Cactus Blog 

This little guy was grown from a seed mix. Have any idea what he might be?

Roland

Roland,

It’s too early to tell for sure, but it does look like a Ferocactus.

Peter

People usually like to see Hoya photos that feature the wax flowers since the wax flowers are always so pretty. But I like to feature photos of the leaves.

That’s just the way I am.

Hoya macrophylla “Variegata”

Hoya nicholsoniae

9th Street, Berkeley
Non-succulent edition.

Oxalis “Coppertones” in a lovely brick planter. Oh, Berkeley, you are so lovely.

Unknown shrub: Pretty flower.

We have another new product out at the nursery – Ceramic Eggs by Jennifer Fisher, a ceramicist working around the corner from us.

Rikki potted a little Sempervivum, i.e. “Hen’s and Chicks” in the egg. So cute.

A special purchase we have right now. Made in the Bay Area, down in San Leandro.

They look good with the tall cacti. Sweet!

Jason!

I love both my whippets. Just so you know.

Creature Comforts puts together a nice mixed succulent pot, and does a good job of naming all the plants.

The thing is, that even though I have been a horrid gardener up to this point in my life, I have always had a deep affinity for succulents. They will forever remind me of childhood visits with my grandparents here in California. As a kid who lived neck-deep in snow most of the year in Minnesota and Montana, stepping off the airplane and into a place warm with sun and brimming with plants and flowers was something more than just a little bit magical to me.

Click through to see all the pictures.

Are you going to the SF Garden Show in San Mateo this weekend? Send me links to your pictures, (or send pictures!) and don’t forget to check out the giant succulent globe.

That’s big! And probably more interesting to view surrounded by crowds of people rather than all alone during the setup. They should really replace that video now that the show is open.

Benjamin is my dog. He likes to be tucked in under blankets. Who doesn’t! But you may not like to sleep on a nursery cart. Benjamin does. A nursery cart! He’s crazy. I love my dog.

Telegragh Ave., Oakland, CA

You never know where you’ll find a few succulents hanging out. These succulents are in Oakland, which is not too surprising. And in the Temescal neighborhood, which makes sense and all. But as a hanging basket of Crassula and Sedum in front of an outdoor seating area at a pizza joint? Shocking!

Just go to shows you can find succulents anywhere these days.

I don’t know why I am posting these on Cactus Blog.

Leucanthemum “Darling Daisy”
They’re not succulents, they’re not California natives, they’re not drought tolerant. What was I thinking????

A stunning Crassula perforata variegata and a couple Echeveria hybrids are glowing even on this cloudy day.

4th Street, Berkeley
Delospermas in bloom

OK, so this isn’t just any Succulent garden in Berkeley, it’s the front bed in front of the store. Our address? It’s on Fourth Street. So there. Prove me wrong!

Pelargonium ferulaceum is a shrubby member of the Geranium family that will form a twisty caudex and get sweet little flowers. Easy to grow, hardy to around 30F, this plant is now on your list of favorites. You can thank me later.

Pardee Street
Pachyphytum longifolium

Hap lays it out for a customer on our new clean beautiful new sidewalk.

Agave “Blue Glow” and Echinocactus grusonii

I hope the residue from the blue tape comes off….

How fun is it around here on a Sunday? Why, it’s Boxing-Glove-Cactus fun. Now that’s a heck of a lot of fun. If you click through the link to the artist’s own page, you will see a secret surprise on the backside of this heavenly Boxing Glove Cactus.

Two String Jane

Oh, Boxing Glove Cactus, Why do you make me so happy?

ITS OUR ANNUAL

TERRA COTTA POTTERY SALE!

March 16 – 31, 2013
30% OFF ALL
Terra Cotta Pottery
     
NEW STYLES FOR 2013!

Can you help me identify the disease on the cactus picture attached?

Thanks — Rich

Rich,

It looks like it is a form of “Rust” which is a fungus and is usually treatable with Neem Oil, a natural dual purpose fungicide and insecticide that is easy to use.

Take care,

Hap

It’s an African Violet, i.e. Saintpaulia, in a beautiful piece of wood.

Ribes aureum v. gracillimum

Here’s a sweet and edible California native shrub, to 5ft. tall. It’s definitely a coastal plant and doesn’t do well with inland heat.

Bloom season is here!

5th Street, Berkeley

Aloe saponaria coming into bloom and Aloe arborescens.

I’ll need to come back in a week or two to check out the full bloom spike when open.

Aeonium “Schwartzopf” in bloom. I’ve never bothered to photograph one of these giant pyramidal bloom stalks before since I don’t like them. In general, these can take so much energy out of the plant that we recommend you cut them off before they get this far or it can kill the plant.

This one is in my front yard and is from our original parent plant from back when we started the nursery. We haven’t taken any cuttings from this one in many years since we had originally over-harvested it, but its back looking good these days. So you would think I would cut this off, but it’s only one branch out of many so I figured we could let it go. This one time. But never again!

A very nice clump of Lithops in late winter splitting mode. You can really see the mimicry effect with the red rocks around them. Don’t water when they’re splitting like this. You want to make sure they absorb all the moisture out of the older leaves into the newer leaves, otherwise the new growth can be choked off.

And it’s a Gymnocalycium!