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Throw Your Cacti-Caution to the Wind!

4/23/2014

 
At about this time last year, I was reluctantly admitting that I was starting to like cacti.  I've come to like them even more over the past 361 days, and currently, several of mine are even in flower.  There's nothing quite like a cactus blossom.  E.g., on Friday, I woke up to this:
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...Which, okay, even if you're not a cacti person, you have to admit is pretty gorgeous.

A year ago, I blanched every time someone lumped these spiny critters in with my plump, beloved echeverias or haworthias.  Now I'm practically a cactus
proselyte.  If you're feeling cacti-curious, but aren't quite ready to convert, here are some varieties that might push you over the edge.  (I've erred on the less spiny side, since many succ-ers have expressed the crazy desire not to be impaled on their own plants.)

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MAMMILARIA PLUMOSA

This is about as close as a cactus could possibly get to a down pillow.  Yes, there are occasionally a few small spines under all that fluff, but in general, mammilaria plumosa (and mammilaria theresae, another feathery favorite) are every bit as soft to handle as they look like they would be.  Just try not to make s'mores with them--I'm not sure how well that would work.
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CEREUS FORBESII VAR. SPIRALFORME

Cereus forbesii var. spiralforme is one of few columnar cacti that naturally grow in a spiral shape as they mature.  Yes, this thing looks pokey--which is part of the reason I don't have one.  They can also be hard to find--which is the other part of the reason.  Still, this would be a very cool addition to any collection.  I'm being totally cereus, folks.  (Har, har.)
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ASTROPHYTUMS (ASTERIAS OR SUPER KABUTO)

Astrophytums are cool.  They're small, generally spineless cacti that sometimes have little tufts of soft down at regular intervals, like the one pictured here.  They also come with lots of different patterns, the flashiest being the super kabuto variety (pictured).  I recommend starting with astrophytum asterias; they're easy to find, relatively inexpensive, and require little or no special care.
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REBUTIA HELIOSA (OR REBUTIA ALBIFLORA x HELIOSA)

I have a soft spot for these because the pictured rebutia albiflora x heliosa was one of my first cacti.  The plant looked so soft that I couldn't resist touching it, and it didn't impale me.  Love at first squeeze!
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OPUNTIA GOSSELINIANA (VIOLET PRICKLY PEAR)

Unlike some of the other cacti I'm featuring here, these guys will spike you as easily as most other opuntia do.  But don't you think that the amazing violet color makes up for it?  I've been wanting to get my (gloved) hands on this one for a while.  I've also seen a similar (maybe the same?) kind called a "Santa Rita" cactus or an Opuntia Santa Rita.
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LOPHOCEREUS SCHOTTII VAR. MONSTROSE

Also called the "totem pole cactus," lophocereus schottii var. monstrose is one of the most sculptural columnars out there.  They're sometimes bumpy (as seen in this picture) and sometimes less bumpy, but never spiny.  I've seen them up to 5-6 feet tall, but they're equally stunning just hanging out in a pot with other cacti or succulents.  The bright blue-green hue is gorgeous, too.
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ECHINOCEREUS RIGIDISSIMUS VAR. RUBISPINUS

Ah, another one of the first cacti I ever bought.  Candy of Sweetstuff's Sassy Succulents advises to watch out for mealybugs on these, because once they get 'em, they're hard to get rid of.  So far, my luck has been good, and this gorgeous, bright pink gem of a plant has been happy in both shade and sun.  If you pick it up from the sides, it's not very pokey, either!
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ORTEGOCACTUS MCDOUGALLI

The picture doesn't do this thing justice.  Ortegocactus McDougalli features a brilliant lime-green body with black spines, and the contrast between them is breathtaking.  In my experience, a hard plant to find.
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MYRTILLOCACTUS GEOMETRIZANS CRISTATA

Myrtillocactus geometrizans crests are just ridiculous.  Look at this picture.  I mean, seriously.  How can you unilaterally reject cacti when this nearly spineless beauty is one of them?  You can't, right?  These only have two Achilles' heels: some susceptibility to scale, and a high price tag (the asking price for the one pictured was over $200!), though you can find teensy specimens sometimes. 
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EPITHELANTHA MICROMERIS

Epithelantha micromeris (a.k.a. "button cactus") is a deceptively diminutive little species--easily overlooked, but once you notice it, you can't not notice it.  The soft exterior and wonderful purples and greens under the light dusting of cactus fluff make it a great addition to any pot.  I've had mine (pictured) for about six months, and it's done fine indoors and outdoors.
What kinds of cacti should be added to this must-love list?  Are any of you readers still cacti-reluctant?  (I'm talking to you, Mom!)  ;)

Gems from the Cactus & Succulent Society of San Jose's Show and Sale!

4/8/2014

 
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the Cactus & Succulent Society of San Jose's annual show and sale.  I went last year and enjoyed it, and the difference between how much I saw/knew/understood this year vs. last year was huge, which was kind of gratifying.  I may or may not have stood around allowing people to solicit me for advice.  It may or may not have made me want to write a book about succulents and/or transform into Debra Lee Baldwin.  Just sayin'. 
To give you a sense of what the show was like, here's a photo of one of the sale tables, which represents probably about 1/20 of what was for sale.  I was sorely tempted to buy a tacitus bellus (you can see four of them in the bottom half of this picture--they look kind of like echeveria with pointy leaves), but resisted the purchase in my partly-successful effort to stay within the budget I set for myself before going.

The show featured maybe 12-15 vendors, and instead of having each vendor paid separately, you could just choose all the plants you wanted, then pay for everything at the end.  Almost everything was well-labeled, and the whole setup was easy and convenient.  Yay!
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If memory serves, last year's sale favored cacti over succs, but this year's wares were fairly evenly divided between cacti and other succulents.  Plus, I like cacti more than I used to, particularly rebutias, of which there were plenty.  One vendor had air plants, and there were some "meh" plastic pots.  That was my only real disappointment--I wanted to pick up some cool pots, and this wasn't the place to do it.
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To the right, you can see a sulcorebutia arenacea I purchased and planted it in a bonsai pot I had laying around.  My girlfriend doesn't like the arrangement, because she says the pebbles on the right look "messy" and the large rock on the upper left competes with the plant (I agree with the second point, but it's meant to do so and I think it's amusing).  What are your thoughts on this one, dear succ-ers?  Help settle our domestic debate!
Of course, this just meant that there was more money left in my budget for plants, so I can't really complain, can I?  Among the awesome new additions to my collection were a crassula marchandii (yeah, I already have some, but still--you never know when you might want to make some cuttings), a sulcorebutia rauschii special clone with white flowers, a euphorbia symmetrica, an interesting pink-blue echeveria, a small lime-green haworthia truncata, and my favorite find of all: a six-inch agave "Joe Hoak" (pictured left) for only $6!  It made me glad I didn't spend the $13 to pick up the one on eBay I've been contemplating.
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Anyhow, without further ado, here are some photos of my favorite eye candy from Saturday's show!  Some of these won prizes, and others did not, but they all caught my eye.  Enjoy!
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SF Flower and Garden Show

3/24/2014

 
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Yesterday, my girlfriend, a couple of friends, and I went to the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show in San Mateo.  And I have to be totally honest, succ-ers: I was a little underwhelmed.  Not because there weren't a lot of plants there (there were), and not because the display gardens weren't great (they were), but mainly because there was so dang much for sale that had only peripherally to do with gardening.  At times, it felt like more one of those outdoor "festivals" where people sell various wares at small booths.  Items for sale included BBQs, freestanding hot tubs, bar soap, and paintings (not of plants, nor gardens) on silk.

All of which is *not*, by any means, to disparage the show or the folks who were selling things there.  I was just expecting more plants--well, let's be honest--more succulents.  And to be fair, my visit did not coincide with the succulent-relevant seminars held by succulent luminaries such as Debra Lee Baldwin and Robin Stockwell, and I'm sure those were terrific.

A few highlights.  Agave attenuata "Kara's Stripe" was featured in the "hot plants" room.  Judging from the array there, I understood "hot" to mean "newly popular" rather than "best for hot climates."  And there were a lot of gorgeous bonsais there, too, several of which were many decades old, and truly amazing.

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Succulent Gardens was one of only two succulent-specific vendors present, and they had a predictably terrific array of plants and books.  In addition to picking up a few plants such as the unnamed euphorbia pictured, right (which I would have sworn was a hoodia, but there were a bunch of them, all labeled "Euphorbia sp.," which just goes to show that I still have a lot left to learn).  I also had a chance to say hello to the lovely Tiffany Polli, the SG Retail Manager, knows a great deal about succulents and has a wonderful sense of humor to boot.  At last year's show, Succulent Gardens displayed the famous globe.

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The other mostly-or-solely-cactus-and-succulent purveyor, Sticky Situation, was new to me, and had come all the way from Tucson, Arizona to show their wares.  I picked up two very cool gymnocalyciums from them a g. mesopotamicum (cresting!) and a g. friedriechii.  Check out that amazing purple color!

Sticky Situation also had the most drool-worthy plant I saw at the whole event: a huge crested myrtillocactus geometrizans (pictured below).  Hmm...  My birthday's coming up in a couple of months...  anyone wondering what to get me?  Look no further!
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There was a smattering of other cool succulent-related stuff (check out the succulent display wall below, for example) but for the most part, I think I'm going to need to keep an eye out for cactus and succulent shows, since they're probably more likely to have the kinds of plants and pots in which I'm most interested.
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My New Favorite Place: K&L Cactus Nursery in Ione, CA

3/1/2014

 
My girlfriend and I took a trip to Sonora over Valentine's Day weekend.  In addition to binge-watching "House of Cards," hiking at Glory Hole, and drinking marvelous tea, we ventured to a place called K&L Cactus.  I had no idea what to expect, but my girlfriend gamely agreed to drive an hour out of our way to middle-of-nowhere Ione, CA.

Oh my gosh.  It was SO worth the trip.  K&L Cactus consists of two enormous greenhouses positively bursting with incredible plants.  K&L's proprietor, Lorraine (pictured below in one of her greenhouses; I'm the one on the right), is not only a very kind, interesting, and cool person, but is stunningly knowledgeable about succulents and cacti.  She talked patiently with me as I peppered her with questions and wandered slowly through her beautiful greenhouses.
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I've been to a lot of succulent and cactus places, and K&L is easily in my top two or three.  If you prefer the meticulous labeling, easy-to-read pricing, and impeccable organization of a place like Flora Grubb, K&L might not be for you.  But if you're like me and love a sprawling jungle of a nursery every bit as much, you've got to make the pilgrimage to K&L.  It's easily worth the trip just to meet Lorraine! 

I spent so long in the greenhouses that my girlfriend eventually retreated to the car with the dog and played games on her iPhone (talk about a good sport...).  But before she did, she unleashed her formidable photography skills on K&L.  The pictures in this post were all taken by her.  Enjoy the eye candy!
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My only regret is that, starving grad student that I am, I couldn't afford to spend more money there!  Still, I took home several goodies, and I'm hoping this post will throw some more business Lorraine's way.  I know I have a lot of readers in the Davis/Sacramento area, and Ione is only an hour away from you.  Call K&L and set up an appointment to visit--it's well worth it!

Succulent Celebration at Waterwise Botanicals!

6/10/2013

 
This past weekend, I was lucky to attend the Succulent Celebration at Waterwise Botanicals, a huge, gorgeous outdoor nursery in Escondido, CA that specializes in succulents.  It was a blast--I'm so glad I made it. 

One of the first succ-ers I saw there was Cindy Davidson of The Succulent Perch fame, who recognized me right away and greeted me with a big hug.  I felt so welcomed!  Cindy's table boasted a marvelous array of arrangements--birdhouses and beyond.  Below left is a partial shot of a miniature garden Cindy constructed, complete with a perfect mini replica of Debra Lee Baldwin's new book.  Below left is a close-up of an echeveria purpusorum that Cindy used in one of her arrangements.  I love it when people use the slightly lesser-known succulents.
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I spent an hour or two just roaming Waterwise Botanicals's vast grounds, which offered up dozens of picturesque views, including this:
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And this:
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I took over 100 photos with my trusty iPhone (admittedly, I regretted leaving my Nikon at home).  Here are a few of my favorites.  And by "a few," I mean "eighteen.  Click on any of them to see a larger version.
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In all, an lovely weekend of sunshine, succ-ers, and succulents.  I also attended the Succulent VIP celebration, where I met many more succ-buddies in person at a drop-dead-gorgeous home garden.  Though I snapped plentiful pics there, too, I'm strictly forbidden from posting them until after the garden is featured in some print magazine that I can't remember the name of.  (Hmm, though I bet I can post pics of me and the other succ-ers there--I'll look into this.)

I'll post more soon about my other San Diego succulent adventures, which included the San Diego Botanical Gardens and more succulent nurseries than you can shake a stick (of fire) at!
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