What the what?

No doubt there’s a good story here.

As we know, truth is often stranger than fiction, but since I don’t know the “truth” how about we make up some fiction? The winner gets…well…to be the winner. That should be good enough, right?

My theory is these are alien babies that need to incubate outside for the winter. Those multi-colored containers (modified satellite dishes) help them to communicate with the motherland.

Now it's your turn! (oh and iPhone pictures...they turned out a little blurry)

Yucca filamentosa; my favorite plant in the garden, this week…

Actually let me correct that, Yucca filamentosa is my favorite plant in my mom’s garden this week (and that explains the snow)…

These plants are all growing at my parent’s home in Spokane, Washington, where we spent a wonderful white Christmas. We flew in on Christmas Eve and were welcomed by a picture perfect scene of 4” of fresh snow coating everything. It was gorgeous, but you’ll just have to trust me on that as I didn't take a single photo, I was too excited to see my family. Later after we’d spent some time catching up I went out to see what was looking good in my mom’s garden, that’s when I spotted these yuccas…

You’ve got to love a plant that still holds its spikes high when coated with snow…

And can withstand temperatures below zero!

Yucca filamentosa has been a spiky staple in my mom’s garden ever since I can remember. She rescued most of these from sure death by asking about their fate when she noticed them in the bed of a truck destined for the dump. Of course this Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' wasn’t part of that group, these are a step up from the common “parking lot yucca”…

The stats:

• Zones: 5 – 10
• Size: 2 – 3 ft wide and 3 ft tall
• Full sun, and in my experience it can get by in just about any soil type

A word of caution however...be sure you really want this plant where you plant it. It has the ability to re-sprout from the tiniest little bit of root left behind. I carefully dug a dozen plants from my brother’s house in Spokane only to have them all return come the next spring. It’s a tenacious thing!

The state of the spikes, in December…

I’m a little late in posting these photos; they were taken back on December 5th, but what the heck! Better a late record than none at all…

The last agave report was posted back in mid August. Not much changed in the 2 months following it, but in the next two months we received upwards of 15” of rain, hardy the ideal for plants that love dry winter months. I’m afraid this is a true test of whether or not I've provided adequate drainage for these poor plants. Here's how they were looking at the beginning of December...

Starting in the upper right hand corner…Puya coerulea, Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis (Cow’s Tongue Prickly Pear), Agave with tentative ID of A. lechuguilla, Agave ovatifolia in the center and up in the left hand corner a gifted Opuntia...

Agave parryi 'JC Raulston'

Another gifted plant, this a pup from the monster Agaves in this garden.

Unknown Cylindropuntia from my visit to Hillside Botanical Garden.

Agave americana (with the Puya coerulea on the left).

A pair of A. ovatifolia.

Agave montana

My original 'JC Raulston.'

Opuntia humifusa all deflated for winter…but showing off some lovely red fruit.

Agave bracteosa

This unknown gifted Cylindropuntia is not looking so good…

Agave americana, which almost gave up the ghost last winter, it's bravely fought back to this point…

And another A. americana. The leaf damage you see isn't from the rain and cold but rather from our 102 degree day last August...poor thing got sun-burnt.

Maihuenia poeppigii (the oldest)

Maihuenia poeppigii (a newer one)

Hybrid form of Echinocereus triglochidiatus v. gonacanthus

Another pair of A. bracteosa

Opuntia x rutila

Opunita basilaris ‘Sara’s Compact’

Another Unknown Cylindropuntia from my visit to Hillside Botanical Garden.

Now to the back garden and one of the mounds next to the patio…

Things grew a lot over the summer but I think this A. bracteosa grew the most.

Aloe striatula. I lost one of these a couple of winters ago. Since I have two others I decided to risk it and see what happens…

The same goes for the purple Dyckia in the center of this photo. I've lost two of these in the past…hopefully this one will make it…

The other spiky planting area…

A. gentryi ‘Jaws’

Another view…

And another A. bracteosa…

Finally we end with this mashed together planting, these were so small when I put them in this container last spring! I intended to lift them for the winter, but I haven't managed to do so.

So what will January, February and March bring to my spikes? We shall see...

Decorative Cacti, the book

I picked up Decorative Cacti in Tucson in 2011. It’s an oldie, published in 1973 by Spring Books and printed in Czechoslovakia, Olga Kuthanová is listed as the translator of text by Rudolk Šubik. The book begins with a 17 page introduction to growing cacti and succulents followed by a section with over 100 pages of full page color illustrations with lengthy plant descriptions on the facing pages.

The illustrations are done by Jiřina Kaplická who has quite the botanical illustration resume; these are why I bought the book.

Opuntia microdasys

And here’s where I’ll lose several of you…I’ve taken the book apart. I know, to some that’s a high crime, but I wanted to frame a few of the illustrations (they fit an 8 x 10” frame perfectly). They really are quite lovely…

Agave victoriae reginae

Aloe concinna

Aloe variegata

I paid $7.50, although there is an ancient Kmart price tag on the inner flap for $2.87 and a new copy will run you over $300 on Amazon, seriously (I pity the fool…). Luckily there are several used copies available for $.01 (+ $3.99 shipping), if you’re in the market for some inexpensive botanical illustrations of cacti and succulents this seems like the perfect source.

Euphorbia grandicornis

Since I’ve got another 50 plates with no plans for them I’m looking for ideas…anyone really creative out there? What would you do with these illustrations?

Euphorbia obesa

About that Christmas Palm Tree…

I know. After months of my rambling on about choosing the perfect Christmas Palm Tree (an idea which by the way should be credited to Louis at Parallel 49 Palms and Exotics) you’re all expecting me to have actually bought one right? Well I didn’t.

See I got obsessed with another idea…the mix of natural with fake sparkle. Like fancy ribbon tied on brown kraft paper, seed pods combined with glitter, and an aluminum Christmas tree with eucalyptus branches. Yes I know, odd.

I still used the regular aluminum branches but I filled in with eucalyptus. Oh the smell! Divine I tell you.

Of course I brought in a conifer wreath for that traditional Christmas smell…

And did up the mantle…

The gifts look a little like a drunken Santa just dumped his bag down the chimney…

But the star was the strange hybrid tree; part natural, part fake sparkle, but all fun…just like I imagined it.

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, I hope you're fortunate enough to be surrounded by those you love today. I know I'll be squeezing all my loved ones extra tight and thinking of how lucky I am. If this holiday is not one you celebrate may the joy, love and magic of the season touch your heart in a way that is meaningful to you.