Water Use and Other Pointed Subjects
This week’s guest is Scott
Calhoun – a well-known lecturer, writer, editor and author of several books
including a few that take on gardening in dry climates like that of his home
state of Arizona. We talk about the conscientious use of water, and plants some
people call “the wood lilies:” Yucca, Agave, Nolina (bear grass), and the like. (RIGHT: Spiky Yucca
rostrata with dark pink allium and
yellow foxtail lily at the Denver Botanic Garden. Photo by Scott Calhoun). Of course, I am interested in
species and varieties I might grow in my Zone 6 garden. Scott tells of Yucca
rostrata, a strappy leafed plant that
eventually develops a trunk like a palm tree. He’s seen them growing in Denver
on mounded, fast-draining soil. Drainage is the key to growing most of these
plants – especially the cold-hardy cacti we also talk about. All cacti
originated in our hemisphere, and there are even some super-hardy species that
are indigenous to Canada.
Below
is a list of hardy “wood lilies.” For more information, visit Scott’s website.
Click on the small black arrow at the left on the bar below to start
listening,
or click on the MP3 link to download the show into Windows
Media Player or iTunes:
MP3 File
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