There's a strawberry in my agave pot!

Back in 2014 I bought a straight-sided chartreuse strawberry pot from Crate & Barrel. At the time I wrote; "I've always had an aversion to strawberry pots, the shape and the pockets. I find them vulgar. Yes I know, it's a weird opinion but it's mine. So imagine how surprised I was when I spotted this chartreuse number at Crate & Barrel and had to have it. Had to." Here's what it looked like back then, after I potted it up as an agave pot...

At some point I found, and filled, a second pot, but the contents have always stayed pretty true to that first post. That is, they weren't strawberry pots, but rather agave pots. Some agaves produce runners at a similar rate to strawberries, so really it's not that much of a stretch.

Things changed this year when my 2026 Hortlandia plant haul included a gift strawberry plant, an Albion. I looked around for a suitable place to plant it, but came up empty. Then I realized it was time to pull the overgrown NoID agave I'd had at the top of this pot for far too long. Why not put the strawberry in there? Indeed.

Don't be thinking I got carried away and bought more strawberries, nope. The second pot stays safely succulent-filled. At the top is Agave lophantha 'Splendida'.

The pockets are filled with Haworthiopsis coarctata, formerly Haworthia coarctata. Behind it grows my deformed (but lovable) Cereus forbesii 'spiralis'.

Now that I've started I guess I'll just go ahead and share what's growing in the driveway planters this season. Musella lasiocarpa, Chinese yellow banana...

In one of the crop tanks, I'm growing a mix of zinnia. I started Zinnia elegans 'Envy' (green blooms) from seed, but bought a mix of "hot" color seedlings—orange and pink—to tide me over until Envy blooms. Meanwhile Envy is taking over!

However, I have had plenty of flowers to bring in the house over the last few weeks...

Back to that agave/strawberry pot. You can see I'm not entirely giving it over to the strawberries, although I did allow a runner to root in one pocket.

There are also a couple that worked their way into the basil.

And a couple others that shot up into the second crop tank. The Albion berries really are quite tasty, I've harvested a handful thus far.

We've also enjoyed a few SunSugar tomatoes.

But are still waiting on the first fruit from Alice's Dream Tomato, a seedling from my friend Mindy.

Did you know there's an edible Persicaria? Persicaria odorata, aka Vietnamese coriander. A neighbor left a couple plants in the Little Free Greenhouse in our hellstrip so I figured, why not? I've yet to cook with it though.

I'm growing Melothria scabra, Mexican sour gherkins again. I love the small "snacking" cucamelons.

Physalis pruinosa 'Aunt Molly's, a ground cherry is also great for snacking while working in the garden. They come wrapped in a paper husk that keeps them clean.

For those of you think I hate flowers, especially pink ones, I give you this...

Nerium oleander ‘Hardy Red’, I adopted it from Jerry at one of our Blogger plant swaps. It's been blooming strong for over two months now...

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control. 

All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude. 

My annual June visit to Dancing Oaks Nursery

This is the third year I've made the trip to Dancing Oaks Nursery in late June. I'd love to visit more often, but since they're an hour and a half away that just doesn't happen. Nearing the parking area I was thinking I'd walk the display garden first, before exploring the sales area. Ha, who was I kidding? Shopping always comes first...

I know I've heard of people feeding banana peels to plants, but this method looks a little suspect?

Pteris vittata 'Benzilan', still with it's Plant Delights tag.

Such a cool fern.

I have a couple I picked up at Raintree Tropical a few years back, if that is indeed what mine are. They were sold to me as greenhouse weeds (having popped up in other plant pots).

Pyrrosia lingua 'Variegata'

These (and most of the plant pics I took) were in this greenhouse, Jurassic Park.

Begonia macrantha (be sure to click on that link to see the size of the leaves on the plant in the wild).

Sonchus canariensis, tree dandelion

A large part of Jurassic Park includes plants that are not available for purchase...

Oxalis lasiandra, palm tree oxalis

Centaurothamnus maximus, Arabian shrub cornflower (I liked the leaves).

Volunteer ferns are always a happy occurrence, I assume the nursery folks feel the same since they've left them in place.

Itty bitty baby Cliffords! Clifford being the name of my big-leaf magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla.

Walking the garden now and starting with one of my favorite features, the tropical plantings with planted up water-dripping pedestals.

Lobelia tupa

The dry garden.

Dierama pulcherrimum

Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa)! I haven't smelled tuberose in years, so good!

I remember these as purple, but they don't look so purple in my photos.

There's an agave in there somewhere...

Okay, time to pay for my plants and start the drive home.

Here's my haul...

I made a couple of stops on the way down to Dancing Oaks, this Yucca linearifolia came from N&M Nursery, only $15!

Aloe aristata

...and this NoID aloe Gasteraloe 'Savannah' came from S&K Nursery in Woodburn.

Which brings me to my two Dancing Oaks purchases, first; Androsace sarmentosa, or so it was labeled. When I look that plant up on the DO website it doesn't look quite right. Hmm?

And second, Pyrrosia lingua 'Tachiba Koryu'. I have a plant I purchased as Pyrrsoia linqua 'Dragon's Tail', which I've always thought was 'Tachiba Koryu', but now I have it for sure. And those wavy margins are extra special fabulous!

The Bit at the End

Since I saw a Plant Delights label at Dancing Oaks I'm guessing the DO folks won't be offended if I link to the PD Juniper Level Botanic Garden newsletter to share a fabulous fern; "Lepisorus palmatopedatus, which translates in to palm-foot, scaly-sori fern" so cool!

—   —   —

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control. 

All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Walking Jungle Fever Exotics...

I made a quick trip up to Tacoma, WA, towards the end of June, the purpose was a Hardy Fern Foundation tour on Vashon Island, a chance to finally see the Riehl Stumpery (tree ferns!). I'll have a future post on that, but today I'm sharing my quick walk around Jungle Fever Exotics Nursery and up the street to check out the owner's private garden.

I headed up to the garden first...

These photos were all taken from the public sidewalk, I don't know the owner well enough to ask to visit the garden proper.

That dark shape on the side of the house was a plant mount. I couldn't tell exactly what was growing on it, there were a few of them.

I'm not sure if the green-roof on the entry is intentional or accidental.

The Blue Atlas Cedar (BAC) has grown significantly since my first visit years ago.

Great cones!

A hellstrip shot...

There are large stone steps in the hellstrip, a feature I really liked. You can hardly see them anymore.

The Tetrapanax are growing right through them.

The BAC goes on and on...

Agaves! (and BAC branches)

Genista aetnensis

That's the Genista aetnensis on the left, a towing Eucalyptus in the middle and the BAC on the right.

Nolina hibernica 'La Siberica' 

A blooming Aloiampelos (aloe) striatula and Beschorneria NoID.

Aloiampelos (aloe) striatula

The puddle rock and agave (and dandelions) are at the corner where the two hellstrips meet.

Time to check out the nursery...

This photo is for my friend Emily, if she happens to be reading.

So what did I buy? Nothing. I was tempted by this (unloved) pot, and the owner quoted me a great price. I passed it up though, realizing I didn't need another container.

I was also tempted by a Cibotium schiedei, the Mexican tree fern, a very much NOT hardy tree fern. I was preparing to make the purchase when I realized it had a pretty significant mealy bug infestation, bummer. I left with nothing but photos...

The Bit at the End

Surprised I didn't pick up any plants? Think I came home empty handed? Worry not! I stopped at a nearby McLendon's Hardware. They're a small (7 location) Puget Sound Hardware chain with a garden center and their plant buyer seems to be a good one. I left with 3 plants; Begonia annulata 'DJHAP18066', Pyrrosia 'MONBRTS', and Begonia  'Cracklin' Rosie', yay!

—   —   —

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control. 

All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.