Lynn, the American made it OK and I expect that it will continue with some care.
Bev, I hope you didn't notice the sad state of the Sempervivums in some of these pictures. I think I have to dig up the entire bed if I want to return to past days of glory. I may make it a yearly chore to do maybe 20% per year. That's a tall order when there are so many pickleball courts calling.

Bev, we should corner the market on pickle balls and paddles. Then Tim would have to come to us.

Thanks for the updates always good to hear about works in other places.

I am surprised that the americana made it and the montana did not. I would have expected it to be the other way around. Given how much it hates growing here in the phoenix area, which Agave americana decidedly does not.
Based on its habitat it should be able to take cool and wet just fine, maybe a combination of location and just too much rain...

That's a great idea, Lynn! Kind of reminds me of the time we were asking everybody at the Fairground plant sale if they were Tim because we wanted him to meet us... Boy, was that a fateful day...

That was a day filled with fun, great memories.

Tim, this little cutie has made it through it's 3rd winter for me. I need to get a new photo. It bloomed last summer and was beautiful. Pups everywhere.

Lynn, you gave me one and it survived outside on the balcony's bakers rack.
Tough little bugger.

Bev, I had no doubt it would do well on your balcony. Mine has been out in the raised bed taking whatever nature throws at it. It is a tough little plant.

End of summer update. My Americana is doing quite well after being covered with a plastic sheet last winter. I'm looking for an easier way to cover it this winter... no ideas yet.


A new candidate has volunteered for migration to the garden space. This is Agave Parasana 'Globe'. I like this plant too much to not protect it this winter. I'm thinking of covering it with a clear-ish plastic barrel that I have sawed in half. I'll bet it would work great.



Notice all the 'JC Raulston' pups popping up like weeds. Soon they will be everywhere. Still the champion of winter survival here... as far as I know.

Tim, they are all beautiful. I really love the leave markings on 'Globe'.
American is a real eye catcher with it's dramatic leaves and variegated color.

Things are getting wetter and colder by the day. The Agave danger season will soon be upon us.

Last night as I lay in bed held awake by some mild indigestion, a manifestation appeared to me claiming to be the ghost of Agaves past. This apparition then haunted me with this ghastly image of last winter.


Poor Agave Montana will not see another winter. Regrettable to be sure, but unavoidable I said, dismissed it all as so much nonsense and returned to my bed.

Wouldn't you know it wasn't long before I was visited by the ghost of Agaves present which showed me this situation.


I was then reminded that although these Agaves had survived next to my house out of the rain in years past, they could still be taken by a cold snap and I had better be ready to throw some old blankets over them should a freezing east wind blow. Reasonable... I guess.

This long night was far from over. I was subsequently visited by the ghost of Agaves future. This deathly creature forced me to witness the grisly demise of my beloved Agave Americana and Agave Parrasana. They were both reduced to pulp as I wept uncontrollably over their corpses. I could contain my emotion no longer and I plead to that demon spirit "are these things that must be or are these things that I may change?" No answer was forthcoming.

I leapt out of bed at daylight and dashed outdoors in the cold, pouring rain. I was relieved to find the future I had dreamed had not come true and realized it was time for action. Wheelbarrow... check! PVC pipes... check! Old bricks... check! Plastic sheeting... check! Plastic barrel top... check!

Agave Americana is doing quite well, I would hate to lose her. I quickly assembled this frame over her.


Then I wrapped her with some 6-mil clear plastic sheeting that has been sitting for years in my garden shed. And then secured it all down with some bricks.


Next... off to Agave Parrasana 'Globe'. I'm not sure about this but it sure was easy. I took this old plastic barrel top and dropped it right over the Agave. Trust me, she really is under there. Will she make it?


All those other Agaves in this picture are Agave Parryi 'JC Raulston' which evidently requires no winter protection and only increases in size and number every year.

Good to see you, Tim, springing into action to save those that have given you so much pride and joy. Thanks for sharing the update!

Thank heavens for all those ghosts that visited you last night Tim. They are all looking beautiful.

Early winter update. We had a cold snap a couple weeks ago replete with with a moderate ice storm, a bit of snow, and a couple days of 22F degree wind storm. Most years this is about as bad as it gets. Of my Agave friends, I was most worried about my lovely A. Parrasana 'Globe'. I was afraid to look but yesterday I found the courage to take a peek.



She couldn't have looked or felt any better. I'm quite hopeful she will be with me for many more winters so long as I give her a proper winter shelter.

Thanks for sharing her with us, Tim!

Ahhh, Tim such a beautiful thing to behold. I love the imprinted leaves.

I'm still here... better late than never. Might as well give a mid-summer update.

Agave Americana that spent the winter under a plastic tent came thru just fine and is growing. Hard to believe how small this thing used to be. I love this gal but I must be diligent about winter protection which is only going to get more difficult as she gets bigger.


I need to get those pups out of there while I still can.


Agave Parryi 'Estrella' and 'Truncata' spent the winter in a cold frame and as usual had no issues. Here's 'Estrella' in a long overdue, new stylish pot.


Below is Agave Parassana 'Globe' looking pretty good although not much growth. He spent the winter under a plastic half-barrel and had no issues.



Oddly enough I did lose a couple small Agave Parryi 'JC Raulston' which gets no protection and generally come thru winter without any problems.
In the picture above in the lower left I lost one in a pair of pups. The other looks fine but they were squished together tightly before one rotted over the winter. I also wonder if being squeezed up against a rock didn't help either.

In the picture below I lost a larger pup that was also squeezed up tightly against her mama. You can see the missing spot here. I need to make sure those other two pups keep their distance.


Any 'JC Raulstons' that I have lost so far has been cases where they were congested or crowded with something else. So I definitely have some maintenance to do to keep them going. That means keeping open air around all sides. But even failing that there are more each year and require occasional culling.

We recently went thru a nasty cold snap with several nights down to 15F which is nearly as cold as it ever gets here. The snow and ice are all melted away now. Good thing I had already wrapped up my tender Agaves which seem to have come through just fine.

Here's Agave Americana along with the PVC tent frame I used last year. I tried to use it again but it is no longer large enough. That Agave put on some good growth. So I just draped a plastic sheet over the whole thing and later secured it with some bricks to keep it from blowing away.



I had the same issue with Agave Parrasana 'Globe', and I used the same plastic tent solution. The plastic barrel I used last year year no longer fits. I must be doing something right if these guys are growing so well.



Of course Agave Parryi 'JC Raulston' requires no protection as you can see in the foreground of the previous picture. I have to admit that I did throw a blanket over my biggest 'JC Raulston'. A little extra insurance couldn't hurt. I did the same with this Agave Parryi 'Estrella' which sits along the south side of my house protected from rain but not from cold wind. Removing the cover reveals a chilly but undamaged plant.


Agave Parryi Truncata still goes into the cold frame. I suspect she is the most tender, but I don't really know. My Echeverias went in there too, and the Echinopsis. All seem to be in surprisingly good condition.


More cold is yet to come but it's all looking good for the time being.

Beautiful 🤩 ….specimens in your garden. They all made it thru the winter blast the last two 'Artic Blasts'. All of them take so long to grow it's so nice they all are looking perfect. 👍
👏 good job.

Wow! Great work Tim. They are all looking beautiful. I can only imagine how much they might grow this year.
How did your semps fair?

with all the compliments Bea and Lynn threw at you, Tim!