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Gardening Tips
For more information about soil, plants, garden history, botanical news, watering and much more, read 100's of gardening articles in our extensive online Library.
David Salman, President/
Chief Horticulturist
Ava Salman, VP / Dir. of Marketing
Kerry Kirkpatrick, Editor
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Cold Hardy Agave: Living Sculptures for your Garden
-- By David Salman, President, High Country Gardens
 I admit that I have a fascination with cold hardy succulents, ornamental grasses and other plant groups that for some gardeners, are just a bit off the beaten path. But it's many of these same plants that are bringing a whole new look to American gardens.
There is something so alluring, so sculptural, so geometrically perfect in the shape of an Agave plant. The bold, sculptural forms of Agave add drama to any garden. Agaves (Century Plants) are hot stuff in the world of garden design, and High Country Gardens currentlly offers the largest selection of cold hardy varieties of any mail order/online nursery in the country!
See video and more info about Agave on our website
Large Agave
 When plant collector/gardeners found and transplanted Agave from their high elevation habitats in the Southwest and deserts of the Great Basin, the cold hardiness of these species eventually became evident. Collected on the brutally cold, exposed high-altitude plateau near Flagstaff, Arizona, Agave parry 'Parry's Century Plant, Flagstaff Form' and it's cousin Agave Parryi 'Camp Verde' are some of the largest, most cold-hardy forms of Agave you can grow.
 Havard’s Century Plant is the “big boy” of the cold-hardy Agave, growing to an imposing size at maturity! The massive leaves are particularly wide and fiercely-spined, so give it plenty of room, and keep it away from walks and entrance ways. Plant it with the sublimely beautiful desert grass, Muhlenbergia dubia, for a striking sculptural combination.
 Native to southeastern New Mexico, Agave neomexicana is another large, cold hardy Agave species. The main rosette of foliage is large, heavily armed with dark burgundy spines and often spouts smaller “suckers” around its base. When the plant matures sufficiently to bloom (after many years of slow growth), it sends up a huge 12-15’ tall flowering spike that will attract hummingbirds from miles around.
In the Western xeriscape, Century Plants are best planted where they can enjoy intense all day (or all afternoon) sun. Use the advantage of hot walls and enclosed walled gardens. Be sure the soil is well drained as standing water during the winter months will be the death of these plants.
Agave for Smaller Spaces
 There are many small growing agave species just right for growing in containers on the patio and planting in home landscapes with limited space. After many years of growing Agave toumeyana v. bella in my Santa Fe cacti gardens I was convinced it was a minature gem. However, it was only recently that I was finally able to secure seed of this rare, very cold hardy form of the species.
The smaller 'dwarf' agave, Agave utahensis, display beautifully in smaller spaces:
A. utahensis and A. toumeyana v. bella are perfect for planting in containers. Plant them in pots or trough planters next to benches and sitting areas where their elevated placement calls attention to their small stature.
Mulch and Care
 Have fun using ornamental stone mulches. Polished black stone cobbles or racked Zen-style gravel are a perfect match under these living sculptures. Smaller nursery-grown Agave take 4 to 5 years to reach a large size. With rare exceptions, agaves don't need feeding; but you can give plants a very light layer of slow-release fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season.The first month or two after planting, water plants every four or five days. Irrigate every couple of weeks during the heat of summer. Be sure to stop watering in early fall as the plants must harden off for winter.
Learn how to plant agaves in our short planting video guide on You-tube.
Great Companions for Agave
 Agaves also give structure to beds of native wildflowers. Penstemon and agastache look twice as flowery and feminine paired with bold agave. Succulent groundcovers like Delosperma and Ruschia make superb companions for Agave, giving them a softer, brighter look.
Agaves stand in striking contrast to the fine swaying textures of ornamental grasses. If you combine Agave with grasses such as festuca, feather grass, and muhlenbergia, you’ll have a most stunning plant combination in your garden.
Be creative your own agave combinations. You can grow these in containers as well, which is strongly recommended for gardeners in the high precipitation areas of the Midwest and Eastern US. Think outside the border, the perennial border that is, and find a new look for your garden.
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-- Dan, Albuquerque, New Mexico |
Gardening With Cold-Hardy Cacti
by David Salman
Cacti are some our most spectacular native flowering plants, but often our most overlooked wildflowers when planning and planting a xeriscape. Cacti not only contribute stunning flowers in spring and summer, but also provide year-round interest with their structural evergreen stems and geometrically arranged spines.
 Cacti require a fast draining soil. This means no clay and no added compost, peat moss or other soil conditioners which make the soil too rich in nitrogen and humus. I recommend only Planters II trace mineral fertilizer and Yum Yum Mix be used. I also recommend a berm created with a mix of small gravel, coarse sand and very little soil. Most cacti prefer full sun and benefit from warm protected microclimates where rocks, buildings or pavement absorb and hold heat.
A number of cacti are native to the Great Plains. Whether found growing directly in the grasslands or in rock outcroppings, these species are the most moisture tolerant, cold hardiest and easily grown of the barrel-type varieties and include:
Among recommended companion plants for these prairie species include:
 My favorite species from the intermountain West can be planted with either of the above groups. Echinocereus triglochidiatus (Claretcup) with its late spring display of orange flowers is our largest and showiest cold-hardy clumper.
‘White Sands Strain’ is the biggest and most vigorous growing member of the species and matures to a massive (2-3’ tall x 18-24” wide) cluster of 5” diameter stems. It can be used as the centerpiece for any xeric planting. I like to combine it with Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri), the rare Yellow Texas Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora “Yellow”) and Beargrass
(Nolina microcarpa).
Maintenance is the final component to a healthy cactus planting. Always keep cacti mulched with gravel. I prefer crushed (angular) gravel to a depth of 2”. Remember to replenish gravel mulch annually; freezing winter weather causes the soil to contract and expand pulling the gravel down into the soil and thinning the layer above ground.
Established plants grow fastest when watered regularly, once every 7 to 10 days during the heat of the summer (when there is no rain). Stop watering by early September to let the plants dry down and shrivel in preparation for winter. Fertilize no more than once a year. I like to top-dress with Yum Yum Mix at the start of summer.
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