Accessible Gardening: #21 Practical Matters for Phsically Challenged Gardeners, 3 by Agavegirl1

Agavegirl1 wrote:
Hi guys,
Sorry for the lapse. Dave needed the computer and then the dust demanded my attention. Good God it is a prolific as the dandelions out here and my house isn\'t bad compared to the dust bowl I used to live in previously and the fact that I\'m so manic about cleaning. I think it is just all the tile stuff, the constant coming in and out of the back door (cutting it, getting the grout mixed, etc.), and walking around with our shoes on that caused most of it. Also taking up the gross carpet didn\'t help and tis the season for small black tumbleweeds of Greyhound fur to blow around the floor. Yes, Greys shed. It is hot. They\'re a dog, all be it a short haired dog.

Also had to lick my wounds again as I got hives and started the itching/scratching thing and my arms opened up from the scrapes I got. I think I told you about Century Plant sap right? Poison Ivy type of reaction. Thankfully I only got a small dose. Fell asleep early and then hit the deck running again this morning.

Uh...by the time I got to your requests for pups I cringed. Had ten pups all set aside and photographed that I had tried to pawn off on others on ATP as well. No biters as they all have their own overabundance of gnarly little beasts. I was going to wait and see if you or Jim wanted some but when I went out this morning they were gone. Dave was kind enough to explain he threw them out. \"I didn\'t think you wanted them! You went through a lot to get rid of them all and look at your arms. I just thought you hadn\'t got around to throwing them out so I did.\"

Sigh. I hate it when other people play with my toys! Grrrrrr! Anyway I\'m sure this thing and every other one in my yard will sprout 10 more in another month so I\'ll have an overabundance to give away.

In the interim I can send you a lovely good size Aloe Vera (nice and medicinal and works good on cuts and scrapes---eye roll & grimace) and an A. sisalana pup which will grow to monstrous proportions but has NO side/marginal spines. It only grows very long, sharp lateral ones on the tips but those are easy to cut off when the plant is big enough. Also a real sun junky when big enough. Can stand my heat so I\'m sure it will be more than delighted with your late spring and summer. Will have to keep it in a sun room or green house the rest of the time. Doesn\'t mind water either just don\'t over do it and soak it to death. Both of these plants looooooove humidity but not \'wet\' roots. The A. sisalana pup right now might need a little light shading as it is small.

Don\'t worry about the PayPal thing. What does it cost to ship--- a few bucks? Won\'t make or break me. Enjoy. Who knows, I may you to send me something some time in return.

Yes just send me your address on the e.-mail here and I\'ll send them out to you. Remember, cactus-citrus-palm soil ONLY for these things and well draining pots! Regular potting soil won\'t cut it with Agaves, Aloes and cacti. (Learned that lesson once myself).

Rule of thumb with water better to delay watering a little bit than over water. Check soil your WHOLE index finger down. If it is dry 3/4 or more of the way, then at that point water. They have long, deep roots so although the soil is dry the first inch or two there\'s still plenty of moisture at root level.

I\'ll even toss in a piece of my crab cactus. You\'ll like that one. I gave Jim one and it has been growing well for him. Very easy fuss free plant with minimal spines. Located at the bottom primarily. Doesn\'t pup but grows more kind of like a succulent in clumps and masses. Max height is about 3 feet. Again loves sun and water but follow same rule for soil and water as above.

Jim,
I\'ll have to check out the mighty, might Flying Dragon and others. Since I\'ve been away from the N.E. part of the country I no longer remember what grows there or what a lot of stuff looks like aside from the basics (tulips, roses, peonies, etc.).

Your cukes sound great! Nice of your friend to trade with you. Always fun. Lemon cukes sound most interesting. Named on the basis of color or taste? Sound yummy anyway. Those, gourds, and pumpkins and even tomatoes I know are insane when it comes to the vines and seem to be your nightmare to manage the way pups are ours.

Rub it in about the peach by the way. I\'d killlllll for a peach that wasn\'t as hard as a brick, tasted like---I dunno and was sweet the way a peach ought to be. I think you remember my long time lament with Bets about the tomatoes out here also. Sigh. But hey....we got really spikey things that get cool flowers! Too bad I can\'t eat them. :[ They look yummy like candy or cake decorations. Friend described seeing flowers on a cactus as the equivalent as seeing an Easter bonnet on a construction worker. LOL

As for our thorns and spines yep pure masochism. I think we take the loony-toons award for gardeners. Heat, dust, dry, vicious plants that aren\'t user friendly and either reproduce like rabbits or grow at a snails pace if you\'re lucky and for good measure half of them grow to be the size of mini vans or two story buildings. But for some reason we just love them. :D Maybe it is the heat? After awhile I think it rattles one\'s brain.

Speaking of heat it is officially 100 degrees today. YIPPEE! Good times. Next two days it will drop in the 80s and we\'ll have tremendous wind and then the 3rd day it will be 73 and rain! All in one week. Gotta love AZ. It will then begin its ascent once again into the 80s and 90s. I think the end of May is honestly going to be it for us before we start shaking, baking, and everything starts frying and dying (including my hair). Bust out the shade tent for the plants and the sun hat and lotion for me.

You get bombarded with May birthdays I get all Fall and Winter birthdays. I am the only person I know of (aside from you and my hairdresser) born in May. I know nobody with a Summer b-day---oh, and Buddha too! :D
.
I have 4 friends, all Libras in late September to early October.
My husband, my father (when alive) and my SIL (who give a S***) are all Virgos in September.
My anniversary is in September.
My mother\'s anniversary is in November.
My mother\'s birthday is in early December (Sagittarius)
My best friend and her husband are both in late December (Capricorns)
Brother and Stepfather are the exact same day, Jan 24th (Aquarius)
MIL and FIL (eye roll) are both late Jan and early Feb (Aquarius)

Of course let\'s not forget X-Mas in the midst of all this!

So from September -early Feb I get hammered. Might as well say I contribute to deforestation. Been making lots of phone calls instead these days.

Let me know all how the home projects are going.

O.K. without further ado here\'s my beasty. Agave Funkiana v. \'Fatal Attraction\' (appropriately named)!
In pot with pups when I got it,
bag or excess pup roots and \'umbilical\' cords (they\'re are several on the plant), the pups themselves the other day (gee...thanks Dave).
Mom flying solo in her new home.

Next set of pics are a close up of my little beast\'s marginal spines so you can see why I was complaining about my arms!
Paradisia Magnifico in bloom this morning and with a friend that looks as though it will bloom soon also.
Perhaps another of the most vicious plants I know out here. The Ocotillo tree. For reference Dave is 6\'6\" tall. The spike on this thing is 3\" long!
There\'s so many more too but won\'t load up on them.
And of course....guess who?

Hugs to all.

Oh Wise Cactus says, \"When you get stuck by a cactus consider it a kiss. Just Agave, remember love hurts.!\"
Peace. Out.
TTC