Transplanted & tanked up
Last week I finally got the transplants from my old garden, plus a few new plants, into the raised beds I’d cleaned out recently. Today I finished mulching—the desert plants in decomposed granite, the others in shredded hardwood mulch. And since I couldn’t feel at home in the new garden without either my ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave or a stock-tank planter, I bought a shallow, circular cattle trough, drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom, and planted in it, like a king on a throne, the big manfreda ‘Macho Mocha’ I’d dragged with me from the old garden. (For you readers who will promptly ask where I got the stock tank, it’s from Callahan’s General Store in Austin, Texas.)
Here’s the ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave (A. ovatifolia ), looking good with Salvia greggii , a ‘Radrazz’ Knockout rose, and a few other small agaves, succulents, and bluebonnet seedlings.
Here’s the raised bed on the other side of the steps, as it looked after being cleaned out.
And here it is today—a sentimental mash-up of my old garden passalongs and cottage favorites like iris and daylilies, paired with a few spiky, architectural plants like ‘Bright Edge’ yucca and the new beavertail prickly pear from Peckerwood.
Looking the other way, you can see across to the ‘Whale’s Tongue.’ I went with reds and silvery blues in this section of the garden—hot and cold. Now it feels like home to me, and I look forward to seeing it blossom next spring.
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Oh girl, these plants are indeed looking at home in their new digs. It is good to hear that you are beginning to feel at home in your new home too.
I sure am, Lisa. Having a garden of my own makes all the difference. —Pam
Pam: The garden is starting to bear your hand print. I love the long shot with the Whale’s Tongue in the back of the sinuous limestone walled garden. Are you still swimming? Chillin’ out here!
It’s been in the low 80s and upper 70s, but the nights are getting chilly. The water is too cold for me, but my husband and daughter are taking occasional quick dips. —Pam
Pam, I am so glad you got a stock tank! It looks perfect and the Whales Tongue looks happy to be in the ground. BTW, does the Whale’s Tongue know you refer to the manfreda as King? You are really making great progress! I like the term Sentimental Mash! I might have to borrow it to describe various plantings around Clay and Limestone! Gail
Hah! I called the manfreda “queen” first, but on re-reading I had to change it to “king” because of its name, ‘Macho Mocha.’ I just couldn’t see a queen being macho. I do think of the agave as being king though, so perhaps I ought to change it back. —Pam
The Whale’s Tongue looks bigger than ever.
It seems to have continued to unfurl new leaves, even in the transplant pot. —Pam
You are a woman on a mission. Go, go, go!!!!!
Ha! Mission accomplished. The plants are in the ground. I’m taking a break now. 🙂 —Pam
Hey, Pam, it’s looking good! And I bet you’re feeling pretty good too! It’s amazing how cleaning out some beds and planting “our” plants really make a place a home – even if we change things around later on.
Thanks for your great postings. It’s always a pleasure.
Thanks, Barbara. You are exactly right—making even one small patch that says “my garden” makes a new place feel homey. —Pam
I got sidetracked by looking at that stone! We just don’t have stone like that around here…anyway…I love salvia greggii. Your agave is really beautiful and I like the stock tank idea. I’ve actually wanted to plant a garden in stock tanks so that I can have gardens above underground utilities (can’t dig there) to create a privacy planting around our outdoor shower.
Cameron
That’s a good idea, Cameron. At a local business in Austin, the owner put a row of stock tanks in the parking lot, planted with vines on a trellis, to give green separation between his business and the one next door. You can do a lot with them. —Pam
Wow, Pam! You’ve done a TON of work and yet it all looks so effortless and seems like it knows it belongs now. I need a transfusion of your energy!
Oh, it definitely wasn’t effortless, Iris. But I’m glad it looks that way now. Cooler weather always fires me up to do gardening. We need another blast of Actic air! —Pam
Love (and covet) your stone raised beds! We have absolutely NO stone here in the Valley.
Bluebonnet seedlings? I failed to get a single seed in the ground this fall! ARGHH!
I am grateful to have inherited these limestone raised beds. The previous owners did a nice job with them. Alas, I didn’t get my bluebonnet seeds into the ground in time either. But these seedlings came from my old garden, where I grew the pink bluebonnets last year. I think they’ll revert to blue, but it will be interesting to see, come spring. —Pam
I guess I don’t remember your Manfreda. I just looked it up–is that Texas Tuberose, Manfreda maculosa? It does not have thorny tips, is that correct? The foliage is very groovy.
I just remembered that I have Texas Bluebonnet seeds in my refrigerator, by way of Christopher. I think he got some Hank at one point. Anyhoo, I ought to sow them. With your quick spring, I’m sure they’ll bloom in Texas first.
I grew that manfreda in a bigger stock tank in my old front garden. Click on the link for pics. It’s not the little native Manfreda maculosa, which I’ve also grown. It’s the big-daddy ‘Macho Mocha,’ which some people believe is a hybrid from a variegated manfreda and an agave, and others think is a tetraploid. It’s not spiky, and it’s very groovy!
It’s past sowing time for bluebonnets here in Austin. It ought to have been done in fall. I waited too late to get my new beds ready for seeds, so instead I dug up seedlings from my old garden. —Pam
It’s beginning to look like your garden. It’s looking real good.
Thanks, Lola. —Pam
Hello Pam, very impressive, the garden looks great and I’ve said it before but I just love that Whale’s tongue it is so majestic./ Tyra THE GREENHOUSE IN TYRA’S GARDEN
Hi, Tyra, and thanks for commenting. —Pam
Wow Pam, you have a done a ton of work already. It’s looking wonderful. Your stone walled raised beds are awesome!
Thanks, Linda. I can take no credit for the stone walls, but I love them too. The raised beds make great show-off spots for my favorite plants. —Pam
The Whales tongue looks quite at home already. We have just had perfect weather for gardening but when will it rain? Is that a drip spray system you have in that bed? I’ll be interested to know how you find it. I have some sprays but find that it is hard to mulch around the plants because the water doesn’t get through. I have changed a lot over to drips. Let me know how yours works.
Today! It’s raining right now in my garden, making me doubly glad I got the mulch installed yesterday.
Yes, I inherited a drip-spray irrigation system in these raised beds. After seeing it in action a few times, I have to say I don’t like it. It emits a fine spray, which is not useful in our climate, where we need infrequent, deep watering. Plus I don’t like the way it sticks up everywhere. I’d prefer an invisible system, like a soaker hose under a layer of mulch. A true drip system. I’m leaving it for now, for vacation use, but while I’m at home it’s turned off. I prefer to water these beds by hand, since only a few of these plants will need regular water once established. The agaves and other xeric plants will be better served with less frequent watering. —Pam
Hi Pam, it does look like a *Digging* garden design now. Even if you end up moving those transplants once you get more beds figured out. I see no one has commented on the cool branches holding up the climbing rose. Did you do that or was it already there, I don’t remember? I love it. I love the blue silver and red combo too. That will yield many a sublime photo from your camera in the future too.
Frances
The cedar rose trellis was made by the previous owners. It’s attached to the brick wall of the house to keep it from falling over. Parts of it are rotting, so I’ll need to decide soon whether to make something similar or try something different. —Pam
Someone has been busy, busy, busy! It’s coming right on along! Looks great. 🙂
Thanks, Randy. I know that you know all about busy. 😉
You have such a wonderful eye for design. I love how the little sun sculpture echoes the shape & color of the Whale’s Tongue Agave and the shape of the little Agave next to it. It looks great already.
Thanks, MMD! —Pam
Verrry nice! You have such a well defined sense of style – and I can see that the new garden is starting to really look like ‘Pam’.
Chloe M.
Thank you, Chloe. I feel like there’s a little of me in it now too. —Pam
Pam, those raised limestone beds are gorgeous! I can already imagine the views we will be seeing of them over the next few years. You have such an amazing eye for layout and putting plants together; great inspiration for me and the rest of us, I’m sure.
Why, thanks, Robin. That’s kind of you. I’m afraid you will be seeing a lot of views of the raised beds for a while, as I don’t have any other garden to show you right now. 😉 —Pam
I am so glad it is beginning to feel like home there to you(-: I know it’s hard when you move. I really like how you have planted the beds. I can’t wait to see it all next spring(-:
Thanks for the good wishes for my new garden, Cindee. I look forward to next spring with anticipation too—though not too much. I love fall and winter in Austin. —Pam
The photos of your old garden are truly beautiful, Pam. I can only imagine how difficult it was to leave them behind.
I hope your house sells soon. Did you bury the statue of St. Joseph upside down in a flower pot or near the for sale sign ? I know it’s an old superstition but it wouldn’t hurt to try.
I also send you good wishes for your new garden. It’s sure to be lovely.
Thank you, Carolyn Gail! —Pam