An epic agave rescue

I stopped by the property in early March, to see what the agaves looked like. This is the large one, measuring 6ft wide and 4 ft tall.
This is the "small" one, which is still over 3ft wide. I assumed it was a pup of the larger plant that had been moved, but Grace informed me that both plants were purchased at the same time. The smaller one was moved a around a few times though and didn't have the prime sun and heat-soak location that the larger one did (location is everything!).
Fast forward to last Sunday the 21st, aka moving day! When I arrived, Eric (kneeling in the lawn) and his friends Erik (L) and Greg (behind the agave) had already dug around large agave and were getting ready to hook up the tow rope and pull the plant free.
It was pretty firmly attached but rotated with each tug.

Once the base was loose Eric built a framework to help in moving it.

Proof that agaves hurt the ones who love them. This bloody arm belongs to Grace, the lady who bought and planted the agaves and emailed me in an attempt to find them a new home, rather than just letting them be cut up and disposed of.
There was a small pup that broke off the large agave, Grace will have a memento to grow on—check out that hook on one of the spines, she'd better be careful!
Ready for more pulling...

And it's free!
Not much of a hole where it used to be...
Now the hard part. How to get that plant into the back of that truck...
Things were progressing (slowly) when a neighbor showed up. He helped a bit, he had ideas, in the end he left wishing us luck.

Part way in and it became obvious the front part of the wooden structure needed to be cut down if the plant was going to be pushed in any further.
Ready!
Baby steps. We'd first moved the cement blocks under the flat way (baby lift), then the tall way (another baby lift), now it was time for the final push.
And it's in!

The drive to its new home was slow. I only saw one guy look at Eric's truck (and the agave) with surprise. Most people didn't even seem to notice.
A few photos of Eric's garden to set the scene...
Rescued Yucca rostrata...

And the masterpiece, Eric's custom built greenhouse—can you even believe this? Design—his own creation. Glass windows, made by his own hands. Copper shingles, cut, patinaed and attached by his own hands. Every single bit of this he did himself. I fully intend to invite myself over later in the summer and take many more photos of everything, these will have to suffice for now.
Inside...

And back outside. Orange arrow points to the hole Eric pre-dug for the agave. It's covered so his pups didn't fall in.
How many folks have a vintage telephone box in their garden? This was another rescue of Eric's, it involved a crane (which really would have made the agave rescue easier, maybe with a helicopter too).
Sadly I had to leave just after the agave had been backed into the drive (check out its homecoming here), before it had been moved into it's final home—but Eric sent me a couple of photos. It looks like it's always been there doesn't it? It's also nearly impossible to tell just how big it is!
BTW, the second (smaller) agave rescue will be undertaken soon (No doubt Eric will be able to do that one on his own, with one hand tied behind his back) and it will be planted up in a large container, insurance in case this big boy decides he didn't like the move, or it triggers a bloom. Eric—you are amazing!

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