Re: Planting appropriately (was R: mystery plant

On 9/9/07, Tony and Moira <tomory@xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> Why she had chose it in the first place was something of a
> mystery, but I guess it does not occur to quite a few non gardeners that a
> tree does not permanently stay the same size as when they first bought it.


One sees this with the multitudes of yucca, agave, and Phoenix
canariensis people here plant in the narrow planting medians between
the sidewalks and the streets. These medians are only about a meter or
so wide, but people put cute little agave and Phoenixes in them
because when they buy them they are small. Then they end up having to
cut the leaves back because the rather stiff leaves of the palms and
the sharp dagger-like leaves of the yucca and agave are stabbing
people. However, no one learns a lesson and they keep planting them.

I remember as a kid there was a rather nice blue green leaved yucca
that was planted next to the sidewalk at the bottom of a hill.
Everytime we would ride our bicycles past it, we were afraid of
getting stabbed, so one would pass by it very gingerly.

A lot of people have a problem with reading labels it seems. Even if
they do read, they are convinced they can keep it pruned. This is how
the "gardeners" have turned a beautiful Quercus agrifolia into a box
on a stick in front of one of the computer labs at University. If they
didn't get their terrible secateurs on it, that tree would provide a
nie shady canopy over the patio by which it grows.

Yes, I am bitter ;).
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index