Some of you may remember my frustration with the uber sexy Yucca Bright Star, aka Yucca gloriosa var. recurvifolia 'Walbristar', aka poster child for a severe case of yuccacne every spring. I had declared "no more!" and banished it from my garden. Then I saw one planted up in a Hover Dish Planter at the DIG Nursery booth at the 2015 NWFG Show...
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The wheels started to turn. Great drainage and air circulation...maybe, just maybe. And it just so happens I've got a pair of hover dish planters! I wanted to use the limon Dolga dish for this experiment so the lovely painted ferns from last year had to come out...
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And that gorgeous Yucca, it was surprisingly hard to find once I "needed" one...but I finally did.
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This is the whole cast of characters.
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For height, and danger, an Opuntia basilaris hybrid, picked up at Xera nursery after the Pac Hort/HPSO lecture. Truth be told I'd already paid for one and then Evelyn Hadden put this one back. I traded mine out for hers right away, it was a stellar specimen...
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I found this multi-headed Aeonium at The Gardener's Choice in Tigard, OR. It's the same place I found the Yucca. I hadn't planned to include anything not hardy but confronted with a big plant at a great price I thought what the heck!
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I started with the Opuntia and quickly discovered I'd bought a monster. There were actually two plants in the pot and they were both so top heavy I couldn't keep them from tipping over. Finally I thought up a solution. I cut down the sides of small plastic pots and also cut the bottom out. That way I had something to smash their roots into and to grab ahold of and position in the dish planter. Plus it made them more stable.
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It worked and I can only hope it's a long term solution (meaning it doesn't compromise their drainage). Other key points to remember, should you find yourself working with an Opuntia up close and personal. Wear a long-sleeve shirt, and another underneath. That way as soon as you reach glochid saturation you can peel off the top layer. Also, use tongs! Tongs are lifesavers. Finally...old gloves. This is not a great time to break out your newly purchased pair. Use old ones, ones you won't mind instantly tossing with this project is complete.
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And speaking of complete, here's the group after planting. Don't you love the glamorous interior of the garage as photo background? This was the only place I could find to hang the dish at working level. Oh and yes, I had to add the Senecio radicans, for a little drama. Also not hardy, maybe I'll just cut the strands and the Aeonium and winter them indoors. The Yucca and Opuntia can stay in place.
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I didn't plan to add a gravel drop dressing, but that soil mix is just too ugly don't you think? So yes, I did. Of course nobody but me will know it's there!
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Here's the finished creation...
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The greens of the dish and the door aren't a perfect match but I think they'll do.
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I like it!
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There are a couple of blooms ready to pop on the Opuntia, that will be fun. And I'll be watching that yucca to see if I finally stumbled upon a recipe for success...
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All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
The wheels started to turn. Great drainage and air circulation...maybe, just maybe. And it just so happens I've got a pair of hover dish planters! I wanted to use the limon Dolga dish for this experiment so the lovely painted ferns from last year had to come out...
And that gorgeous Yucca, it was surprisingly hard to find once I "needed" one...but I finally did.
This is the whole cast of characters.
For height, and danger, an Opuntia basilaris hybrid, picked up at Xera nursery after the Pac Hort/HPSO lecture. Truth be told I'd already paid for one and then Evelyn Hadden put this one back. I traded mine out for hers right away, it was a stellar specimen...
I found this multi-headed Aeonium at The Gardener's Choice in Tigard, OR. It's the same place I found the Yucca. I hadn't planned to include anything not hardy but confronted with a big plant at a great price I thought what the heck!
I started with the Opuntia and quickly discovered I'd bought a monster. There were actually two plants in the pot and they were both so top heavy I couldn't keep them from tipping over. Finally I thought up a solution. I cut down the sides of small plastic pots and also cut the bottom out. That way I had something to smash their roots into and to grab ahold of and position in the dish planter. Plus it made them more stable.
It worked and I can only hope it's a long term solution (meaning it doesn't compromise their drainage). Other key points to remember, should you find yourself working with an Opuntia up close and personal. Wear a long-sleeve shirt, and another underneath. That way as soon as you reach glochid saturation you can peel off the top layer. Also, use tongs! Tongs are lifesavers. Finally...old gloves. This is not a great time to break out your newly purchased pair. Use old ones, ones you won't mind instantly tossing with this project is complete.
And speaking of complete, here's the group after planting. Don't you love the glamorous interior of the garage as photo background? This was the only place I could find to hang the dish at working level. Oh and yes, I had to add the Senecio radicans, for a little drama. Also not hardy, maybe I'll just cut the strands and the Aeonium and winter them indoors. The Yucca and Opuntia can stay in place.
I didn't plan to add a gravel drop dressing, but that soil mix is just too ugly don't you think? So yes, I did. Of course nobody but me will know it's there!
Here's the finished creation...
The greens of the dish and the door aren't a perfect match but I think they'll do.
I like it!
There are a couple of blooms ready to pop on the Opuntia, that will be fun. And I'll be watching that yucca to see if I finally stumbled upon a recipe for success...
All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.