Gary and Annelle tell me they often have lunch in the garden. So do I, and a few other people - pretty soon we're going to need another bench, Gary... ;) Anyway, when Gary and Annelle eat in the garden they leave a sign on their door to tell customers where to find them (left) which I thought was cute.

We don't have a trash can by the bench for the same reason you rarely find them in city-run parks: they require emptying, they attract wasps, they smell and they're just too much work. So far most people have been very good about taking their trash with them, although I think a nice sign reminding people to respect the area wouldn't go amiss.

Another thing that's cute right no is the Arctotis "Peachy Mango" by the Wrong Way sign (another mislabeled Arctotis? The colors seem dark!), as well as the Geraniums and Corn Marigolds that are filling in that area fast, making a nice lush green area and choking out the weeds. A few leftover Gaillardias add to the color quotient. It's a very hot, dry area with shallow dirt so if anyone can make a go of it there, these guys can. Good luck, kids!

Last night Matt and I went to eat at Goat Hill Pizza in support of the Starr King Openspace donation mentioned in the previous post. The place was packed! Hope they got lots of donations.

Oh, almost forgot to add - this morning there was a new mystery plant in the cactus wall bed. Very pretty succulent with silvery, heart-shaped leaves. Thanks, whoever left it!

Before work

We had a few plants languishing in the car (just ran out of energy to plant them last weekend) and they need to get in the ground before they sweat to death. This morning we put in a yucca rigida, euphorbia mellifera (honey spurge) and an unidentified reddish phormium-ish looking thing.

I also took a photo of another plant that needs to be identified, above. Any guesses?

UPDATE: it's cussonia natalensis “Rock Cabbage Tree” - a drought tolerant tree (yay!) "from the wooded grasslands of Natal and Gauteng in South Africa and also Zimbabwe and Swaziland in Southern Africa." OK, well then - should be able to manage the "hot, dry" site we have. Cool plant!

Friday night plant attack

Today I zoomed over to the garden after work to meet "John from Craigslist" who came with his other friend John to give me a rooted yucca tree. "Oh and by the way," he says, "here are a couple extra branches you can root." I am thrilled with this - thrilled, I tell you! I am going to have to consider the placement of this fine specimen very carefully...

As John is about to leave he said "oh - you have a sago palm" and I replied "no... I wish!" and turn around and look: there's a dinky little sago palm in a pot with a note that says "I like sun!" sitting in the middle of the echium seed bed. I do the Scooby Doo face, and suddenly realize the plant orphanage has a new member! Funnily enough today I was just wishing for a sago palm but they are too expensive. Voila - someone read my mind! So the sago palm-let has come inside the house for an assessment before being planted. Much too cute and stealable to be left in the garden alone ;)

Anyway, I rudely rushed off to see my chiropractor appointment leaving John to fold his tarp on the side of the road (sorry!) and on the (out of my) way home from that, stopped by 14th x Kirkham to see if I could pick up some free canna roots that were being given away. Craigslist lesson #1; never go pick up something unless the owner has confirmed you can have it, and #1b; never go to get something that's been left on the side of the street of all and sundry to pick up. Naturally the canna roots where long gone, despite the ad still being up... *whine*

So all in all, I'm in yucca heaven with a sprinkling of sago joy. Canna schmanna!

Picture time

Today we planted Leah's succulents, and tidied cut branches from the Big Prune of 2009. We also sowed lots of seeds Leah gave us, and convened with our lovely neighbor Jess who is having a sign made for the "hard of dog poop"...

Some pics of the work done this weekend:

First up, Gary's wall, with newly installed yuccas, Crassula ovata (Jade Plants), cactus and Agaves (2 views) donated by John. My Official Favorite Part of the Garden at this time:

Mystery plant alert! It came to the garden overnight, it's very small and pretty, and we think it's wonderful. Grow big little plant! UPDATE: it's an Echeveria, allegedly.

Cactus and agave, looking yummy:














The Tibouchina urvilleana (Princess plant) after her radical haircut. Don't cry! Someone who Knows What They Are Doing performed the surgery (i.e. Leah):














The top succulent area before - small plants, not looking great, Matt with spade poised:












And after: a big Aloe, an Aeonium and I think a Senecio serpens (blue chalksticks) - thanks to Leah. We do need a lovely big rock or two to accent this area. Right now we have a lump of old concrete, which may be pushing the envelope of urban/industrial gardening a smidge too far:











Our house, with Matt's Sanford and Son-style plant propagation windowsill. Many Agaves, an unidentified palm seedling, a Yucca tip, and 3 Opuntia cactus pads, all busy rooting, we hope. It brings us glee: