One would think that by now just about every commonly used plant has been trialed in just about every climate here in the U.S. Not so. Especially with cacti and succulents. With help from YuccaDo nursery, Tabula Rasa will be trialing Ferocactus latispinus. Also: 1. Coryphantha aff. pycnacantha 2. Echinocactus setispinus 3. Echinocactus texensis 4. Echinopsis formosa 'amaichensis' Besides trialing a lot of the Agave and Agave cultivars, I am especially intersted in trialing Aloe. I know of only 2 species that thrive here, but I feel sure that there must be other species that could be landscape worthy. I don't expect any problems with this plant. Eomecon chionantha. I've seen it called several different common names. My choice for it is 'Chinese Bloodroot'. Agave parrasana 'Fireball'. A new introduction from the whiz kids at Xeric Growers. And I've actually been able to keep my 3 Euphorbia obesa alive for over a year. New growth is this amazing blue coloration. OK. It looks green. Blues are hard to get on camera. That bit of Aloe barely in the picture is called 'Blue Boy'. A miniature also from Xeric Growers. And coming soon...blooms on my Gordonia lasianthus.
I contacted Wade Roitsch, manager of YuccaDo nursery, back in October of last year and explained what my ideas and plans were for Tabula Rasa. After placing many, many, orders, mostly for Agave, I ordered cacti for my own trials: he added the Ferocactus with a note they were for trialing. So it helps if you are a professional gardener (I'm a retired estate gardener) and are able to provide the necessary 'infrastructure' required so that the results reflect integrity, and that diligent care has been performed. In other words, I didn't dig a hole and put the plant into it and walk away and return in a year and say dead or alive. And I'm not saying only professional gardeners are any better at it. It's how you develop whatever techniques for whatever type of gardening one does. I just happened to get paid for what most of ya'll do as a passion or hobby: or seekers of home-grown tomatoes. I'm going to do a post on what estate gardening is all about, at least my experience with it. You'd be surprised. But my trialing is just mom and pop stuff, nothing professional or scientific journal worthy: such as what they do at the Dallas Arboretum.
