Friday, June 30. 2006
We Get Questions from Australia
Q: Hi there
i am just wondering where can i find the PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS..are they available in Australia.
thanks a lot.
regards
KEVIN
A:
Hello Kevin,
Here are links and maps to Australian Cacti Nurseries.
But I do not know if any of them have the Opuntia violacea in your photos.
Good Luck,
Hap
Continue reading "We Get Questions from Australia"
Friday Whippet Blogging
Benjamin sniffs the grass.
Very exciting.
Quote of the Day
"This idea of a coronated president instead of an inaugurated president has been dealt a sharp rebuke."
Bruce Fein, an official in the Reagan administration, in the Washington Post.
Thursday, June 29. 2006
Summer
It's the start of the cactus doldrums. Everyone is out of school and off on vacation. Spring gardens are planted, and the heat comes and goes. The soil is dry, but no too dry. The sun is warm, but not too warm. The sky is blue, and the prickly pears are blooming - the fruit not yet ready to pick. The column cactus are shooting up new branches. So many new leaves are sprouting all over the Pachypodiums; and the vining caudiciforms, like the Jatrophas and Ibervilleas, are, well, vining.
So much growth this time of year, what is one to do?
Rebutia muscula
So much growth this time of year, what is one to do?
Rebutia muscula
Berkeley Aloe
Glen Ave.
Strawberry pot with Aloe nobilis, cotyledon campanulata and Echeveria "Pearl von Nurnberg"
Wednesday, June 28. 2006
The Environment and the Administration
Today's quote is from Bill Blakemore of ABC News:
Wilkes-Barre, a city of 43,000 in northeastern Pennsylvania coal-mining country, was devastated by deadly flooding in 1972 from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes. It is protected by levees, and officials said the Susquehanna was expected to crest just a few feet from the tops of the 41-foot floodwalls.
But Luzerne County Commissioner Todd Vonderheid said officials were worried about the effects of water pressing against the levees for 48 hours. The floodwalls were completed just three years ago.
(ABC quote via LiberalOasis)
"The President — as far as the extensive and repeated researches of this and many other professional journalists, as well as all scientists credible on this subject, can find — is wrong on one crucial and no doubt explosive issue. When he said — as he also did a few weeks ago — that "There's a debate over whether it's manmade or naturally caused" … well, there really is no such debate.
At least none above what is proverbially called "the flat earth society level."
We haven't done much blogging about global warming, since it would seem self-evident that cactus would like it. No, that's not right; it seems that global warming causes shifts that can impact everything in its way. More hurricanes can't be good for any living thing. Except mosquitoes. But anyway, potentially breached levees in Pennsylvania, along the Susquehanna River, doesn't seem like a good way to start the hurricane season, especially since they're inland and this isn't a hurricane. From the AP:At least none above what is proverbially called "the flat earth society level."
Wilkes-Barre, a city of 43,000 in northeastern Pennsylvania coal-mining country, was devastated by deadly flooding in 1972 from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes. It is protected by levees, and officials said the Susquehanna was expected to crest just a few feet from the tops of the 41-foot floodwalls.
But Luzerne County Commissioner Todd Vonderheid said officials were worried about the effects of water pressing against the levees for 48 hours. The floodwalls were completed just three years ago.
More Roundup of News Rounded Up and New
I like these news roundups. Sometimes I comment on the articles, and make fun of the people. Other times I just let the articles speak for themselves. The previous entry, below, the articles were left alone to speak for themselves.
What about this entry? What will I do? Stay tuned...
From Contra Costa County in the Bay Area (CA) we see that the Ruth Bancroft Garden is answering questions about agaves.
Click through the link to see the rest of their answer.
From Tucson, local collectors are plant-snobs.
more after the break...
What about this entry? What will I do? Stay tuned...
From Contra Costa County in the Bay Area (CA) we see that the Ruth Bancroft Garden is answering questions about agaves.
Q: When growing up, we used to refer to the century plant as a cactus. However, when I took a tour of the Ruth Bancroft Garden I was told that a century plant is not a cactus. Can you clarify?
A Many people refer to all sorts of spiny succulent plants as cactuses, but this is not accurate....
A Many people refer to all sorts of spiny succulent plants as cactuses, but this is not accurate....
Click through the link to see the rest of their answer.
From Tucson, local collectors are plant-snobs.
While it seems that the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society is a natural for this desert city, there's surprisingly little interest in local plants among the organization's 750 members.
"Our focus is the whole succulent plant palette," says club President Richard Wiedhopf, from aloelike bromeliads and flowery stapeliads to pebble-looking cacti known as "living stones."
"Our focus is the whole succulent plant palette," says club President Richard Wiedhopf, from aloelike bromeliads and flowery stapeliads to pebble-looking cacti known as "living stones."
more after the break...
Continue reading "More Roundup of News Rounded Up and New"
News Roundup from Around
From Charlotte we see that stone troughs are in style.
More after the break...
A century ago rectangular stone troughs dotted the landscape in rural England, where they served as water basins for horses....
With a few ingredients -- pure Portland cement, perlite, and peat moss -- you can make your own hypertufa trough, designed to look 100 years old from the day it's crafted....
Louise recommends planting cactus and succulents in smaller bowl-like hypertufa pots because they are shallow and leave less space for rooting. She adds items like a large stone, a seashell, or a couple of twigs planted in the soil to add to the scene.
From Los Angeles comes a garden protest.With a few ingredients -- pure Portland cement, perlite, and peat moss -- you can make your own hypertufa trough, designed to look 100 years old from the day it's crafted....
Louise recommends planting cactus and succulents in smaller bowl-like hypertufa pots because they are shallow and leave less space for rooting. She adds items like a large stone, a seashell, or a couple of twigs planted in the soil to add to the scene.
Workers tore down fences Wednesday inside a 14-acre urban garden while evicted farmers and their supporters kept watch and vowed to prevent bulldozing of the inner-city greenspace.
Tlatoa, sitting in a chair on a sidewalk outside the fenced garden, said he and his family had grown pears, broccoli, tomatoes and edible cactus for eight years.
Tlatoa, sitting in a chair on a sidewalk outside the fenced garden, said he and his family had grown pears, broccoli, tomatoes and edible cactus for eight years.
More after the break...
Continue reading "News Roundup from Around"
Monday, June 26. 2006
Quote of the Day
"Wouldn't you like to write that Dick Cheney's a barely human... demi-gorgon who rips the heads off ducklings just for
sport?"
sport?"
The Rude Pundit
We Get Questions
Q: I don't know how I got to wondering about this but I stumbled upon this question. In science class a couple years ago we did an experiment where we put one flower next to the window so that it would get sunlight and we watered it every day. We put another flower inside the closet without sunlight and watered it every day. at the end of our one month experiment the flower that had been in the closet was much longer than the flower in the sun. Our science teacher told us that the flower was growing rapidly to try and reach sunlight. If you put a cactus in a dark environment, one without sun or light, would the cactus grow much taller trying to find sunlight?
-Harry
A: Harry-
Cactus need sunlight to survive. If you put them in the dark, they will die. However, I think the proper experiment would be to compare full sun to mostly shade. And then you would find that a cactus in shade would grow longer, looking for sun. We call a plant that grows like that "leggy". While it may look like it is bigger, and thus still happy, in reality the plant is going to be less healthy. It is better for cactus to grow with the right amount of sun that they need, and grow thick and compact like in nature.
-Harry
A: Harry-
Cactus need sunlight to survive. If you put them in the dark, they will die. However, I think the proper experiment would be to compare full sun to mostly shade. And then you would find that a cactus in shade would grow longer, looking for sun. We call a plant that grows like that "leggy". While it may look like it is bigger, and thus still happy, in reality the plant is going to be less healthy. It is better for cactus to grow with the right amount of sun that they need, and grow thick and compact like in nature.
Saturday, June 24. 2006
Cactus Colors
They're delicious, they're spiny, and they're colorful. It's the prickly pear.
Confronted by growing consumer demand for natural and healthy foodstuffs, food makers have increasingly been looking for alternatives to artificial food colours such as Sunset Yellow, Tartrazine and Quinoline Yellow.
And a team of researchers from Hohenheim University are currently working on extracts from cactus pear that are rich in betalains, the class of compounds almost exclusively exploited from red beet, that could soon be colouring a wide range of foods, from desserts to instant meals....
"There are not too many natural water-soluble yellow colours, especially with a low flavour impact," said Dr. Stintzing....
Market figures confirm the trend. While the European colouring market faces an annual growth rate of just 1 per cent between 2001 and 2008, the colouring foodstuffs market is ripping ahead on growth of 10 per cent to 15 per cent.
And then there are the cochineals that are the primary natural source for red dye that are collected off South American Opuntia.And a team of researchers from Hohenheim University are currently working on extracts from cactus pear that are rich in betalains, the class of compounds almost exclusively exploited from red beet, that could soon be colouring a wide range of foods, from desserts to instant meals....
"There are not too many natural water-soluble yellow colours, especially with a low flavour impact," said Dr. Stintzing....
Market figures confirm the trend. While the European colouring market faces an annual growth rate of just 1 per cent between 2001 and 2008, the colouring foodstuffs market is ripping ahead on growth of 10 per cent to 15 per cent.
Friday, June 23. 2006
Friday Whippet Blogging
From local artist Tara Tucker, we find a lovely drawing of whippets, and some other creatures too.
She has a show opening next week too, in Oakland.
She has a show opening next week too, in Oakland.
Thursday, June 22. 2006
Watering Secrets
We tell people in the SF Bay Area to water their cactus every 3 weeks and their succulents every 2 weeks. Allowing for micro-climates of course, which we have a lot of. For instance, the nursery is full sun and high winds - a recipe for more water.
And then we have temperatures in the 90s sometimes. Like right now. Even in the 100s over the hills. So now would be a good time to do a little extra watering, and again next week. Even a lot if the plants are in full sun. The best time to water is in the early morning when the plants are cooler, and when the water won't immediately evaporate.
Because it's too damn hot.
And then we have temperatures in the 90s sometimes. Like right now. Even in the 100s over the hills. So now would be a good time to do a little extra watering, and again next week. Even a lot if the plants are in full sun. The best time to water is in the early morning when the plants are cooler, and when the water won't immediately evaporate.
Because it's too damn hot.
Utah
From ;plants of various habit and distribution.........., we've "borrowed" this wonderful little desert bloom.
Escobaria vivipara var. vivipara, spinystar, Wah Wah Mtns
Original and larger photo can be found here.
Escobaria vivipara var. vivipara, spinystar, Wah Wah Mtns
Original and larger photo can be found here.
News Roundup
I love these random news roundups with a few random articles about random cactus-related subjects. Don't you?
From Arizona:
From Arizona:
Up the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego in the sleepy surf town of Encinitas sits one of the most interesting botanical gardens in California: Quail Gardens. Just the view of the cactus collection from the parking lot will get Arizona gardeners salivating. Enormous variegated century plants overhang the parking lot...
For ocean lovers, one of Quail's newer gardens is a whimsical undersea garden composed entirely of succulents that look an awful lot like a coral reef.
From Seattle:For ocean lovers, one of Quail's newer gardens is a whimsical undersea garden composed entirely of succulents that look an awful lot like a coral reef.
PICTURE CHARTREUSE mounds of euphorbia billowing around deeply bronzed phormium blades. Or fat, purple allium heads bobbing above a sea of pink-tinged Mexican fleabane. How about heart-shaped, papery leaves of epimedium snuggled against the rough, furry fronds of Wallichs wood fern?
While these pairings may not be as classic as roses and clematis, they are the drought-resistant combos we're coming to rely on for the sake of our planet as well as our water bills.
And special today, we have a TV show in Australia that features a cactus as a metaphor:While these pairings may not be as classic as roses and clematis, they are the drought-resistant combos we're coming to rely on for the sake of our planet as well as our water bills.
The Singing Cactus
John, 14, becomes fixated with a cactus plant, supposedly imbued with magical powers by Navajo Indians, and a gift from his dad - the last before he died. But it doesn't bring him joy, only criticism from his psychologist (get a second opinion, Johnno!), ridicule from the school bully and indifference from his mum (Melanie Hill), a bit of a goer who always has a man in her life, but not necessarily the right one.
Sounds like an ABC After School Special. Check your local listings.John, 14, becomes fixated with a cactus plant, supposedly imbued with magical powers by Navajo Indians, and a gift from his dad - the last before he died. But it doesn't bring him joy, only criticism from his psychologist (get a second opinion, Johnno!), ridicule from the school bully and indifference from his mum (Melanie Hill), a bit of a goer who always has a man in her life, but not necessarily the right one.
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