Yucca Tulips and Southern Traditions

How cool are these flowers? Are they even flowers? No, they are faux flowers. These are the 'Yucca Tulips' Nina and I have been talking about for a pretty long time. Since Easter is just under two weeks away and spring is near-now is the time to make some of your own yucca tulips and decorate your home in anticipation of the Easter bunny hopping you way! Kids will love this activity, and Felder Rushing (http://www.felderrushing.net/) even has some yucca tulips at his place in Mississippi (may or may not be a good thing for Tennesseans).

Nina sent me this picture when she sent me some tuberose bulbs. Along with the picture came a few words about Southerners and some beloved southern traditions. Now, I am not knocking southerners, no-no-no, but! southerners CAN be a bit different. Nina thought my mother and the other northerners(including my sister) reading this blog would enjoy the words that came with this lovely picture. I am printing them verbatim. These words are Steve Bender's words and were originally published in March 2005 in Southern Living.

"The continuing influx of newcomers to the South means that many people arrive here sadly unaware of some of our most cherished regional traditions, such as painting the rocks along the driveway in patriotic colors, or drowning an Angus rib- eye in a sea of ketchup. I cannot allow this horrific state of affairs to continue. So listen up, newbies. Here's a traditional spring project that's sure to win you the respect of your Southern neighbors-making yucca tulips. First, you need a plant called yucca. Then, on the pretense of making Easter eggs, buy yellow, pink, white, and blue foam egg cartons. Cut tulip-shaped blooms out of the cartons, and spear them on the ends of the yucca leaves. What a striking display! And it lasts for months! Folks, you just don't see these up North. It's one of the things that makes living here so special."

So, in the spirit of being Southern and with Steve's fine words still fresh in our minds-make your own yucca tulips and brighten your landscape. Mine will be prominently displayed at the end of my driveway along with my German purchased Easter eggs made especially for hanging on trees.

The second picture shows my little egg cartons and how I cut my 'tulips'. All you need are pastel egg cartons and some scissors. Rural King sells pastel egg cartons for 25 cents a piece if you need some. The last picture is of my yucca tulips-or is it tulip yuccas?! Thanks Nina for the article and amusing words.

in the garden....

This is an old post but will probably become an annual post. It is Yucca Tulip time and I wanted to get it out now so you'll be all set for Easter this weekend. I am busy putting my Yucca Tulips out too! Make all your neighbors smile and doubt their very sight!

More Yucca Tulips!

As if you haven't heard enough about 'Yucca Tulips', see

In The Garden: Yucca Tulips and Southern Traditions

here are some more!

Nina initially sent me the yucca tulip information. The first picture is of her yucca tulips. She is not sure if anyone has ever stopped by to look and see if the flowers are real like some folks did at my house (http://tinaramsey.blogspot.com/2008/03/more-reasons-to-love-yucca-tulips-and.html#links), but I bet people who do pass by love the look.

Skeeter, who we all here at In the Garden are hoping is comfortably recovering from her tonsilectomy, sent me the second picture of her yucca tulips. These yuccas are across the road from her home. She said she would've added more 'tulips' had she had more egg cartons. I should've sent her some of mine because I have been collecting them for years. As my mother said, they make great craft items-just look at the yucca tulips!

People really get a kick out of these. Most don't realize these flowers are fake, then when they do, that is when they laugh. I asked my son's friend's mother why she was laughing when she realized my yucca tulips were fake. She said because she thought they were real and felt silly once she realized they were fake, but got a great kick out of it. Nothing better than hearing folks laugh.

I appreciate everyone voting. I have decided to definitely keep the labels. It is a good record tracker and easier to find posts by subject matter. I will try to keep the categories broad, yet specific. Is that an oxymoron or close? Thanks for voting. I like reader participation so you can expect to see more surveys.

in the garden....sleeping.

Yuccas

Yucca filamentosa, aka Adams Needle is an excellent architectural plant for the landscape. The yucca does not disappear in the wintertime like most of the other perennials I have planted in my garden. I warn you though, wherever you plant it you are likely to have it there forever. My friend Deb and a few of her neighbors don't like their yuccas so they gallantly volunteered the plants to me-if I wanted to dig them out. Dig them out I did! My friend Gerianne also dug several as well. Digging and transplanting them does not seem to harm either the transplanted yucca, or the roots left behind. You see, after a small length of time, the yuccas resprout in the exact same location where they were dug. I am afraid Deb and her neighbors are stuck with their yuccas.

I transplanted the some yuccas in July 2006. They did not require any water this year and have thrived in this inhospitable location next to a busy road and my driveway. I think near a road or a driveway are really good spots for these stalwart natives and got the idea to plant mine here from several local houses with yuccas prominently displayed near the road for all to see. Another alternative is in a dry hot garden designed with xeriscaping (low water garden) in mind, or in a desert themed garden. This yucca is hardy here and requires no maintenance other than cutting off the flower stalk after it has bloomed in June. You can leave the stalk on, but I prefer to cut mine off. The bloom is beautiful but I find it doesn't last long. Also, sometimes the yucca will bloom more heavily one year and not the next, which is a drawback in the year of light blooms. The yucca root is a tuber somewhat resembling a potato, which I am sure gives it staying ability in dry inhospitable conditions. Digging yuccas and coming across the root can be shocking if you are not sure what it is-so be prepared.

I had this posting all ready to go when over the Thanksgiving weekend I discovered this beautiful grouping of yuccas at Mr. Fix-it's parents home in North Carolina. I already knew of it, but thought the coincidence of being able to photograph the grouping BEFORE I did this posting was a good thing. Comparing my little yucca I planted last year to my in-law's yuccas is like comparing a cherry tomato to a beefsteak tomato-really no comparison. But unlike the cherry tomato which will never catch up to the beefsteak, my little yuccas will someday grow into beautiful specimens like those pictured here. I think yuccas look best grouped together and this grouping is very effective with the added bonus of a lacecap hydrangea thrown in the mix (to the right and rear of the yuccas).

I want to thank my friend Deb for her yuccas and give you all the idea that if you feel you want some yuccas and have a friend who has some-ask her if you can dig them and I am sure the answer will be yes because in all likelihood the yuccas will grow back.

in the garden....