How to ship a trunking Yucca rostrata in seven easy steps...

1. Buy the Yucca rostrata.

2. Buy a sonotube (or any tubular cardboard form used for shaping concrete) which is at least 2" wider than the yucca when the leaves are folded completely upwards from the trunk and a couple of inches taller than the yucca with the leaves upwards as described.
(**Note: cute black and grey senior dog for supervising the process is completely optional**)

3. Remove the nursery pot.

4. Tie a wide piece of fabric or plastic around the trunk of the yucca, allow enough extra material that you can pull it up over the leaves to get them out of the way. 5. Remove as much extra soil around the roots as possible, if need be it's okay to cut some of the roots away.

6. Slide the Yucca into the tube roots first, once it's in place use a bamboo pole the length of the tube (shoved into the rootball) to keep the leafy bits from being crushed by the weight of the roots if the tube gets turned upside down).

7. Close-up the ends with well-taped cardboard and label "this end up" with arrows and text (resist the temptation to reverse the labeling, even though some shippers may see your labeling as a challenge and enjoy turning your tube upside down others really will pay attention to your desires).

Once safely home pot up your Yucca as soon as possible, cover those exposed roots and give it a nice big drink!

Thank you to my model, Andrew Keys, for both purchasing the Yucca and then allowing me to photograph his packing process (as well as spending an entire fun-filled day with me traversing the country-side and talking plants!). Thank you to my husband, Andrew Bohl, for the brilliant idea of using the tube to ship the Yucca.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Alberta and friends, happy in the ground…

Just a few short weeks ago this was the scene in front of our living room window:

Now it looks like this:

I’ve previously posted about our new short, but trunking, Yucca rostrata (Alberta) which we bought to anchor this area, I couldn't wait to plant her! Truth be told Andrew made pretty quick work of removing the Rhododendron, cutting off the rest of the branches…

And working the stump with the rock bar and shovel…

Before long…empty!

Time to do a little plant placement and planting...

And voilà!

The reason for the large empty path to the neighbors driveway is two-fold. First the mailman will cut though the garden no matter what, giving him a clear path reduces plant damage. And second we're friends with these neighbors and we both cut back and forth all the time.

You can see (above) I included a phormium in a container. It had been living with a few others on the left-hand side of the front steps but I wanted height in that corner and thought the consistency of containers on both sides of the steps would be nice.

Let's meet the other supporting characters…

Were your eyes drawn to the agave right away? I planted a pair of Agave ovatifolia, one which had been living in a container for awhile and another that was newly purchased. I’ve got 3 other A. ovatifolia in the front garden that have done *okay* over the winter, these are going in as already much larger plants. I have high hopes for them.

I’ve been flirting with the idea of a Brachyglottis greyi (Senecio greyi) for years but it’s obnoxious yellow flowers always stood in the way. I decided what the heck, I cut off hosta flowers, why not these too…I love love love that foliage!

The Amsonia hubrichtii (lower left hand corner) and Mahonia gracilipes (upper left hand corner) were moved from about 6ft to the north, they don’t seem to mind.

To some the dark leaf canna (above) probably seems like the object of a “one of these things does not belong” photo but I couldn’t find anything better to bring in the big, dark, leaves I wanted here. Besides they can be remarkably drought tolerant once established (as long as you don’t mind them remaining shorter than usual).

The Mahonia was getting too much sun in its previous spot; some of the white undersides of the leaves were scorched coming out upside down as new growth. I hope it will be a little happier here where it should get an hour or so less of the hot afternoon sun.

I had to work in an opuntia, hopefully it will grow big!

Hebe ‘Bracken Hill’

Hymenanthera alpina, a prostrate form…

I love this plant! This is my second; the other is an upright form. It was horribly root bound and I think is suffering a bit of planting shock.

For a little height in the corner I bought a Rhamnus frangula (Fine Line Buckthorn)…it’s supposed to grow to be 6-10ft tall but only 3ft wide.

I love its thin leaves, kind of reminiscent of Rhododendron stenopetalum 'Linearifolium' (Spider Azalea) which I love, but hate it’s pink flowers. Plus these leaves are reputed to have nice fall color (like the Amsonia hubrichtii on the other side of this grouping).

The bark is pretty amazing too…

I added a liberal sprinkling of semervivum and sedum.

And was happy to see the new plantings tie in the Mangave 'Macho Mocha' (in the foreground) nicely.

I got annoyed by this plant last year and banished it from the patio (it had been in a container). It was planted it where I thought the drainage might be good enough to keep it alive over the winter and it worked!

I am thrilled with how this area turned out and glad we jumped on it now rather than waiting until fall!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Meet the newest member of the family…

Andrew and I are pleased to announce…another Yucca rostrata has joined the family! Meet Alberta…

Alberta came to us from the Cistus Nursery adoption agency. It was a tough decision whether to adopt Sally…

Or Alberta...

But in the end Alberta was the one, you could say we made a connection. Getting her home involved a little bondage, but since she knew soon (very soon) she would be allowed to spread out her roots and grow big and strong she underwent the indignity.

Actually she looks kind of cute with her up-do.

You've probably guessed where Alberta will be living?

So you've met the newest member of the family, I'm wondering if you've been formally introduced to the rest of the gang? Meet Sammy, our oldest Yucca rostrata. We're so proud of him.

lil’ Sanford...our second trunked Y. rostrata. He's kind of a punk.

Clifford, the big leaf Magnolia.

Mr. Big, the Agave americana 'Variegata' (he used to be much bigger please don’t let him know he’s shrinking with age).

And I think this might also be the official debut of Louis, the newest palm…

He’s made a previous appearance here on the blog but I don’t think I identified him by name. If you’re wondering if this Louis owes his name to this Louis, yes…he does…it was only right. So that’s our family, tell me…do you name your special plants?

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Rare Plant Research, 2013

The last few years my enthusiasm for the Rare Plant Research Open House had somewhat dwindled, a fact best illustrated by my declining purchases (maybe I already had all their cool stuff?).

However this year I felt a renewed excitement about the event, due primarily to the fact I was attending with my plantlust.com partners. Nothing like fellow plant nuts to encourage your addiction!

Well, that plus cool plants.

No doubt the fact I actually had a list of a few “must haves” helped too, for instance I knew I wanted another couple of bromeliads.

See those light green almost-glowing ones? They were even better in person.

Had to have one.

Oh Furcraea you taunt me so, yes I wanted to take you home but you know you won't be happy there...

The time had finally come, I took the plunge and grabbed one of these Asparagus Ferns...

This beauty was in the "look but don't even try to buy" section. Not that I could have afforded it anyway.

Blooming bromeliad, so pretty.

The trunking Yucca rostrata drew quite a crowd. There were both gasps of delight at the $150 price and gasps of shock. It all depends on your perspective I suppose.

This little beauty was sitting all by itself, not another like it anywhere. I was smitten. And I walked away.

But I came back, and someone else was picking it up! (NO!!!) But then it bit her and she put it down, looking at her finger where it drew blood. That's when I knew I had to have it (insert evil laugh here).

Haemanthus humilis ssp. hirsutus

Yucca whipplei...mine!

Now that's a lot of spikes!

Beautiful colors of Eucomis leaves.

Shocking!

Here's my co-plant lust'er Megan as she swings her purchases around to be paid for. Can that woman shop or what?!!

Makes my haul look downright pathetic! In my defense there is one other plant you can't see, a dark burgundy dyckia is hiding next to the orange aloe. Clockwise from the top...big NOID Bromleiad, Asparagus Fern, that cool variegated yucca,  Aloe dorotheae, Fire Ball Neoregelia (bromeliad), and the Yucca whipplei.

If any one has a guess on the I.D. of the variegated yucca I'd love to hear it, here's another close-up. I asked the owner, Burl, and he said Yucca aloifolia 'Variegata' but then started doubting himself. The Yucca aloifolia  that I'm familiar with has a wider, flatter, softer leaf. These are very narrow, hard and sharp.

Here's the car all loaded up with our purchases...it's a little deceiving too because that's a wagon, deeper than a normal trunk.

Even the backseat was full...I'd call that a successful outing!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.