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your arid beds

Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:30 pm
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

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:00 pm
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?

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 12:38 pm
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.

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:10 am
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

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:25 am
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

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:32 am
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.

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:43 am
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.

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:03 pm
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.

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:26 pm
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?

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:54 pm
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.

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:12 pm
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.

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:33 pm
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.

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 11:30 am
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...

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 11:47 am
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.

Re: your arid beds

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 12:46 pm
by Steph
That's like my beds, brick paving & gravel!

That cacti, the opuntia looks mean & ugly..