Feb 2, 2009

Green thumbing it

I like plants that don't need a lot of looking after and spineless yucca are my kind of plants and why my balcony is full of them. They are able to survive sizzling summers and frosty winters and remain green all year long. Yucca need very little water and can go a long time without any so there's no need for someone to "plant-sit" while you're away. They need a lot of sunlight, which, luckily, we have a lot of in Greece and why we haven't gone completely mad as a people. Yuccas don't drop their leaves so there's no need to clean up after them by sweeping and raking. They leave rings of old, brown leafages as they grow which should be tugged out so that yuccas keep looking green and healthy.

Yucca are popular in Greek gardens and verandas and their popularity will grow as global warming pushes the Saharan climate northwards, over the Mediterranean. The lack of water and excess sunlight and heat will prove this plant a viable solution for all-year greenery.

Yesterday I decided to exercise my green thumb and tugged out the old leaves from my yuccas. My hands, today, are aching from multiple nicks and cuts the sharp sword-like foliage caused. Yuccas are not a very safe plant to have around the house if you have children or toddlers running around. They have been known to send people to hospitals with eye pokes and severe cuts.

I keep smacking my forehead for forgetting to keep a pair of gardening gloves near when I set out to prune the yucca plants. I fool my myself that I'll be careful and my hands always end up looking like I tried to give some poor cat a bath.

This spring I'm thinking of adding some flower box assortments with some herbs and bulbs of color. I want to get my hands dirty and watch the flowers grow.

If I manage I'll post a photo. If not you can still admire my yuccas from my flickr collection.