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One of the most exciting discoveries recently, here in the Intermountain Region, is we really can grow Century Plants. We mountain gardeners used to look wistfully at gardens in Arizona and along the west coast, wishing for those incredible Agave in our landscapes.

There is something so alluring, so sculptural, so geometrically perfect in the shape of an Agave plant. When plant collector/gardeners found and transplanted Agave from their high elevation habitats in west Texas, southern New Mexico, northern Arizona and in the deserts of the Great Basin, the cold hardiness of these species eventually became evident. Then if you combine grasses with Agave, you'll have a most stunning plant combination in your garden.

Agave
Our High Country Gardens list for Agave for USDA zones 5-6 includes:

• the ghostly white Agave parryi Flagstaff
• the massive grey-blue A. havardiana
• the highly variable A. utahensis and all its subspecies
• the clustering grey A. neomexicana
• the miniature treasure A. toumeyana v. bella

As you move into warmer winter zones of USDA 7 and higher, the number of species becomes much more extensive.

Best Sites
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.

Miniature Agave species-- A. utahensis and A. toumeyana v. bella--are best planted 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. Help the plants along by fertilizing annually in early summer and irrigating 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.

Companion Plants
Succulent groundcovers like Delosperma and Ruschia make superb companion plants beneath the spiny rosettes of Agave, softening and brightening the look.

Agave and Grasses
I am particularly enamored with the ornamental grass-Agave duo in my gardens. The yin/yang of nature: stationary vs. movable, hard vs. soft, fine textured vs. broad and bold is not my original idea. This combination is seen in their western habitats where the graceful desert Muly grasses grow right next to the huge Agave rosettes.

Grass and Agave Combinations

• Muhlenbergia dubia with Agave parryi,
• Blepharoneuron tricholepis with A. utahensis (Peach Springs collection)
• Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues' with A. havardiana.

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. Alternatively, you can surround a big growing Agave species with dozens of smaller growing Festuca glauca 'Boulder Blue.'

Grass and Agave make a stunning vignette anytime, especially at sunset. Arrange plants and garden benches for summer viewing.

David's Helpful Hints: Using Trios for Perennial Groupings

For spectacular blooming moments in your garden consider the rule of trio plantings. Three plants make special corners and borders to produce eye-pleasing harmony. Choose three plants that bloom during a particular season; then select one of each height--tall, medium and short.

Things to consider when choosing plants and site placement:

• complimentary or contrasting colors
• matching water and light needs
• soil requirements

Below are examples to get you started. Plants are listed from tall to short. All are xeric with the exception of the early spring trio which likes just a bit more water.

Early Spring - Pulsatilla vulgaris, Alyssum montanum 'Mountain Gold', and Veronica liwanensis. Two purples and a gold look smashing together, and even more spectacular combined with early spring bulbs.

Late Spring - Centranthus ruber 'Coccineus', Salvia nemerosa 'May Night', and Achillea x 'Moonshine'. Pink, purple, and lemon-yellow create a living bouquet in any perennial border.

Summer - Oenothera fremontii 'Shimmer', Lavandula x 'England', and Penstemon pinifolius 'Nearly Red' make a sweet smelling combination of reds, yellow and lavender-blue with lots of finely textured foliage.

Early Fall - Salvia pitcheri 'Grandiflora', Solidago 'Fireworks', and Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues' will lead the way to fall with shades of blue and yellow, highlighted with a mound of grass with blue blades changing to purple as the weather cools.

Combine all four trios and you'll have a perennial border that blooms throughout the growing season.



Our 2007 Spring Gardening Series: Xeriscape Gardening with Style

Our speaker line-up is a great one this year with experts in all areas.

2/03 -- Xeriscaping for Portals & Patios Part 2—Perennials
Presented by David Salman

2/10 -- Fun and Frugal Landscaping: Big Garden Ideas for Small Budgets-- Scott Calhoun

2/17 -- Texture in the Garden-- Kelly Grummons

2/24 -- Distinctive Gardens: A Western Sense of Place-- Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer

3/03 -- Four Seasons of Container Gardening-- Bob Ross, SFG Staff

Workshops are held on Saturday and start at 2 pm and are held on the grounds of Santa Fe Greenhouses. For more information, please call 505-473-2700, or toll free 1-877-811-2700 or visit us on the web at www.santafegreenhouses.com. Map

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