Titanopsis calcarea

And yet another mesemb is blooming...Titanopsis calcarea. Who can resist such contrast of textures and colors?

Aloe 'Wunderkind'

There are a lot of lovely new Aloe cultivars being introduced recently. This one's been around a few years, a Brian Kemble selection at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, California. It was then introduced through the ISI. It's a gorgeous little plant, a worthy introduction to any succulent collection.

Enjoy your plants!

Cotyledon species

I don't know the species. We received it simply as "Cotyledon species". Whatever it is, we like the form. Perhaps a common name like "Praying Hands"?

Autumn in the Greenhouse

Color isn't just in the flowers. A greenhouse of succulent plants provides a wonderful array of colors, especially in the Autumn. This shows a couple of views in the #2 greenhouse.

Lithops 'steineckeana'

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this yesterday as the evening sun was back-lighting these Lithops giving them a lovely luminescence.

Haworthia attenuata variegate ('Golden City')

The colors in this variegated Haworthia are absolutely fantastic at this time of the year. According to the information we received with the plant, this is the cultivar 'Golden City', which is sometimes labeled H. subattenuata 'Golden City'.

Dorstenia species

Another plant that's blooming right now is the Dorstenia. Talk about a plant which could readily be from another planet! This one surely qualifies. Now those are bodacious flowers!

Pedilanthus macrocarpus cristate

Known as the Slipper Plant or "Gallito", from the Sonoran Desert in Mexico and Baja, this is a leafless succulent shrub which sometimes produces crested stems. Our primary interest is in these crested forms. For those of us who can't plant them outside, they make a cool pot specimen. It's a dry-land shrub, so don't over-water. It gets its common name from the shape of its flowers.

Huernia bayeri

Another plant that's blooming again is Huernia bayeri. We find this to be a very easy plant to grow and we like it a lot.

Dinteranthus microspermus ssp. puberulus

The Dinteranthus are blooming. The first picture shows both a new flower and a "late stage" flower. Quite the amazing plants.

Finally, a photo of the same at the botanical garden in Göttingen, Germany.

Image via Wikipedia

And I'm kind of in that "late stage" right now. Way too late at night after a very busy day.  More chat another time.

Crassula falcata

It's an old fashioned succulent plant. At least it is to us. For forty some years we've had 'em around. The "Propeller Plant", so called. It's a striking plant without flowers, but when it flowers...what's not to like! It's a wonderful South African plant which is great as a potted specimen and wonderful planted outside in places where the weather permits.

Echeveria 'Etna'

This came to us as an unnamed Echeveria, along with several others. It now appears to be fairly likely to be Echeveria 'Etna', a hybrid created by Denise Manley. The growths on the leaves are called caruncles and they're truly amazing. One can easily see why Dick Wright, an earlier Echeveria hybridizer, regularly gave volcanic names to his creations.

Enjoy your plants!

Lithops karasmontana var. bella

Our Lithops are being very slow to flower this year but it's been a weird year all around. This fun little plant is Lithops karasmontana var. bella. It's always been one of our favorites and it's still the case.

Not much gab tonight. To much going on and too little time. More later. (Actually, I got so tired, I forgot to push the "publish" button...so here goes!)

A couple of Lithops

This Lithops - Lithops dinteri var. brevis stays pretty small and kind of has to labor in the shadow of its more flashy siblings. But I'm a bit strange...I like it. It's simple, straight forward and petite.

Lithops terricolor is another of the smaller growing species. This one (C134) - the Prince Albert form - is from 5 km North of Prince Albert, SA. and has the typical heart-shaped leaves. I think they're very attractive.

Enjoy your plants!

Greenhouse views

I've been inundated with a lot of "stuff" to do and haven't had a chance to post much lately. Sorry. So today I'm just posting some photos I took today in one of the greenhouses. As these photos illustrate, it isn't all about flowers!

Deuterocohnia brevifolia var. chlorantha

Often listed as Abromeitiellia chlorantha var. minima, this wonderful small-growing, mounding bromeliad is now classed as Deuterocohnia brevifolia var. chlorantha. We find it rather easy to grow with bright light and adequate water during the summer and a winter rest period. The green flowers in early winter are an added bonus. (Sorry, but I left out the word "water" during the first posting. Too late at night :) Thanks for the comments.)

Several of you have commented on Purr-Purr and I've passed on you compliments to her. Just hope she doesn't get a "big head" now!

Enjoy your plants...

and, if appropriate, your animals!

Purr-Purr the Nursery Cat

OK, I've been remiss. I haven't introduced you to our nursery cat, Purr-Purr. We adopted her as a small kitten from the Oregon Humane Society a few years ago and she's settled right in. She has a mind of her own but she also craves human attention. She and the dogs have pretty much come to terms, as long as she doesn't run. That's like taunting Osita. You run, I run!

Tonight, however, it wasn't Purr-Purr she chased. It was a couple of raccoons who were venturing onto our property (a regular occurrence).

Succulent Dish Garden

Once in a while - when we get a few spare moments - we play around with creating some dish gardens. Lynn-Marie did this one earlier this year and I think the choice of contrasting plants - Opuntia in the background with the Crassula in the forefront - worked out quite well. And it's a great choice for an old discarded ash tray...

Glottiphyllum pygmaeum

Nice, small growing green tongues which turn reddish in bright light. Their iridescent yellow blooms come in late summer to early Fall, at least in our area, and the blooms hang on for quite a while. Just the bright cheeriness we need as the overcast days of Fall and Winter arrive.

Crassula ausensis ssp. titanopsis

Just a quick little photo of a nice little clumping crassula, Crassula ausensis ssp. titanopsis. They kind of get ignored at times but still do OK, but they can be a little touchy. I'll need to get my close-up lens out. This is one of those plants best appreciated up close and personal.