What do you do when a child has a growth spurt and their trousers start to look like shorts? You buy a bigger pair.
What do you do when a plant outgrows its living space? This was a recent conundrum in the Winter Garden. One of our aloes, Aloe thraskii, which had been planted as a small succulent about seven years ago, had grown tall and strong thanks to regular care and the warm, sheltered environment. Over time, it grew so tall that it began touching the glass panels above it. Unlike shrubs, aloes cannot be pruned to control their height, so the only option was to relocate it.
Last month, a small team geared up and carefully trenched the aloe’s thick, strong, rebar-liked roots, dug it up, and moved the 2m-tall aloe to the South African Garden. This handsome Aloe thraskii, once towering over other succulents in the Winter Garden, now sits beneath a huge eucalyptus tree that dwarfs it but provides valuable protection from frost and wind. The succulent will need time to acclimatise, so careful aftercare is essential. It is supported with steel stakes to help its roots establish in the new soil that can support its heavy weight.
While it was sad to see such a beautiful-sized aloe leave the Winter Garden, refreshing the landscape is important, and the space will be filled with new succulents growing in its place. Many of the changes we make in the Winter Garden are subtle, but frequent visitors may notice newly refreshed areas over time.
Ben Xie Collection curator Winter Garden
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