One of my oldest agaves is about to blow

[Paul S]

You should visit while it is still going on, Tony. Be a shame to miss it.

[Paul S]

The last of the flowers in the cluster I am trying to dust with montana pollen have finally opened so today was the last day up the ladder. Thank Heavens.

[Paul S]

Nothing much to add regarding the Agave salmiana ssp crassispina but two others have joined the party -

Agave striata





And polianthiflora

[charlie]

I imagine you must be feeling some degree of smugness as your neighbours rush around with their hoses while in contrast your garden looks to be loving it! Not had to water anything yet here (apart from pots)

[Paul S]

I wouldn't say smugness but it is all part of 'the plan' to use drought tolerant, and often extreme drought tolerant, plants.

That said I do have some borders in the 'jungly' bits that need irrigation but this year is making me rethink some of these areas again. It isn't much - I garden on around 3/4 acre these days with the extra bit and I would reckon less than a third of it needs water. But it would be nice to be even less reliant on the hose. So far since the start of July we've had just 3.3mm of water here. If we get a hosepiple ban the decision may be made for me, of course, as the water-needy plants will most likely die.

One thing that has been forced upon me is no longer growing trunked treeferns vertically. I have three remaining trunked treeferns, one of which was been growing horizontally laid on the ground ever since I first got it. This one has always made leaves that I would say are an 'acceptable' size - probably only 4ft but that's as good as I can ever do here. The other two have gradually gone backward and backwards so this year they are now lying down with the other one. They can cope with the dry better, have more contact with the ground, more opportunity to root, don't dry out as quickly. A slight but necessary of mindset when it comes to how I grow treeferns - as large ground ferns.