Friday, August 22, 2014

Multiplicity

Isn't it nice when you come home from work and you have parcels of newly arrived plant goodies to open up?

Have to say they were all well packaged, much to my delight!
It may have turned rather unseasonably chilly here at the moment but it hasn't stopped me from planning for the garden and looking out for new plants that's for sure. In fact by going on a more indoor mode means it's more conducive to go online shopping...


Saying that I have been over the past few weeks, even before the dip in temperatures thinking about getting more succulents. However, instead of buying several individual types like what I used to do to 'tick the box', this time I bought multiples of the same plant or group of plants that I really like instead.

By having several of the same thing I feel I can be even more creative with the way I'll be able to present them.

Echeveria purpusorum
They look so cute in their tiny pots the size of shot glasses
Echeverias are a large group of succulents and there are some of them that I really like. Echeveria purpusorum were on the top of my list so I bought four of them. I also find the Echeveria agavoides group very attractive and a pot full of them do well in our garden so I bought a few more from the group.


Echeveria agavoides 'Lipstick'
Echeveria agavoides 'Romeo'
Echeveria agavoides (Pink Leaf Form)
They will keep our only pot of Echeveria agavoides company
An Aloe made it on my recent purchases and that is Aloe suprafoliata. The leaves are distichous when young but will eventually spiral as it matures. They look so unusual and attractive and one would not have been enough, so I got four instead.



Aloe suprafoliata
A couple of individual/lone plants did make it with the lot which are Agave 'Mateo' and Echeveria 'Giant Blue'. With the Agave it is a cross and one of the parents is Agave bracteosa, my favourite agave which made me more drawn to the plant. With Echeverias I tend to shy away with frilly pink ones. This one is looking frilly and pink at the moment but I have high hopes it will eventually become less frilly and more blue in time as its name suggests.


Agave 'Mateo'
Echeveria 'Giant Blue'
When I ordered these plants initially I was aiming to sort them out for display this year. Now I'm pondering whether to just re-pot and nurture them under glass and aim for displaying them out next year instead.

I have nice new plants, now I'll need nice new pots for them too. And this time I think plain terracotta just won't do...

Mark :-)

42 comments :

  1. Nice plant goodies. I really love echeverias. That Giant Blue is going to be gorgeous as it matures and becomes more ruffled.

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    1. I hope so Deanne, looking forward to that :)

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  2. I've never bought plants online, but there aren't so many good nurseries down here. Seriously thinking about trying it out.

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    1. Most of our experience with online plant shopping has been good so far. All of these were from eBay Jessica :)

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  3. I love opening boxes to find plants inside, and you picked some nice ones! It's more fun when you don't know what to expect though, like from a mystery plant trade with other gardeners. You should have Gaz open the boxes from your orders, and you open what he ordered. :)

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    1. Oh I like that idea Alan :)) only thing is I mostly do the online shopping thing and he rarely does, but when visiting nurseries he does splurge when in a good mood.

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  4. Wow, when you shop, you shop! All your selections are wonderful but I absolutely love the Echeveria agavoides. I have a 'Lipstick' myself but I don't think I've ever seen the other 2 colors you purchased. It's clearly time for me to make the rounds of local succulent sellers to have another look at what's available.

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    1. Hopefully you'll get hold of several other types of Echeveria agavoides soon Kris :) have a look on eBay, this is where I got this lot and only one was a result of bidding, the rest were buy it now.

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  5. Is there anything better than buying plants? Great choices, all the way around. Agave Mateo grows much faster than bracteosa in my experience. Are you going to plant it out?

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    1. I'm pondering on planting one out Gerhard, seeming as Agave bracteosa is hardy here. Perhaps when I get hold of another one and both have bulked up a bit more I will :)

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  6. I like the idea of buying multiple plants. It's a bit like the old idea of buying in 3, 5 or 7 of any old plants. Summer bedding en masse of those succulents would be superb but alas that's impossibly expensive so I suppose the nearest equivalent would be mass planting of sempervivums. Any way I seem to remember you saying you were trying to go along the route of more hardy Himalayan species? I suppose everyone is entitled to slight mental aberrations :-)

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    1. We're still firmly on that route Don but a little side trip into succulents every so often doesn't harm :) one of the members of our koi club are into succulents and beds them out every summer, we heard his place is amazing. Will try and visit him over the next few days.

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  7. It is so exciting to open packages full of plants!!! I like your choices, succulents are always beautiful.

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  8. Wow, that is an impressive selection. Plants by mail are so special. I looked up Agave Giant Blue and didn't find anything close. Love it! I'll keep looking or try one of our local specialists.

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    1. Hi Shirley, I looked up on Giant Blue before as well and found no information, only about Giant Blue Curls but the vendor said this is definitely different from the latter. This form originally came from the US so hopefully you'll find one soon :)

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  9. How fun to get plants in the mail! I love succulents and your selection is fab!

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    1. Very fun Peter, like Christmas Day each time :)

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  10. Hi guys, I am so addicted to succulents right now, that is all I buy. They do well indoors and I plant them on everything!

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    1. It's so easy to get into them isn't it Jeannine? :)

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  11. As I was looking at your beautiful new plants I thought how they need to be in interesting containers - have fun finding pots for them! An excuse the visit some studio potteries ;-)

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    1. That's a great idea Celia :) have to say finding nice pots is a challenge...

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  12. Those are great. First looking at the photo I assumed they were Sempervivens since they are so similiar. Love them here as they are winter hardy here. You have some choice looking plants there. Envious too of the Aloe.
    Cher

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    1. Sempervivums are such reliable plants Cher, I'm glad you get to enjoy them too :)

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  13. Oh yet another plant parcel! :) You must be enjoying yourselves. Your observation about more indoor time equating to more plant buying is spot on. If it carries on raining like it is I shall be ordering spring flowering bulbs instead of going to the allotment this afternoon.

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    1. I think having more time indoors can be just as demanding on the wallet Anna, fun though :)

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  14. Great buys! I'm forever on the hunt for great pots :)

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  15. What a wonderful selection. I like the idea of several of the same plant. I had not thought to look for Echeveria on line : ) I just found some at Home Depot of all places. Looking foward to seeing how you pot them up!

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    1. Well worth looking online Laurin especially for more obscure ones. Although home shops are good sources too, same situation here. Pots that I like though are not as easy to find

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  16. Wow, you really went for it! I rarely buy plants online (too many excellent nurseries nearby) so I don't really know that feeling. Of course there is the thrill of coming home to a box from a blog reader/friend with a plant inside. That's always nice.

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    1. You guys are so lucky there Loree, so many excellent nurseries and relatively close to each other too! Plant pressies are the best :)

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  17. Plant envy!!!! I can't wait to get into the garden again! What about trailing or hanging succulents? Love the string of pearls.

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    1. Spring's just around the corner there, yay! Yes I'm pondering on hanging succulents too :)

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  18. Usually it's winter that has me in mail order mode, but this summer I can't seem to stop shopping. The garden is maxed out, it's high summer, and still I want more...glad I'm not alone! Your source provided some beautifully healthy plants.

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    1. Glad to hear we're on the same boat Denise! Keep enjoying the plant shopping bug now, who knows in the winter you may town this time (or maybe not). I still remember you holding that gorgeous Agave 'Burnt Burgundy' at Pomarius. That was a lovely purchase!

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  19. I just discovered echeverias this year. I love your selections. I think it is usually best to have multiples of a plant, except for those special specimens. I adore 'Giant Blue', pink frills and all; in fact, that may be why I am drawn to it!

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    1. That's great to hear Debs, and actually I'm starting to warm up to more 'pink and frills' echeverias :)

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  20. Hello Mark and Gaz,

    Yes, we can totally identify with the thrill of the brown paper package arriving at the door. And, yes, we can empathise completely with the cautious unwrapping and the revealing, leaf by lovely leaf, of the treasures contained therein. But, oh, now the work begins.

    To pot or not to pot and which pot and where.....decisions, decisions. What fun!

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    1. Funny you mentioned about the decisions I have to make now Jane and Lance, to pot or repot....and I have been weighing the options for a couple of days now and haven't made a decision yet...

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  21. Beautiful, quality plants there. I'm sure you will keep them looking just as beautiful as they were on arrival.

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    1. Hope so Gail. I'm impressed with the quality of this bunch, a relief especially as it can be a bit of a gamble when buying online.

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