To the left is dracaena deremensis "limelight". I also got a soap aloe, cryptanthus bromeliad, tillandsia and a cordyline "dark star". The dracaena is one I already own, but love so much that I had to get another to put elsewhere in the house! The chartreuse leaves stay brighten any corner, thriving on neglect, and I water mine just once a week.
Both bromeliads, a tillandsia tenuifolia "blue" and a cryptanthus couldn't be more different, the former being entirely epiphytic and the latter being terrestrial. I've seen some pictures of the tillandsia's flowers and they are nothing short of amazing. I can't wait for a full grown clump!
Soap aloe, or aloe saponaria, is my favorite aloe and cold hardy to boot. They are pretty prolific, bordering on invasive, but I don't mind since the coral pink flowers and glossy spotted leaves more than make up for it.
These are all just containers on the balcony, but I do plan on putting these plants together, minus the aloe. I have a few other spiky cordylines that would look stunning emerging from the deep green liriope, all of them at different heights forming a miniature canopyscape.
The cordyline to the left in this photo already has a bit of a trunk! Maybe it would look nice grouped with the new cordyline in the liriope... maybe the "red planet" dyckia at the bottom would look good in the arrangement too!
Agreed about Dracaena deremensis 'Limelight;' they're good plants. I can't actually think of a D. deremensis variety I don't like, at the moment, but 'Limelight' and 'Lemon-Lime' are particular favorites.
ReplyDeleteThat last picture...nice Agave desmettiana! And the Dyckia is pretty amazing too. As for the Aloe saponaria I have one that has spent it's life in a container. It is still having pups constantly. I finally planted a couple of them in the ground. Well see just how cold hardy they are. Oh and the B. cryptanthus...WOW! Sexy!
ReplyDeleteLove the Dracaena 'Limelight' and the Cordyline 'Dark Star'! You seem to always be able to find the coolest plants. I need badly to add some dracaenas and stiff cordylines to my garden, as they are supposed to be much more cold hardy than the ti plants. I'd like to mix them among the ti's to keep the color going in bad winters like the one past.
ReplyDeleteSoap aloe is pretty prolific, isn't it? My mom and sister have grown these plants for decades, and they have formed substantial colonies, though I wouldn't call them invasive. Their growth rate reminds me of bromeliads, actually. But ouch, they're not fun to divide or to weed around. You're right, though, they are so worth it for their blooms and foliage. The blooms are hummingbird magnets! Wished they flowered year-round, though.
You really got a nice assortment of plants. The plans for grouping them sounds just right. Let us see the end result - can't wait.
ReplyDeleteLove,love,love your groupings!
ReplyDeleteAnd I do love me a good plant sale.(is that redundant?)
Mr. Subjunctive:
ReplyDeleteI read your post about chartreuse plants too... I was hoping you'd chime in! This has been the easiest plant ever!
Danger Garden:
That agave has gotten to be pretty big, and all in one season! I really can't wait until the purple heart fills in around it. The aloe saponaria is pretty dang hardy, but I have a coworker who's plants in pots died over this winter. She does live in a cold microclimate of 8b though, and they were single plants in containers. In ground ones would be a bit more cold resistant. Maybe cover them the first winter and see what happens!
Floridagirl:
Yeah, I kind of specialize in only getting the unique ones, and only on the cheap, which translates to lots of searching! The cordyline australis hybrids are very tough, and are great at being drought tolerant. I am considering putting some ti plants in my little grouping too, if only to reinforce that tropical balinese look. About the aloes, I do see flowers on the clumps around town throughout the year, so maybe if its a big enough clump... I'll probably put mine in the back of a border where I won't need to divide and maintain them too much.
nanaK:
I did end up planting the arrangement today but will have to wait til Friday to finish laying composted manure, mulch and marble chips. Its gonna look great I promise!
Chris C:
Glad you love,love,love the groupings! I love plant sales too, since there's always something unique!
Great purchases, Steve! I know how you love those broms...I do too! I'm loving the dyckia in your last photo. Can't wait to see the tillandsia bloom and the planted grouping!
ReplyDeleteThe red cordylines in the liriope are going to look fantastic. Love the limelight dracaena too. Haven't seen one before.
ReplyDeleteOh, I just love a good plant sale. And, it looks like you picked out some really nice selections. Soap aloe has become one of my favorites in the garden this summer. You just can't beat the blooms...it's definitely exotic looking. Have fun planting your new finds.
ReplyDelete