Cactus Blog 

Ian has worked hard to make the blog. It’s been awhile. But he has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams – he has made it to Friday Whippet Blogging! Huzzah!

He had to lie down on the gravel to get that angle.

Osteospermum ‘Soprano Lilac Spoon’

We only have these for mixed spring baskets, and it’s early for it to bloom, but Wow!

This seems like a good program to go to. And Davis isn’t really that far, especially if you drive a Ferrari.

Idora design had trouble picking paint colors, so they hired a colorist. They should have hired me! I do color selection, too you know. What, you don’t know?

Despite the fact that I attended fancy-pants art school, we ended up having to get a colorist to help us pick paint for our house. It’s embarrassing, but it really worked out. If anyone has a purpose for quarts of some wierd colors I bought pre-colorist, I’m your girl!

They also linked to us at the cactusblog in this post, so a link back seemed like the least I could do.

Sarcocaulon crassicaule

With a common name like that (above) it must be South African. Also known as Bushmans Candle.

These will grow bushy to only about a foot across. They’re in the Geranium family, as you can probably tell from the shape of the leaves. Supposedly they’re hardy outside around here, but I wouldn’t bet on it (in other words we haven’t tried it yet.)

Join the Cactus and Succulent Society of Pakistan? The meetings are in Karachi. It’s a large group with more than 60 members.

And they have photos, too.

Nice Stapeliad.

We here at Cactus Blog try to bring you all the news from around the world relevant to Cactus and Succulent lovers. So let us know if you’re in another part of the world with less than prominent coverage of your work. It can’t hurt.

Hello

I found your name on the internet some time ago and had asked you a question regarding a cactus I have. Thankfully you were able to help. I am wondering if you might be able to answer another question for me. I have an old man cactus that is about 25 years old. This morning I was watering it and realized that I used a container that had soap, vinegar and a small amount of peppermint oil mixed with a lot of water (I use this to clean instead of chemicals). Once I realized this I immediately took the cactus to the sink and poured the remaining contaminated water out. I also flushed clean water through the cactus (about a half a quart). Should I take the cactus out rinse all of the dirt off the roots and replace all of the soil, or would this be more traumatic than leaving it? Thank you for any information you might be able to provide.

Best,
Bobbi

Bobbi,

What sort of concentration was the vinegar? Being acid it can be used as a weed-killer when mixed with soap. But if you flushed the soil with water and diluted it quickly I doubt that it will be a problem. We actually add a bit of vinegar to our water now and then to adjust the ph down, since a bit of acidity releases a lot of nutrients. The peppermint oil will just help kill any bugs in the soil.

Hap

The rest of the vinegary conversation after the break… (more…)

Dendrobium

Now that’s what I call chartreuse.

From KalaaLog

In this tutorial, you can have an in depth walk through of creating a digital painting of a cactus.

The final artwork would be as follows.

This is like those old Saturday morning painting shows on PBS, but there’s no video, it’s on the internet and there’s no paint involved. So it’s nothing like it; but who’s counting.

Cymbidium, hanging bloom spike style.

Lots more Aloe blooms from Germinatrix, at the Huntington.

Life on the Balcony went to Knott’s Berry Farm, the other amusement park in Anaheim, and found green roofed trash cans! She let us post a picture, but I think there’ll be more photos on her blog soon, too.

Here’s another green roof project in Orange County.

The commissioners recently approved funding for a green roof for the Sustainable Technologies Building and a wastewater recycle system to serve that building and the (Central Carolina Community College’s) Chatham Community Library, which is also going up at the campus…. “The commissioners felt that sustainable technologies are a critical part of CCCC-Chatham,”

Of course, that will be Orange County, NC.

Well how about this one, another green roof in Orange County.

it’s Hartford’s Hollander Center, a LEED-EB candidate that recently broke out the first green roof in Connecticut’s capital city.

OK, so this must be from a green company based in Orange, CT. Shall we try one more time? One more attempt at a green roof in Orange County?

Duke Medicine’s commitment to sustainabililty has reached new heights with Duke University Hospital’s recently completed green roof project.

A green roof features vegetation planted over a waterproofing membrane. Besides being nice to look at, green roof vegetation can enhance the energy performance of a building by mitigating heat.

Well, at least they’ve established a succulent farm for new green roof projects in North Carolina.

Last year, Duke Medicine helped sponsor the creation of a local sedum farm in Orange County, North Carolina. The farm is growing the pre-cultivated mats with sedum species more indigenous to our climate.

There’s that Orange County again! Curse you google!

Well, back to California, apparently the Irvine Medical Center has a green roof, but I can’t find a photo.

Hello there! I just received this plant as a gift and would love to know what it is. I tried my best to search the web but had no luck. Do you have any ideas?

Thanks,
Wendy

Wendy,

It is a Euphorbia tirucallii, or commonly called Pencil Cactus, though it is not a cactus, but a cool plant from Africa. Just beware the sap of that plant is pretty nasty (it looks like milk), do not get in your eyes or on your lips! Think cayenne pepper pain and a trip to the hospital if it is in your eyes… so wash your hands after handling it. Keep in bright light and don’t over water.

Take care,
Hap

On Saturday I posted Aloe ferox bloom photos taken with my phone. I also decided to take pictures with my camera, but the phone pictures were posted right away, whereas the camera photos had to be downloaded, etc. So I took closeups with the camera, since I couldn’t do that with the phone.

And on top of that, I couldn’t decide which photo I like better – the buds or the blooms.

Either way, that’s one heck of a vibrant orange.

From Mary in Walnut Creek, we have a Cymbidium that bloomed last year, but not yet this year. Let’s all hope for the best.

From using twitter recently, I’ve been discovering all kinds of new garden blogs. In fact, I may have already linked to some of these, but anyway here are a few to check out.

Donegan Landscaping in Dublin (Ireland).

Our Little Acre is somewhere in rural Ohio, but that’s a good thing.

J Peterson Garden Design is one of many garden bloggers in Austin, in the heart of Texas.

Finally! A San Francisco blogger! My Back 40 (Feet).

Like I said, a bunch of these Aloe ferox are in bloom right now, and my Droid phone’s camera is getting a workout.

Enjoy!

So I see the Aloe ferox is in full bloom. In fact we have 3 giant 24″ box A. feroxes in bloom. Quite the sight.

And a closeup too, for those of you who like to stick your nose right into the flowers.

Far Out Flora has some very clear photos of tillandsias, even in bloom, and even quite beautiful. So many epiphytic bromeliads, so little time.

Whippets come in at #61 with the AKC! Yay!

via Whippet Snippets

These, and more cactus and succulent stamps, are available from René Geissler, Kingston Road, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, England.

I think these are quite beautiful. There are lots more on the site. Here’s another collection.

Jalapeno Cactus Cheese Dip

1 (8 ounce) container dairy sour cream
1/2 cup jalapeno or French onion sour cream dip
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheese
1/4 cup diced canned jalapenos, drain
2 tablespoons diced canned cactus
1-1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

That’s one heck of a nonsense headline, and yet it is correct. Read on…

Abby Lowell / Juneau Empire
A trio of salmon fly patterns are tied on a “cactus hook” which was cut from a fish hook barrel cactus… a “cactus fly” that his father, Bob, tied about thirty years ago with barbs cut from the fish hook barrel cactus. The cactus is most commonly found in Arizona and northern Mexico.

Here’s another shot, with fisherman.

Hi,
Thanks for doing the blog, really helpful. My Euphorbia Ammak Variegata has recently gotten some brown discoloration in certain patches (images attached). I’m in San Diego and the plant stays indoors. It’s just been repotted (1 month) into a new terracotta pot and is about 4 feet tall. I just noticed the discolouration and it seems to be in fairly discrete vertical patches. What have noticed is that the “damage” seems to be on the front and sides that don’t face the wall.

The plant still feels quite firm at the discolored regions (I first panicked that it was rot!). I have had the gas heater on lately due to the weather but I dont have the room too hot, could that be something?

Nerb.

Nerb.,

The discoloration in the photo is worrisome… if it was outside i would say it is sunburn with a possible secondary infection… inside, unless it right near a window it is more likely to be just an infection (virus or fungus). I would say you should stop watering (Until March) and treat with a fungicide like Neem Oil ( a natural, effective product that is not chemical warfare in your home…). Use a 1 or 2% solution in water with a splash of liquid soap as an emulsifier (about 1tsp. to a quart of water) or buy ready to use. You should be able to find it locally at a garden center. Spray liberally and reapply once a week at three times. Hopefully that will take care of it. If it continues to spread or starts turning black you may have to do an amputation above the infection and re-root the unaffected top, but hopefully you can stop it before it gets that far.

Good luck and take care,

Hap

Now that’s what I call a common name.

Rechsteineria leucotricha

We’ve trimmed back all the older leaves, and these caudiciforms are putting out new branches, leaves and buds like crazy. Here we see the touch of color in the buds that will soon be overtaking the plant with the large crown of tubular blooms. What’s not to like?

I’ve been taking these photos with my new Droid phone. Not as good as with the regular ole’ camera. I’ll try the camera too, and we can judge them side by side. Maybe tomorrow.

Sumie sent along a photo of a terrarium we put together for her, on her desk. Thanks!