Flowering Yucca

There are so many nurseries in this area that one can afford to be picky about where to go for a certain item. Back in August I visited the Western Hills Gardens in Occidental with my friend Ann and her landscapers' group. Although it appeared that the new owners were more interested in restoring the property to its former glory, they were selling a few of the more unusual plants, which they were able to propagate from the garden. I bought a small Puya, grown from a large flowering one in the garden. It has striking and unusual turquoise flowers with orange centers.

Impulse buys require research, and the research on this Puya raimondii (Reina de los Andes) revealed that although it is drought tolerant and likes full sun, it would do best in a pot. It also revealed that it would take eight to ten years to flower! OilMan was sufficiently recovered from yesterday's ordeal to make it clear that he wanted to work in the garden and didn't want to come with me, so I took myself off to Petaluma and the Cottage Garden Nursery, which has a nice selection of pots and succulents. It is well laid out with decomposed granite paths, beautifully planted beds showcasing the plants they sell, and all manner of garden ornaments.

As I was leaving, I spotted a row of yucca plants in flower. Peeking out from behind the yucca is the head of a large, rusted metal silhouette of a heron. The advantage of rusted metal garden sculptures is that they don't require water or even soil. I'm pretty sure I could also find a place for the balls.