And today the weather will be?

A few days ago, we broke records for this time of the year with 98F weather. Today it's raining and 60F. And, of course, overcast. A week ago, rush to get the shade cloth up on the greenhouses. Today, take it off so the plants, who thought it was summer, can get some light. The cacti were having a blast and will probably be a little dejected today!

This early heat spell was a bit unusual. Can you believe, Tillamook, on the Oregon coast (which is usually cooler than us) reached 100F (actually 105) two days before Phoenix, Arizona broke the 100 degree mark. Go figure!

Eriosyce senilis

Before we left on our road trip, I said I would upload a photo of Eriosyce senilis (syn. Neoporteria senilis) with the flower fully open. This is on a different plant, one of the smaller ones we have, and - wow! I can't speak for you, but these always catch me by surprise every Spring.

3500 miles in 8 days

We're back from our road trip for new nursery stock. And, you know, when you're on that last leg, driving up that long stretch of I-5 freeway through the Sacramento valley, some questions/observations just pop into your head. Like, why is it that the California highway department can't simply say "road repair ahead" instead of "roadway rehabilitation" ahead?!? And why do they have to keep reminding us, over and over again, to "Stay on Pavement"? It would seem to me that most people would prefer to stay on the pavement when driving on a freeway at 65 mph or higher. Or, is it a common occurrence for California drivers to drive off onto the grass at that speed?

Or maybe these seem like profound questions only after driving 3500 miles and visiting 12 or more cactus nurseries in 8 days.

At any rate...we're back!

Echinopsis mirabilis

I don't really know why more people don't have this wonderful old plant. It's a night-blooming, scented, small plant which, after all these years, we still make sure to stay up to see it's bloom. Not large, but impressive for such a small plant. And I still like the old name: Setiechinopsis mirabilis. Kinda just rolls off the tongue.

Eriocyse senilis

Another plant that's flowering its head off - so to speak - is Eriocyse senilis (syn. Neoporteria senilis). The flowers weren't quite open when I took this photo, but I'll try to remember to catch it when it's wide open, because that's even more striking. You'll see what I mean when I post it.

This particular plant is an older specimen we've had for many years, but they flower when quite young.
We grew up knowing this as Neoporteria gerocephala, which turned out to be an illegitimate name. Since 1994 it has been placed in Eriocyse as a result of Fred Kattermann's field work. There are three subspecies recognized, of which this is subspecies senilis.

It's a bit prone to root rot so it needs excellent drainage (doesn't everything succulent???) and judicious watering.

Flowering season

Even during the winter, there are periodic surprises in the greenhouses. But at this time of year...wow! A surprise just about every hour! Many of the cacti are budding up and flowering and the dormant caudiciform plants are leafing out. And the Lithops are finishing out their winter growth spurt as the old leaves shrivel up and the new leaves plump up. Never a dull moment.
This is a closeup of Mammillaria saboae, a small growing plant with relatively large flowers.

Turbinocarpus ysabelae

Another plant from our personal collection, a plant that's not at all common in collections. Also often listed as Gymnocactus ysabelae.

The same plant from a different view:

Some more photos for your enjoyment

Been out of it a bit lately, so I'll try to make up for it by posting a few photos from the greenhouses. First is a photo of an old specimen of Mammillaria schwarzii.