First Loss of The Season.

It has been a glorious day today, so decided to water all my cactus and succulents in the greenhouse and uncover the arid bed to see how it has survived.

On initial inspection everything looks good and healthy.

and has come through the winter very well

apart from the little plant above

and this

I have no idea what happened

The centre is totally rotten. I am gutted this was a beautiful Agave and has been treated exactly like all the others, but did not make it through?

Everything else looks amazing and healthy.

But we have an interloper, not one I welcome.  can cope with bindweed in this bed, that is easy to deal with, but this is creeping viola. I had it in the garden years ago and haven't seen it for a few years.

It wasn't here when I covered up the bed in the autumn, but it has obviously flourished over winter, winding its way through Dasylirion Serratifolium. Looks harmless enough, but this plant has the most evil spines up each side of the leaves and cuts you fingers, wrists and arms to pieces.
So, what to do?
My daughter gets married in 2 weeks so I have to keep my fingers, wrists and arms clear of cuts and spikes. So fortunately for the incomer and unfortunately for me this will have to wait. But I plan to dig out the whole bed including the Dasylirion and go through the gravel piece by piece to remove all offending interlopers!
We shall see..............