Cheiridopsis candidissima

We've always liked these South African carpet forming plants. And the flowers are large, cream to yellow.

Monanthes brachycaulos

When our greenhouses are as crowded as ours are I come to prize nice little miniatures like this plant, Monanthes brachycaulos. Or at least that's what the label said when we obtained it. To me it looks more like M. polyphylla, but I'm far from an expert on this genus.

It's quite easy to grow. Just keep it a bit on the dry side during the winter.

Members of the Crassulaceae family, the genus mostly endemic to the Canary Islands and Salvage Islands, with some found on Madeira.

Rebutia canigueralii var. pulchra

This picture was taken this summer, and it's not as good a photo as I'd like.  But it shows some of the beautiful character of the plant. I've got to get out and get some new photos!

Art by Lynn-Marie Kara

I'm afraid I haven't had enough time to go out to the greenhouses to take some photos, so I'll share a work of art by Lynn-Marie (my wife, partner and love for the past 41 years). I'm very proud of the work she does; and though her works aren't known by very many, they should be. This Epicactus painting is one she did a couple of years ago. Enjoy.

I'll be posting a few other of her cactus and succulent art as time goes along.

Echeveria 'Frilly Maid'

Another nice old-timer, but new to our collection, is Echeveria 'Frilly Maid'. Our understanding is that this is a Dick Wright hybrid. Very similar to some of the other blue-green crinkle leaf Echeverias, it's distinctiveness comes with the pink blush in good light.

Enjoy your plants!

Echeveria 'Super Star'

I've posted this plant before, but not these particular photos. Echeveria 'Super Star'. We only had a very few, but have been growing them on - slowly - and we now have a few available. I think they're outstanding.

Aloinopsis schooneesii

These get kind of shoved back in the corner during the winter. So it's kind of a surprise when we glance back there and - sure enough - they're bloomin'! And they've been growing so well it's hard to even see the caudex. But it's there... somewhere near the redwood needles.

The following photo was taken when things were a bit warmer and days were longer...and the caudex is a bit more exposed.

Sarcostemma insigne

This is one of those plants (AKA "Green Spaghetti") which - most of the year - people look at and ask "Why are you growing that thing?" Well, this is one of the reasons.

The other reason is ... we just like weird plants!

Workshop January 23

Just a note to invite persons in the Portland to attend the workshop I'll be giving next Sunday at Portland Nursery on Division Street. It'll be mostly geared toward beginners but we'll try to answer any questions that participants have. It's at 1 pm at the Portland Nursery on Division Street. See you there. (I'll be back with some new photos tomorrow (or, rather later today!). Enjoy your plants.

Cotyledon orbiculata var. oophylla

I took this picture back in early December. It's Cotyledon orbiculata var. oophylla and I just love those flowers. And the plant's no clunker either!

Enjoy your plants.

Martin Luther King Workday and Celebration

Image via Wikipedia

If you live in the Portland area you are cordially invited to attend the "Portland Backpack Buddies" Martin Luther King Workday and Celebration at Woodlawn United Methodist Church, 1425 NE Dekum St. in Northeast Portland on January 17. The workday begins at 1 pm by putting food supplies in backpacks which are given weekly to children in homes which would likely go without adequate food for the weekend. At about 2 pm we will gather for a celebration with a reading from Martin Luther King Jr., a gospel singer from the community, a local folk music group (The Day Old Pastries) and me, leading the group with my guitar in singing some of the great freedom songs from the civil rights movement. Hope you can make it.

The snow that didn't come

Depending on how you look at it - through the eyes of a child or the eyes of a jaded old man - (not saying which of those I am at the moment), these pictures of snow at the Fink Family Farm (friends of ours in the mid Willamette Valley) either show what we've sadly missed or the snow that luckily passed us by. But either way, who can deny the beauty.

And finally one of Polly with a cap of snow.

Thanks, Linda, for the great photos!

Rebutia heliosa

One of my favorite cacti of all time is Rebutia heliosa.  We don't have flowers at this time of year, of course, but I couldn't resist taking a photo of these plants whiling away the short days of winter. Even without flowers they're quite attractive I think.

From Bolivia (Tarija) in the mountains (3000 m), these little tap rooted gems get no water during our winter and get filtered sun and limited water during the summer. As long as one follows this or similar regimen these plants are quite easy to grow and are very rewarding.

Echeveria elegans crest

A few of the Echeverias will sometimes throw off crests. These then are propagated by cuttings and grown on. This is a selection of Echeveria elegans crest. You either like them or you don't. What can I say...I like them.

Dioscorea elephantipes

We've had this "Elephant's Foot" for a long time. It's seed grown and takes a while to get to the larger size. When we first started in this hobby some 40+ years ago, large collected specimens were readily available. I'm thankful that isn't the case any more. I know of far too many of those plants which bit the dust prematurely, all because we want to collect the largest plants we can. What a waste. It's much more satisfying to grow a beautiful and well-grown plant from seedling stage on.

When we first started growing these particular plants we were a bit over cautious with the water, fearing it would rot. What we finally realized, and confirmed with other growers, is that it likes adequate watering when it's in its growing stage. Just keep it drier when it's dormant.

Enjoy your plants!

Haworthia bolusii GM555

If H. truncata et. al. are at one end, surely these lovelies are at the other end. Delicate looking and soft to the touch, Haworthia boluii is an entirely different animal. (Pardon the mixed metaphors.) It's hard to believe they're even the same genus. But the proof is - of course - in the flowers.

During the winter, when the sun is in short supply, these little plants flourish... in the greenhouse of course. They're not prepared to weather our winter cold. But that's OK. They just provide another reason to go out and sit in the greenhouse ... as if I needed an excuse.

Haworthia decipiens var. pringlei

The haworthias are looking fantastic at this time of the year and I took a few snaps of a few yesterday. This is a seed-grown plant of Haworthia decipiens var. pringlei. The flower stalk is just beginning to come up on these. This kind of symmetry and patterning in a nicely grown haworthia is what drew us to them to begin with.

Cremnosedum 'Crocodile'

Welcome to another year of succulent plants and comments .... and pray that the "succulent" comments aren't just filled with hot air! Your patience with me as I put together this photo blog. We'll try to keep it interesting.

It's been a while since I posted about this plant: X Cremnosedum 'Crocodile'. I did get out into the greenhouses today and took a few photos. This is another plant which puts out great color this time of the year.

Another year off into our memory, another year older - 71 now. Actually I don't feel a day older, but - hey - it's just marks on a calendar.

Enjoy your plants.