FW: Aloe arborescens
- Subject: FW: Aloe arborescens
- From: &* S* <p*@re-taste.com>
- Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:50:47 +0200
- Importance: Normal
From: Pamela Steele [p*@re-taste.com]
Sent: 17 July 2007 17:49
To: david feix
Subject: RE: Aloe arborescens
David
What a pleasure to get your knowledgable response.
I was so interested in your ideas about companions for the Bulbine
frutescens. I know Convolvulus mauritancius I have it on another bank and
it is doing very well.It doesn't need lots of water and grows over stumps
etc. I was thinking that Nepeta or Perovskia atriplicifolium might do well
but I haven't discovered Plecanthus -it looks like an interesting plant,but
I am not sure if it is available here. We are so limited with choice.
Funnily enough I have some Teuchrium (but frutiscens)planted nearby as we
have very old Erythrina crista-galli above this terrace. The problem we have
here in the Costa Blanca is that there are so little 'Mediterranean'climate
plants to buy other than the Agaves, Palms etc. The tendency for planting
'instant' gardens full of annuals is disappointing because in the end the
indigenous species are not readily available. Therefore gardens here are
very samey. We are hoping to go up to France in September (Carcassone) to
Bulbargence who supply some interesting bulbs and in particular I will be
getting Arginea maritimus which I think is delightful and so suitable for
our rocky coastal garden.
Being very much a 'newby'in the gardening world I am grateful for your most
interesting contribution.
Best wishes
Pamela
-----Original Message-----
From: david feix [d*@yahoo.com]
Sent: 17 July 2007 16:52
To: pamela.steele@re-taste.com; Medit-Plants
Subject: RE: Aloe arborescens
Pamela,
Aloe arborescens will quite readily reroot from quite
big cuttings if not done in the height of summer under
full hot sun. I usually harden off large cuttings in
shade for a month or so, then plant out in the garden
in the cooler spring months. They can even be cut
while in bloom, and perhaps take best in the garden if
planted out in February/March. Smaller cuttings will
probably need to get at least 2 to 3 feet tall before
they bloom regularly, in my experience.
Bulbine frutescens looks more lush if if gets some
regular irrigation in summer. You might consider
planting it with other similar water requirement
plants such as the blue flowered Convolvulus
mauritanicus, or purpled flowered Plectranthus
neochilus, or the fuchsia/magenata flowered
Calandrinia grandiflora. The dwarf cultivars of
Teucrium are also quite nice combined with Bulbine.
One other suggestion for combination plantings with a
blue theme, only foliage not flowers, would be to
combine with either Senecio mandraliscae or the
dwarfer, tighter growing and slower to establish S.
serpens. I wish we had all the various color
variations of the wild Bulbine frutescens plants in
South Africa, as I saw some lovely white and yellow
flowered varieties with paler blue foliage while in
the Little Karroo. There is great variation to be
seen in this plant in South Africa, and I think all
our plants look the same in California because it is
so easily propagated from cuttings, and no one bothers
with seed.
The other Bulbine species we grow here is also quite
nice, and looks more like a juicy Aloe when not
blooming; Bulbine latifolia. The flower spike is much
more substantial, looking more like Bulbinella
robusta, and the plant is more touchy about growing
conditions as well. I seem to lose half of any group
plantings to rotting out, while the remainder thrive.
Bulbine annua is also easy to grow here, but is not
really worth the effort, in my opinion.
Bulbine frutescens does pretty well with just once or
twice weekly irrigation in our mild coastal conditions
by the bay, and with just once a month or once every
two months right next to the ocean, where it gets less
heat and much more coastal fog in summer. The plant
will let you know how often it wants to be watered, as
it will stop blooming with too little water, and grow
way too fast with too much irrigation.
Best,
David Feix
--- Pamela Steele <pamela.steele@re-taste.com> wrote:
> Thank you David, this is really helpful.It seems
> best to take large cuttings
> for this plant which I have not done.
> With the Bulbine, I have a large area under a now
> small 5 feet(planted last
> year) Cordeline australis and I would like to put
> the Bulbine or if that is
> not suitable some Nepeta. It is a hot area with sun
> all day but I can
> irrigate it well.
> Best wishes
> Pamela
