The Strange and Unsual
Today was a good day. As my time off work is quickly coming to an end I’ve found myself really appreciating the lazy dog days of December. After having a leisurely late breakfast, I spent much of the afternoon cleaning up my outdoor potting area. It’s amazing how messy the area has become, a year’s worth of frantic potting, failed seedlings, and nursery refugees can get out of hand. Why I bother to keep 400 4″ plastic pots is beyond me, maybe one day I’ll wake up from this insanity. After cleaning I rotated the compost heap and marveled in the successful process of turning food waste into black gold. Last year I threw a couple handfuls of large earthworms into the compost, this season they’ve multiplied into thousands. The center of the compost held a dense layer of wiggling worms, I have never seen more in all my life.
I know, gross, but look at all of them, and this was only one scoop.
“Quick! Honey! Grab me the camera, I’ve gotta photograph these worms!” . . . . . *blink* *blink*
In more exciting news, a plant package I had been expecting for some time now arrived at my door. As I wondered to the front of the house, I saw a post office truck parked outside, it seems he was in the process of writing me a parcel slip because I didn’t answer the door. Thrilled to have caught him before he left, I signed the the bill and grabbed my package frantically. I love receiving packages in the mail, and a plant package is even better. The order I speak of was from Absolute Cactus, a most excellent mail-order cacti and succulent nursery located in California. What’s better Diane at Absolute Cactus went through the trouble of hand-wrapping my plants for extra effect, with nice little envelopes with cultivation tips to boot. I love belated Christmas gifts.
Absolute Cactus plant order
Do I need a second Euphorbia obesa? No… Did I order one… Yes… Yes I did…
After seeking out some pots for these fine specimens (EI stealing them from bonsai’d horse chestnuts) they were potted up with fresh cacti soil, gravel and sand.
Although this Dudleya attenuata looks a bit worse for wear, I’m confident it will spring back to life. Harvested with permission from a cattle ranch in California, Dudleya attenuata are rare plants indeed. Often referred to live forever plants, this specimen is believed to be over 50 years old. Although this photo doesn’t do it justice, each echeveria-esk rosette comes out of a small woody caudex. Winter growing, Dudleyas are said to be tough plants. The one thing to keep in mind of course is not to over-water them, especially in their summer dormant period. This Dudleya had a large tap root underneath it’s caudex stem and I planted it in 50% gravel, 20% sand and 30% cacti soil, let’s see if it’s a recipe for success.
After all the excitement of my new plants this afternoon I went out for dinner at my girlfriend’s mother’s house. Salmon and scallop potatoes, and more presents, lucky me. Having just returned from a trip to South Africa, her mother and partner, got me a very nice Protea seed kit and book about Kirsten Bosch Botanical Gardens. I found this to be an incredibly thoughtful gift and I look forward to seeing if I can get them to grow.
Amazing Protea seed kit from a small South African Seed Company Fine Bush People
It’s quite a nice way to lay out seeds, and as a product it’s a real winner. They have the strangest fuzzy seeds, only time will tell if I can get them to grow. 6 new species of tender perennials to care for, ok, you guys can follow me home too.
Today was a good day.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Mine certainly went well, large glasses of scotch and significantly more turkey and junk food then any one man should ever endure. Life is tough.
In the cold days of winter I often find myself perusing Google images, exploring the wealth of humanity’s travels. Late night plant research leads to plant lust and eventually I find myself on mail-order websites accidentally adding more plants to an already overcrowded collection. This year I’ve opted to save my money and skip the trip to the tropics, so a couple extra plant order’s shouldn’t be discouraged, right? A plant geek can surely travel through the exotica found in his collection, and forgo dealing with metal detectors and airplane turbulence. I recently placed this order, and if luck is on my side, they will arrive safely just in time for a fresh growing season. I generally like to research the obscurities I procure and in turn I thought I’d share my findings with you.
The 2011 strange and rare plant order.
Photo borrowed with admiration from Pacific Bulb Society website
Phaedranassa viridiflora – semi hardy, shallow planted, best grown in a greenhouse
Native to Ecuador, rarely seen in cultivation, native populations endangered due to agriculture. Amazing banded green and yellow flowers. Apparently simulating it’s dry season induces flowering.
Photo borrowed with admiration from The Alpine Society
Rheum nobile – Hardy to -17
Native to the Himalaya growing at over 4000 metres above sea level, this unusual member of the rhubarb family grows strange white leaves that create a greenhouse effect to protect it’s flowers from the cold elements. Marveled for it’s medicinal properties, the local people enjoy it’s stalk for it’s sour flavor.
Photo borrowed with admiration from ChileFlora
Aristolochia chilensis – Semi hardy to occasional -5 , (will not tolerate snow)
One of the few insectivore plants in Chile, grows in poor sandy soils where droughts can sometimes last upwards to 10 months. Silver lines leaves and strange fuzzy pitchers.
Photo borrowed with admiration from ChileFlora
Lardizabala biternata – Suspected to be hardy -6, potentially more
Native to the temperate forests of Chile, in humid moist locations this little known specimen is often praised for it’s unusual dark flowers, and tasty edible fruit.
Photo borrowed with admiration from UC Bontanical Garden Blog
Bomarea spp. – Not reportably hardy
Native to Mexico and south, this tuberous firecracker grows as a groundcover but most often as a climber. From what I’ve researched they come in an amazing array of colors and forms, and are closely related to Alstroemeria.
Photo borrowed with admiration from Agave Pages
Agave utahensis v. eborispina – Hardy to -20, dry conditions
Native to the United States, this is by far one of the spikiest agaves I’ve ever seen.
Photo borrowed with admiration from Bihrmann’s CAUDICIFORMS
Crinum buphanoides – Hardy to zone 7-10
Native to South Africa and Namibia this unusual Crinum species has similar leaves to a Boophane. I love the wavy crinkled leaves, it definitely looks prehistoric to me. Apparently it’s quite forgiving in cultivation, but needs a dry period to flower.
Photo borrowed with admiration from Pacific Bulb Society website
Eustephia ssp.
Native from Puru to Bolivia, another unusual tropical bloom. Summer growing, winter dormant. Cultivation similar to hybrid amaryllis.
Photo borrowed with admiration from Quest Machine
Tropaeolum tuberosum – Reportedly semi hardy, mulch in winter
An unusual food crop related to the garden nasturtium, producing an edible tuber. Reported to be easily grown in cultivation being resist to insects and disease. Another electric nasturtium, need I say I more.
And that’s that, another late night plant lust.
*Thanks to all the websites that let me use their photos as examples.
