Broken to Beautiful

Fig. 1     Foxtail ferns (Asparagus densiflorus 'Myers') are a common sight in my garden.

One of my favorite container plants is the Foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus 'Myers'). In a pot (Fig. 1), I can move them from one place to another in the yard where an instant color is needed.  Foxtail ferns develop vigorous root system along with water storage organs.   This feature makes the plant a celebrity-drought-tolerant plant.  As a container plant, however, the same vigorous roots system causes a slight draw back.  The plant gets root-bound easily.  

Fig. 2     Pressure from the foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus) roots broke the terra cotta pot.

The problem.  In my garden the super-powered roots of the Asparagus densiflorus defied the shape of its container pot (Fig. 2).  It is very obvious that this plant is in a desperate need of more room to grow.   Dividing the plant at this point would only mean breaking the already-broken pot.  I was not sold to this idea.

Fig. 3     Sempervivum-pups in a row.

The Solution.   I cut off some of the roots that have been dried out from being exposed through the crack - to make room for a little bit of potting soil.  Using sempervivum that are available from my garden, I planted the crack with similarly drought tolerant plants (Fig. 3).

Fig. 4   These plants (Sempervivum - hen and chicks) look like they have been there all the time.

The outcome.   The crack no longer looks like a disgrace (Fig. 4).  As soon as the temperatures get warmer, these "ever-living" runners will send their own roots into the thicket to join the foxtail fern's roots.   Today, I saw a bird trying to get peck on the new plants which tells me that a wire around the plants might be necessary for the time being. 

Finally, to avoid such thing from happening in your gardens, divide potted foxtail ferns at least every two years.  For bulbous containers like the one I used here (Fig. 2 and Fig. 4) division is even more critical because at a certain point the plant cannot be pulled out without damaging the container.    

 

A little bit of imagination can transform some problems into blessings.

Breathing Plants



Fig. 1  Recovering ferns.  



Plants are not breathing organisms.* But why do some of us treat them as if they are hamsters or cats? We just can't throw plants away even if we don't need them anymore.  So we put them in a new but less conducive shelter in hope of future adoption.  Well, these plants (Fig.1) are like those.  They are no longer good for that corner in the garden but I still want to keep them.  They have been uprooted and planted in small containers.  The recovery will be slow but one day they will be lush once more and who knows, someone might be interested to have them. 



Fig. 2  Saved Schlumbergera stem now blooming.  



There are plants everywhere in my garden that are not supposed to be there.  Spider plants, Christmas cacti (Fig. 2), and mints are growing in small pots here and there.  Why I keep them is still a question.  Could it be that my subconscious belief tells me that these plants are breathing - that to get rid of them could be murderous?  I refuse to admit that I am in fact a hoarder of plants.



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*One might argue that plants also breathe through their stomata - but that's not breathing because there are no lungs involved.  It's called gas exchange. :)

Save your plants only if you know that they will be useful to you or someone else in this lifetime.