Another Oregon agave is blooming!

January of 2012 I welcomed you to "my" Mediterranean Villa. With that blog post I kicked off a long term relationship with this garden and it's agaves. Most recently I visited to help the new owners ID some plants, and harvest agave pups from plants that were, themselves, pups of the biggest agave of them all.

So it is exciting and yet bittersweet to share the fact this huge—by Pacific Northwest standards—agave is sending up a bloom spike, the beautiful end to an awe-inspiring plant.

I do periodically drive by this garden, just to see how things are looking. I guess I hadn't been by in awhile, because I was surprised to get a text from the homeowner saying "looks like the big agave is going to bloom." I was there within a couple of days to see it for myself.

While it will be sad to see it go, I am thrilled to be able to check on it daily weekly, watching its progression. Unlike the blooming agave I discovered in Dundee, south of town, which I may not make it back to see before it expires.

Thankfully the garden won't be agave-less, there are still several beauties here.

And maybe there will be a few hundred bulbils on the bloom stalk? I have no idea if Agave salmiana (what Greg Starr thought the agave might be when he saw photos) produces bulbils or not.

Speaking of that blooming agave in Dundee here are the latest update photos I've received from my friend Denise. This one was taken on May 25th.

Ditto here, and she estimates its height at six feet or more.

These next three photos are from yesterday, June 2nd. She says it now appears to be over 9 feet tall...

It's kinda cool how good the plant still looks. No yellow leaves or other signs of it beginning its demise. Oh and didn't Denise do a nice job with the ray of sunshine looking all biblical? Can't you just hear the angels singing?

Since I'm doing updates, one more! Andrew and I recently took a stroll by the Lizardland guerilla garden and it's really looking great. London has worked in a lot of new plants.

Opuntia and agave (at nearly dead center)...

Join with naturally occurring rock art...

And driftwood...

To create the perfect home for these friendly guys.

I'd told Andrew there were lizards and was thrilled a few came out to great us.

Check out those scales!

Wouldn't you be happy to hang out here if you were a lizard?

Beautiful planting...

I wonder what people who discover this garden by surprise think?

Pretty cool...

Weather Diary, June 2: Hi 80, Low 53/ Precip 0

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