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The Tucson Gardener |
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A Strawberry Pot Without the Strawberries Some of the plants were put into a big plastic bowl shaped pot and kept in the greenhouse as a source for more plants if I ever wanted them. That still left me with quite a few, small yet flourishing, plants to dispose of in some manner. Succulents can't be planted in my garden because the rabbits or other animals would be quick to dine on the moist fleshy leaves during Tucson's hot summers. Birds also like to peck at the soft flesh of the leaves and can quickly make attractive plants quite unappealing. I'd always wanted a strawberry pot somewhere in the garden but had refused to purchase a pot because I didn't know what to put in it. I didn't want strawberries because they always seemed to get infected with a leaf spot and I'd have to fight the wildlife for any fruit. I didn't want to grow herbs in one because I already had a container herb garden. And both strawberries and herbs require too much water and the moisture would hasten the decay of the unglazed Mexican clay pottery. Succulents on the other hand are drought tolerant. I could have my strawberry pot and it would have a longer garden life because the plants growing in it would need less water. The potting soil used was a commercial mix specifically formulated for cactus and succulents to allow good drainage. The succulents in the strawberry pot include:
Many of the transplanted succulents were already good size so they gave the strawberry pot a mature look the moment they were planted. All I needed to do was find a suitable display place that would keep the plants in partial shade and away from the local wildlife. A concrete bench under a Palo Verde tree seemed a suitable spot. The only thing I had to worry about now were birds and marauding javelina which seem to eat about anything. I'd actually seen javelina on top of the bench before and they had knocked a pot or two off the bench in their search for food. The strawberry pot is considerably heavier than the other pots I've displayed on the bench and I'm hoping the javelina won't be able to knock the strawberry pot over. Only time will tell. I like the way the strawberry pot looks with its collection of succulents. So much so I want another strawberry pot in my garden. I happen to have a lot of Portulaca or moss rose I've started from seed. The plants are also drought tolerant and would require modest amounts of water over the summer. Yes, I see another strawberry pot without the strawberries in my garden's future. (2000) |
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