You guys, I've got it bad. This time of year is the magic-zone where my heart and brain forget all about winter. I've had time to play in the garden, plenty of sunny warm days behind me and months of sunny warm (sometimes HOT) days ahead. Pure bliss! (yes, I'm ignoring the fact this weekend was a complete and total washout, over an inch of rain on Saturday and showers continued on Sunday). Please forgive me as I pretend that I live in Zone 9 or 10...where winter won't bring freezing temperatures. Where I too can have jungle cactus growing through my trees...
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I admitted to being hooked back in February, when I wrote that Jungle Cactus were my latest obsession. I'd bought a few and committed to finding a way to make them work, even if I couldn't grow them epiphytically on trees and other plants or surfaces.
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After scheming for a bit I decided burlap was the answer.
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First I tried sewing little pouches to hold a bit of soil and roots. But those pouches didn't want to nestle into Clifford's crooks and crannies (Clifford being our big-leaf magnolia, M. macrophylla).
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I ended up sort of wrapping the base (soil and roots) kokedama style with burlap and brown twine.
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I left long "tails" of twine off each bundle and tied them around Clifford's branches.
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Then I hid the burlap and twine with Tillandsia usneoides and completed the picture with larger tillandisa. It's pretty convincing—meaning you might think it's a permanent planting rather than just seasonal—if you don't look too close.
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Hanging nearby, a chartreuse container from Gainey Ceramics holds an assortment of epiphytic cactus...
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Including Lepismium cruciforme...
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And Rhipsalis ramulosa which I brought home from my visit to Dustin Gimbel's garden.
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Besides the various epiphyllum and rhipsalis, there's a huge tillandisa (NOID) up there...
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Over on that far branch is a Rhipsalis houlletiana...
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This guy...
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And the magic continues on around the other side of Clifford...
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One issue I've discovered, which also occurred with the bromeliads I've perched up here in previous years; the damn squirrels are destructive!
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This lepismium in particular is thrashed as they climb up Clifford's branches to jump on to our garage roof.
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Perhaps a little squirrel destruction is the price I'll have to pay to pretend I live in a climate where this type of planting thrives year-round?
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Weather Diary, June 7: Hi 61, Low 47/ Precip .38
All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
I admitted to being hooked back in February, when I wrote that Jungle Cactus were my latest obsession. I'd bought a few and committed to finding a way to make them work, even if I couldn't grow them epiphytically on trees and other plants or surfaces.
After scheming for a bit I decided burlap was the answer.
First I tried sewing little pouches to hold a bit of soil and roots. But those pouches didn't want to nestle into Clifford's crooks and crannies (Clifford being our big-leaf magnolia, M. macrophylla).
I ended up sort of wrapping the base (soil and roots) kokedama style with burlap and brown twine.
I left long "tails" of twine off each bundle and tied them around Clifford's branches.
Then I hid the burlap and twine with Tillandsia usneoides and completed the picture with larger tillandisa. It's pretty convincing—meaning you might think it's a permanent planting rather than just seasonal—if you don't look too close.
Hanging nearby, a chartreuse container from Gainey Ceramics holds an assortment of epiphytic cactus...
Including Lepismium cruciforme...
And Rhipsalis ramulosa which I brought home from my visit to Dustin Gimbel's garden.
Besides the various epiphyllum and rhipsalis, there's a huge tillandisa (NOID) up there...
Over on that far branch is a Rhipsalis houlletiana...
This guy...
And the magic continues on around the other side of Clifford...
One issue I've discovered, which also occurred with the bromeliads I've perched up here in previous years; the damn squirrels are destructive!
This lepismium in particular is thrashed as they climb up Clifford's branches to jump on to our garage roof.
Perhaps a little squirrel destruction is the price I'll have to pay to pretend I live in a climate where this type of planting thrives year-round?
Weather Diary, June 7: Hi 61, Low 47/ Precip .38
All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.