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| Repurposed BBQ planter in 2010. |
In 2010, I
repurposed a BBQ into a planter to put under the kitchen window at the cabin to give the side of our home a bright focal point.
I planted geraniums for colour and wanted something to give it height. I picked out two small grass-like plants at Canadian Tire.
Over the years, those spiky little plants (you can barely see them in the picture on the left) grew until their roots took over the whole planter.
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| The Spike Plants take over in 2015. |
Consequently, in 2015 I relocated them to deck pots of their own.
I went back to Canadian Tire to talk to the nursery expert. She wasn't sure what I had, but thought it might be a plant called
Dracaena. I looked it up online and that made sense.
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| The Dracaena indivisa plants get pots of their own. |
I believe mine are
Dracaena indivisa also known as a Spike Plant. It's commonly used in planters and gardens to provide height and interest. Websites say to bring it indoors for winter, but mine survive outdoors without extra protection even here in Coastal BC.
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| One Spike Plant developed a floral spike in 2016. |
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| Flower cluster closeup. |
In 2016, I was surprised to see one of the plants develop a large central spike. It opened to a massive bloom. It beautiful, fragrant and provided bees with a source of nourishment.
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| Branching Spike Plant. |
Each time a Dracaena blooms, it causes the plant to branch. The plant that bloomed in 2016 now has three branches, and it's partner that started blooming in 2017 has two.
In 2017, I transplanted my Dracaena Spike Plants into larger pots and moved them down in front of the float cabin on our new deck.
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| 2019 plant with two flowering spikes. |
This year I was very surprised to find that my late bloomer is trying to catch up. It has two floral spikes rather than one.
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| 2019 plant with one flowering spike. |
The Dracaena Spike Plants continue to give us a beautiful focal point. Who would have guessed that those two small grass-like additions to my repurposed BBQ planter would develop into such interesting specimens. -- Margy
Labels:
Float Cabin Living,
Gardening
Posts
Good value for money! I have grasses in pots, thinner blades than yours, which keep going year after year. I'm getting fond of them and would be sad if one year they didn't make it.
ReplyDeleteThat's for sure. I probably paid about $2 for the tiny plants at Canadian Tire. They've outgrown four pots so far. Now they'll have to be content where they are. - Margy
DeleteWow, what a surprise each year to see the growth and blooms. I have one that keeps growing too, but no blooms yet.
ReplyDelete