your arid beds

James1991
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2013 9:40 pm
Location: suffolk

your arid beds

Post by James1991 »

im new to growing arids and im looking for some inspiration. can you guys/girls post pics of your beds so i can have a looksie. thanks
kindredspirit
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:59 pm
Location: Mid West Ireland

Re: your arid beds

Post by kindredspirit »

Image

Beschornerias, Yucca Gloriosas, Dwarf fan Palms, Agave Americanas, sitting on ground cover of Lampranthus and Delosperma Cooperii.

All under glass covered Pergola. They only get watered about three times a year! :( (photo taken a week or two ago and Delosperma is purple at moment due to lack of water but that's their problem! Tough Luck! :) )

BTW, Lampranthus seems to spread and spread without any need for water. How's that done?
multim

Re: your arid beds

Post by multim »

Chamaerops 'Cerifera' x 7, Yucca Rostrata, Yucca Thompsoniana, Yucca Linearis, Brahea Armata, Aloe Aristata, Agave Parryi, Agave Montana, Agave Parrasana, Cycas Revoluta, Dasylerion Wheeleri and an Echium just for this year.
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dorothy

Re: your arid beds

Post by dorothy »

Hi Multim, love your arid bed! Do you protect any of your plants over winter? I would like some more Agaves but not sure which one can stay out all winter? I need to add some more plants to my bed :D
pdid

Re: your arid beds

Post by pdid »

I don't have an arid bed, I have flirted with the idea for a few years but decided I don't have the space (or drainage)!

However here is a link to a wonder round Keith and Melissa's garden, with probabably the best arid slope I've seen in the UK.

http://www.growingontheedge.net/viewtop ... f=2&t=4649
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karl66
Posts: 2646
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2011 6:39 pm
Location: halesowen. west midlands

Re: your arid beds

Post by karl66 »

Dot, I would say you'd be fine in Nottingham with most run of the mill yucca's & even more exotic ones without need for protection, obviously there are going to be freaky weather condition's when some protection is required!, I keep large faxionia, rostrata's. linearis, thompsonia..... other's will maybe cover to prevent leaf spotting but here that soon grow's out.
multim

Re: your arid beds

Post by multim »

Hi Dorothy, Thanks for those kind words.
I do provide a little overhead protection for Y. Thompsoniana and Y. Linearis. This is because Winter wet will 'spot' the leaves and it's easy and quick to give them cover. The Y. Rostrata is now too large to protect but any leaf spotting soon grows out during Summer.
The Agaves, I just place a clear plastic box over them (the type used for storage) when rain followed by a frost is due - as is forecast tonight.
Apart from the three Agaves mentioned, I will be adding an A.Neomexicana which is also reputed to be pretty hardy. (I have spare 'pups' if you'd like one - PM me)
There are others which may be worth trying - some will say Agave Americana in their various forms. I have tried these and found them not hardy enough for where I am.
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Twin wall polycarbonate on a simple frame
Twin wall polycarbonate on a simple frame
stephenprudence

Re: your arid beds

Post by stephenprudence »

My arid bed isn't a traditionally thought of one, it's tiny, and contains a Trachycarpus, so it's probably quite inaccurate to call it an arid bed - that said it has cacti, succulents and alpines in it.
Blairs

Re: your arid beds

Post by Blairs »

What is everyone using for drainage? I have Agave out in clay pots 50% perlite, some stone chippings and compost with some bark chippings. Have tried to protect from rain in a large cold frame. Lost 1 Agave to excess wet. Am thinking of putting some in the ground with clay hydroponic pebbles, perlite and stone chippings to add drainage, plan is also to raise the area. Would this work or would I need overhead protection?
Steph
Posts: 993
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:25 pm
Location: East London, bordering Essex.

Re: your arid beds

Post by Steph »

When we had our drive done, I had a trench up to 3' deep left for beds.
No soil went in, just gravel and the plants pit in have thrived, even weeds.
Blairs

Re: your arid beds

Post by Blairs »

Steph wrote:When we had our drive done, I had a trench up to 3' deep left for beds.
No soil went in, just gravel and the plants pit in have thrived, even weeds.
Great, I will try without soil.
Steph
Posts: 993
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:25 pm
Location: East London, bordering Essex.

Re: your arid beds

Post by Steph »

Just give the plants the soil that is the contents of their pot.
Its been quite an interesting experiment and the plants are thriving, lost one agave this year, too much rain!
Makes space for an aloe polyphylla.
One of the Parryi is pupping nicely.

In fact anything arid these days that gets potted just gets backfilled with gravel in oversized pots.
TonyJ

Re: your arid beds

Post by TonyJ »

Just popped out and took these pictures of my small arid bed in the front of my house. It's looking a bit sparse at the moment as what you can see are the plants I leave in year round. I have plenty of other more tender stuff that'll go out next month...
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multim

Re: your arid beds

Post by multim »

Very nice. You're wise to have those Opuntia well out of the way. I used to grow them but found them to be too painful! No more cacti for me.
Steph
Posts: 993
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:25 pm
Location: East London, bordering Essex.

Re: your arid beds

Post by Steph »

That's like my beds, brick paving & gravel!

That cacti, the opuntia looks mean & ugly..
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