Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Invasion of the Giants

Last year I posted to the effect that my wild asparagus was growing at a rate of knots. Had I but known. Look at it then ...


... and look at it now.




And the pictures don't even do justice to the change. The first photo is of the plant in an 8" pot. The second is of a tub 50" x 18" x 30", more or less. Nothing seems to keep it in check. I even replanted it in the corner just in front of the bedroom where nothing grows. I don't know why that corner's a problem - but I suspect there's not enough light for most plants, but it gets too hot for shade lovers. I can't even grow spider plants there - something else that I usually have no trouble getting to giant proportions.



But the wild asparagus flourished even there. Then I saw it was getting attacked by the plague of green caterpillars that we had (still have, come to that) this year. So I cheerfully transferred all the caterpillars which I found decimating my other plants, onto it. It hardly looks chewed.

So what do I do with it? I suppose after my recent post on the 20 foot agave, I shouldn't even bother about it. And I'm not the only one. I've been planning this post for about a month, but just after the Carnival closed the other day, La Gringa sent me a link to a post called Why do they have to get so big? on exactly the same theme. (I've always said that garden bloggers were telepathic.) And her stuff makes mine look like dwarf varieties. But then she's not gardening on a balcony ...

It does of course solve the problem of what to put in that corner. But if I leave it there, will it be invading the bedroom by this time next year? The only other solution which comes to mind is digging it up, splitting and repotting it, and giving it to people as Christmas presents. The ones I don't like, obviously.

2 comments:

La Gringa said...

Hi, Sue. Thanks for the link and sorry that I was so tardy joining the Retro Carnival. I think it is really a great idea.

Your plants look gorgeous. Gardening on a balcony must be quite a challenge.

She Who Digs said...

Hi Sue, thanks for stopping by and your best wishes. 'Re-potting' made me chuckle :-) Something I struggle with in the garden is knowing how big plants will spread- I don't want the garden to look bare, not have the hassle of moving things in a few years. In 2003 we had two agave flower on Hastings Seafront. Here's the link but I'm afraid the photo doesn't do it justice. http://www.hastings.gov.uk/about/issue21_seafront_triffids.aspx

PS Would you like me to send you some parsnip seeds? SWD

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