There is a small rock pile here, which serves several different purposes. One is to be a distinctive visual feature that is home to succulent plants. Another is to be a habitat for small creatures that might like to shelter in rocky crevices. And perhaps most usefully for me, it is a place to store extra stones that have been dug out of the ground here and that are not being used in other projects.
The first succulent that I planted was a Red Yucca, which was split into three clumps from the one pot that I bought. They have flourished nicely, and there are now several more growing points within those clusters.
I was also given three variegated Agave pups by a friend, although unfortunately I was only able to keep one alive. Given the mature size of these plants and the size of my garden, perhaps it is just as well that I have only one now.
I spent several hours one day rearranging the rock pile area to welcome three new plants there.
One is a Blue Twistleaf Yucca (Yucca rupicola x pallida) purchased from The Nectar Bar.
The other two new plants are a pair of Yellow Yucca pups, gifted by a friend. This is a yellow variant of the Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) that I already have and these are much harder to find so I am very grateful for the gift!
Because these particular plants were to go in the rock pile, the project was a lengthy one. More than half the stones had to be moved aside, then holes dug and plants installed, then the stones returned. Here are some photos of the process.
This is “before” with Red Yuccas on the left and Agave on the right…

Setting aside a lot of stones…

Planning plant placement…

Digging holes…

The Yellow Yuccas came attached to each other, but I cut them apart…

Starting to move the stones back…

And finally done, several hours later…




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