RMan and a neighbour, E, used to do the installation and maintenance of the potable water system, and the reading of each individuals water meters in our smallholding communnity. Even though there are 150-odd smallholdings in our area, we are not "formally" recognised by the local authorities as a "settlement" and are thus not entitled to "services".
Whilst travelling to do the water meter readings RMan spotted these plants growing at the entrance to once of the smallholdings.
However, RMan did pick up some of the fallen flower buds / seed carriers.
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| No exactly sure how to propagate agaves, I just plonked the base of the "flower" into some potting soil and hoped for the best... |
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| Aloes with red flowers... |
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| ... and aloes with yellow flowers |
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| The successfully rooted Agave plants http://www.southafrica.net/blog/en/posts/entry/a-spiky-kind-of-beautiful |
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| Kei apple trees https://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/dovycaf.htm |
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| Spekboom - propagated from our existing plants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulacaria_afra Also, I understand that spekboom is excellent at carbon fixing - so, to help reduce our carbon footprint, I need to grow as many as I can, I reckon. |
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| Home propagated lavender |
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| NumNum bushes https://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/carisbispin.htm |
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| Geraniums propagated from our existing plants |
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| The boundary fence March 2017 - it looks like nothing at this point in time, but I have high hopes of a stunning boundary in years to come. We have planted groupings of 14 plants / section so it should make quite a feature - once they are all grown up... |
We have planted groupings of 14 identical plants per section, so in years to come it should, hopefully, look stunning! 😉
Three of the plants are edible (Kei apple, spekboom and numnum) and all are waterwise 😃 Which is just as well as our drought continues and we have had only 5.5mm ( .2 of an inch) of rain since the 12th February...😟
Although I have never served spekboom in a salad or soup for our personal consumption - yet - apparently, alpacas can also eat it. Due to their carbon fixing properties I'd love to plant up a whole field of them... (Don't tell RMan, but I think I'm going to surreptitiously get that going.)
You can read more about the history of South African agaves here. It's a pity that neither RMan nor I drink tequila... ;)
Even though we live in England and water falls from the sky a lot, most of my ornamental plants have to survive on their own as I only water plants that produce food.
ReplyDeleteI love that you were able to propagate those agaves. I sold a few hydrangeas I propagated from a bush that was squashed by the builders. bonus money!
Hope you are well
Sol - That is exactly my philosophy - water only the productive plants.
DeleteI tried propagating hydrangeas but reckon the timing in the season was wrong. I will try again in the future though ;)
for you from Texas
ReplyDeletehttp://www.penick.net/digging/?p=40758
Agave bulbils
Diana - Thanks for the link. I managed to propagate them without using rooting hormone ;)
DeleteHi Dani
ReplyDeleteI love your boundary, Spekboom is really nice in a salad (pick the younger leaves though). Another good water wise plant and has so many medicinal properties is the Moringa tree, it is really great, also in salads or dried! ;)
Love your blog.
Firefly farm adventures
Lawrie - I must try some spekboom :D
DeleteMost of these plants would grow well we we live Dani. I have aloes, spekboom (or as we call it jade or money tree), geraniums, and what we call pig face succulents, not sure of their botanical name (just looked it up; Carpobrotus glaucescens). I struggle to grow lavender, I am not sure why. Other people grow it around here. Might have to do some research regarding them.
ReplyDeleteYour plants are going to look really good once they grow :)
xTania
Tania - Hah - I think we have a similar plant to your carpobrotus glaucecens
Deletehttps://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/carpobed.htm When the flowers dry the remaining "pod" is broken open and eaten by a lot of indigenous people here.