Succulents

Caught in a Bad Romance

Many of us have seen impressive, enormous agave specimens at botanic gardens. Their contribution to architectural interest is undeniable. Here on the East Coast, they also create a spectacle. They look like nothing else we are accustomed to seeing here. It’s no wonder many of us fall in love and succumb to a relationship with an agave.

I didn’t think it through when we bought our first agaves about 8 years ago. They were small, cute, and not too tricky to manage if you could convince your more physically able partner to help you manipulate them. In the northeast, that means moving them at least twice a year with the seasons, not to mention re-potting. But now, our biggest agaves are 4 feet across and capable of inflicting serious harm. And despite the cuts, puncture wounds, and stressful tactical discussions with my husband, we have grown VERY attached to them. My husband now needs my help to move them. I wear long sleeves and eye protection. We have had to get creative and think of new long-term strategies. Our arms no longer reach around them. Our backs can no longer lift them. Our doors can no longer open wide enough to get them indoors. We have used pot lifters, which give us a bit of distance from the sharp leaves. We have also used 2×4 pieces of lumber to create a stretcher of sorts. But this still means we must re-pot each year because our decorative pots are too big to move. Also, the agaves will not be able to fit through the double doors into the sunroom at the end of this summer. So now we are considering rolling, opening Versailles planter boxes, and making our garage into yet another plant room (the plants have already taken over the basement and sunroom). Agaves are testing the limits of our obsession. But something tells me we haven’t gotten there yet.

 

Baby Picture of Agaves

     

 

Agave lurida in 2023

 

Using the 2×4 method

 

Halfway there!

 

The look on Chad’s face says it all.

 

Safely indoors for 2023,

 

… but where will they go in 2024?

One Comment

  • Puja

    I have literally no words. It all just sounded so magical and I felt I was imagining and everything was just unfolding right in front of my eyes as I was reading through. Your journey has been so inspiring and captive. Kudos to you both! Despite all the challenges physically and emotionally, you guys created a TRUE MAGIC!!

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