and I'm confident they'll grow out of it. A few new leaves push out and all will be forgotten (come on heat!).
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I kind of vacillate between being upset they've taken such a hit, to thinking how remarkable it is they look this good, after what they've been through.
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The Agave parryi var. couesii pup is looking pretty good!
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Wide-shot last fall...
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Looking closer (another photo from fall), going left to right/counter clockwise, first is a gift-pup from the humongous Agave in this garden (now DEAD and gone). A. utahensis also DEAD and gone, and A. ocahui...
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Which lives on, wounded but not dead...
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This one was cut out of the above photo, A. ovatifolia, not 'Frosty Blue' (then)...
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And now...a few spots, a severed arm, but it soldiers on.
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Wide shot (now) with the surviving Agave ovatifolia and A. ocahui, as well as (at the bottom) what I believe is A. havardiana...
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The A. havardiana in happier times...
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And now...
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When I posted this photo last November Gerhard said he thought it might be Agave schidigera 'Black Widow'. Whatever it was it's DEAD now.
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Another image from 2016, a sibling to the Agave shown at the beginning.
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This was it the day I finally dug it out of the garden.
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Can you guess? Yes, the last A. parryi 'JC Raulston' circa 2016.
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And now. There's a big bad spot in the shadow, the entire leaf has gone south since this photo, surgery is needed.
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Another A. ovatifolia, 2016...
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And now...
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A pair of Agave bracteosa, then.
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And now, the small one just died out.
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NOID, a gift from my brother years ago...pictured Nov 2016 and now DEAD (in all fairness I did not think this one was hardy and expected it to die, I only planted it out because it was so unhappy in a container).
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Another inherited NOID pictured 2016, and also now DEAD.
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Agave parrasana 'Meat Claw' then, and now DEAD.
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The front planting, Nov 2016.
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Wide-shot 2017.
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The poor Agave americana that bore the brunt of the Agave Edema episode, picture 2016.
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And photo taken (with my phone) right before I pulled it out and threw it in the compost bin. In case you're wondering the center was not solid, it fell off in my hands.
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Agave utahensis then...
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And now.
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My A. parryi from The Ruth Bancroft Garden, then...
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And now. Just look at this thing, perfection! Ruth has amazing genes, btw I am now calling this one Agave parryi 'Notorius RBG'...
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Another Agave from the area to the left of the front door, which I think is A. havardiana (then).
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And now. That yellowing on the arm on the right has progressed and it's been removed.
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There's also a tiny pair of A. toumeyana var. bella nearby, gifts from Gerhard. I neglected to photograph them last fall, but had to include them now — because they're doing so well!
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On the other side of the front steps is an extremely autumn scene, what with the colored up Amsonia, yes this image is from Nov 2016.
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And now...
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The largest A. ovatifolia now has some nice winter brown spots to go with the the white spots from it's little episode with Agave edema.
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Poor thing. But it's still solid and I have every hope new leaves will soon push out and hide the ugly.
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Another Agave utahensis pictured in 2016.
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And now.
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The second (slightly smaller) Agave ovatifolia, then...pristine!
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And now. Spots. Of course I'm banking on all these spots being obscured by new foliage growth. Will they continue to get bigger (the spots), or stay the same size? I honestly don't know...
![]()
I had to cut a couple of mushy arms off. But the wounds have dried up nicely since this photo was taken.
![]()
Again, they're not without their battle scars but they are alive...
![]()
This pup-filled area is a photo from 2016.
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The variegated A. americana were pulled before winter. Most of the other pups turned to mush, this guy however is carrying on. I have no idea what he is exactly, other than a survivor.
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One more, from then, a NOID Agave on the left, and A. parryi on the right.
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And now.
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I fear this was terribly confusing what with the hoping back and forth between "then and now" — but I needed a way to document the things I've already dug and tossed, and the differences in how things look. Tomorrow we move to the back garden and I'll share a wrap up of my thoughts on it all.
Weather Diary, May 17: Hi 57, Low 47/ Precip .19"
All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
In case you're just tuning in. Winter 2015/16 was a mild one, so everything in the garden as running on a few year high. That all came crashing down with winter 2016/17 and its multiple ice storms, cold temperatures and snow, lots of snow...which certainly overstayed its welcome. Then we had more rain than, well, ever. Records were broken, and rain continued to fall. It's been one for the record books no matter how you slice it. What two things are the enemy of happy Agaves? Wet and cold. Wet and warm, not a problem, happy Agave. Cold and dry? Hey, no problem, they'll just hunker down. But wet and cold...okay, ya, you get the point, on to the photos...
Nov 2016 - the focus here was on the big blue Agave americana at lower center. It went in the ground in 2012, it's the pup from one of my in-laws plants which grew in their garden in New Mexico. It had been through the bad winter of 2013/14 and survived.
I had high hopes it would pull through again. Then these splotches started showing up mid-February.
Photos taken after I severed a couple of mushy arms. Hoping that would be the end.
But things just continued to go down hill.
Many times when I was working in the front garden people stopped to comment on it. Visiting friends commented on it. My husband repeatedly commented on it. These were not comments of the positive variety.
Despite its less than lovely looks it was still very much alive. I didn't want to give upon it.
Nobody puts my Agave baby in the yard waste container! (ya, lame 'Dirty Dancing' reference and I haven't even seen the movie). Suffice to say I'm not giving up on this one, although I have moved it to a slightly less visible location.
Agave 'Silver Surfer' then.
Agave 'Silver Surfer' now. No problems, other than a couple splotches.
A pup from one of my A. parryi 'JC Raulston', separated and planted at the base of the Genista aetnensis. Then...
Now. A little knocked back, but hey...still alive.
A pair of A. bracteosa. Last November...
And now. Ha! They laugh at winter.
Here's the first of several Agave parryi 'JC Raulston'— and pups — then. I've previously joked about these Agaves being made of plastic, becasue they never show any signs of stress.
Well that's not the case any longer. They're definitely voicing their displeasure with the winter weather.
Unhappy mamas, unhappy pups.
Another A. parryi 'JC Raulston', Nov 2016...
And April 2017...
Another, then...
And now...
And another! Then...(with a pup of Agave parryi var. couesii on the far right)...
And now. Yes, they've got some battle scars. They're no longer picture perfect...but...they're still solid, not mushy...and I'm confident they'll grow out of it. A few new leaves push out and all will be forgotten (come on heat!).
I kind of vacillate between being upset they've taken such a hit, to thinking how remarkable it is they look this good, after what they've been through.
The Agave parryi var. couesii pup is looking pretty good!
Wide-shot last fall...
Looking closer (another photo from fall), going left to right/counter clockwise, first is a gift-pup from the humongous Agave in this garden (now DEAD and gone). A. utahensis also DEAD and gone, and A. ocahui...
Which lives on, wounded but not dead...
This one was cut out of the above photo, A. ovatifolia, not 'Frosty Blue' (then)...
And now...a few spots, a severed arm, but it soldiers on.
Wide shot (now) with the surviving Agave ovatifolia and A. ocahui, as well as (at the bottom) what I believe is A. havardiana...
The A. havardiana in happier times...
And now...
When I posted this photo last November Gerhard said he thought it might be Agave schidigera 'Black Widow'. Whatever it was it's DEAD now.
Another image from 2016, a sibling to the Agave shown at the beginning.
This was it the day I finally dug it out of the garden.
Can you guess? Yes, the last A. parryi 'JC Raulston' circa 2016.
And now. There's a big bad spot in the shadow, the entire leaf has gone south since this photo, surgery is needed.
Another A. ovatifolia, 2016...
And now...
A pair of Agave bracteosa, then.
And now, the small one just died out.
NOID, a gift from my brother years ago...pictured Nov 2016 and now DEAD (in all fairness I did not think this one was hardy and expected it to die, I only planted it out because it was so unhappy in a container).
Another inherited NOID pictured 2016, and also now DEAD.
Agave parrasana 'Meat Claw' then, and now DEAD.
The front planting, Nov 2016.
Wide-shot 2017.
The poor Agave americana that bore the brunt of the Agave Edema episode, picture 2016.
And photo taken (with my phone) right before I pulled it out and threw it in the compost bin. In case you're wondering the center was not solid, it fell off in my hands.
Agave utahensis then...
And now.
My A. parryi from The Ruth Bancroft Garden, then...
And now. Just look at this thing, perfection! Ruth has amazing genes, btw I am now calling this one Agave parryi 'Notorius RBG'...
Another Agave from the area to the left of the front door, which I think is A. havardiana (then).
And now. That yellowing on the arm on the right has progressed and it's been removed.
There's also a tiny pair of A. toumeyana var. bella nearby, gifts from Gerhard. I neglected to photograph them last fall, but had to include them now — because they're doing so well!
On the other side of the front steps is an extremely autumn scene, what with the colored up Amsonia, yes this image is from Nov 2016.
And now...
The largest A. ovatifolia now has some nice winter brown spots to go with the the white spots from it's little episode with Agave edema.
Poor thing. But it's still solid and I have every hope new leaves will soon push out and hide the ugly.
Another Agave utahensis pictured in 2016.
And now.
The second (slightly smaller) Agave ovatifolia, then...pristine!
And now. Spots. Of course I'm banking on all these spots being obscured by new foliage growth. Will they continue to get bigger (the spots), or stay the same size? I honestly don't know...
I had to cut a couple of mushy arms off. But the wounds have dried up nicely since this photo was taken.
Again, they're not without their battle scars but they are alive...
This pup-filled area is a photo from 2016.
The variegated A. americana were pulled before winter. Most of the other pups turned to mush, this guy however is carrying on. I have no idea what he is exactly, other than a survivor.
One more, from then, a NOID Agave on the left, and A. parryi on the right.
And now.
I fear this was terribly confusing what with the hoping back and forth between "then and now" — but I needed a way to document the things I've already dug and tossed, and the differences in how things look. Tomorrow we move to the back garden and I'll share a wrap up of my thoughts on it all.
Weather Diary, May 17: Hi 57, Low 47/ Precip .19"
All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.