A cactus grower wins an award and makes the news in Derbyshire, UK.

Brian Fearn watering his huge stock of plants

Receiving the award from Alan Titchmarsh

This month he was given his first official recognition for the research he has carried out for more than 50 years.

At the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, in London, he received the Brickell Award 2010 for excellence in plant conservation, following his study of the plant genus Lithops, commonly known as “flowering stones”.

Brian, of Old Hackney Lane, was presented with the prize by gardener and television presenter Alan Titchmarsh.

Sweet! Can we get an award for our 10 years worth of trying to plant cactus in Berkeley clay?

Wondering what you’ll be doing tonight, in Del Mar?

Succulents to be discussed

DEL MAR —- Debra Lee Baldwin, photojournalist and author of “Designing with Succulents” and “Succulent Container Gardens,” will speak at the San Diego Horticultural Society meeting at 6 p.m. July 12 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Surfside Race Place, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. Baldwin will explain how to create container displays of geometric, architectural and water-wise succulent plants. Admission is $10 for prospective members, free for members. Parking is free. Call 760-295-7089 or visit sdhortsoc.org .

Someone is growing a variety of plants in Oklahoma, according to the Tulsa World.

And you can get in on it too, with the big annual sale coming up next week.

Cactus and Succulent Society of Tulsa
When: 1-5 p.m. May 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 23
Where: Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 S. Peoria Ave.
Info: 357-2401

I hope someone remembers to bring a lot of those indoors come winter.

That’s not good.

Triangular manhole covers in Nashua, NH. How unusual.

Staff photo by Don himsel
Manhole covers in Nashua are unique for their triangular shape. The shape never caught on in other cities. Most covers are circles, because they can’t possibly fall through their own hole onto a worker….

Fascinating!

Those brainteasers often say that a circle is the only shape that can’t fall through its own hole, but that’s not true.

In fact, any polygon with an odd number of sides would work…

It must be winter around here, what with all the posts having nothing to do with cactus.

First the bad news.

The Bay Area is in for one of its wettest weeks, with a series of windy storms expected to drop 8 inches of rain on San Francisco…

And the good news.

The dark clouds, though, may have a thick silver lining: Meteorologists expect 5 to 7 feet of powder in the Sierra Nevada, enough to bring the snowpack up to 100 percent of normal for this time of year.

That, in turn, may help to replenish California’s reservoirs next spring and ease the effects of a three-year drought.

On the other hand, we are a drought tolerant nursery…

But mostly cactus blooms. Come and relive the magic with me as we count down the Top Ten Cactus and Succulent Blooms (that I was able to photograph at the nursery) for 2009.

Not making the Top Ten, but still making this post, are extra bonus flowers!

Lewisia cotyledon in a shocking development did not make the Top Ten this year! Oh no!

Schlumbergera orssichiana aka Christmas Cactus – a very reliable bloomer in many happy colors.

Euphorbia flanaganii – the structure you’re seeing is also known as an inflorescence as Euphorbia blooms are tiny. The plant is also known as a Medusa’s Head.

Ferocactus tiburonensis – a classic striped barrel cactus bloom, and yet…

You’d think with all those runner-ups, I’d have just made a Top Twenty list but that would be wrong. And now, onto the Top Ten! I’m so excited…

10. Aloe humilis

9. Mammillaria bocasana

8. Neoregelia rubra – this made the Top Ten Bromeliad list too! Wow!

7. Eriosyce esmereldana – look at the extent of that cephalium! Now that’s a mature cactus.

6. Opuntia violacea is a very reliable bloomer, as are all opuntias. But this one has extra colors. Extra Colors!

5. Clusia orthoneura or the “Porcelain Flower” which it is indeed.

4a. Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi – some of the other Kalanchoes are better known for their blooms, but this one is the best of 2009.

4b. Rebutia krainziana – this was the best of the rebutias. And the rebutias are such a beautiful blooming genus.

3. Parodia ottonis is another small cactus with spectacular flowers. I don’t think you would disagree. Last year the P. crassigibba won out, and really gave it a run for it’s money this year, but there was no loss of certainty in this choice.

2. Echinocereus grandiflora Hybrid (Echinocereus x Echinopsis) I chose a pink flower for this, but the yellow is pretty damn nice too, so here’s both.

And the number 1 bloom of 2009 is…. Read More…

Before I finish the Top Ten plant lists of 2009, and before I start on the Top Ten cactus of the decade list, I thought I would start with something less controversial:

Top Ten NFL Quarterbacks of the Decade

Now, to be sure, the final 2 are pretty well predetermined. And don’t think the fact that I’ve been a Patriots fan for 35 years, since my dad got us season tickets to the very lousy pre-Grogan Pats in 1974, or that I’ve been a Michigan fan almost 30 years will have anything to do with my final choice. Nothing at all.

First we have a couple that didn’t quite make the list.

Jake Delhomme had one great year mid decade and one good superbowl but that’s not enough to make it onto this list.

Drew Bledsoe – overall career numbers would be good enough (45k yds and 250 TDs), plus a Superbowl season even if he was injured for most of it, but his best was in the 90s.

Onwards to the 10!

10. Steve McNair – if the NFL can give him 3 pro-bowls and an MVP that’s good enough for #10.

9. Daunte Culpepper might be one of the weakest QBs on one of the weakest teams right now, but the first half of the decade he was the best with the Vikings.

8. Kurt Warner sure is good, but is he top ten good? Almost 30k yds and almost 200 TDs for the decade puts him right here. Plus he started off the decade with a classic Superbowl win.

7. Matt Hasselbeck – 3 time Pro Bowl, 5 playoffs and 1 Superbowl. Plus look at those gaudy numbers – 24k yards, 150+ TDs.

6. Donovan McNabb – 5 time Pro Bowl, 1 Superbowl and a massive comeback. Plus 30k yds in the decade is nothing to sneeze at.

5. Ben Roethlisberger – close to 20k yards in only 6 seasons, 2 Superbowl wins, including one in which he played well.

4. Drew Brees – I’m putting him pretty high up here because his best seasons have come at the end of the decade, leading this years Saints and with last years awfully gaudy numbers: 5,069 65% 34

3. Brett Favre – an easy choice who may have been the top if not for his damn lingering, plus his best years were in the ’90s. Good cameo in “Something About Mary”.

The final two are… Read More…

If you don’t know what a caudex is, check out the pictures and you can probably figure it out for yourself. Or click through here. It’s hard to put these in any semblance of an order since they’re all so fantastic.

10. Jatropha berlandieri – the classic round caudex that goes fully dormant in the winter.

9. Ipomoea platensis is one of our succulent morning glories.

8. Bombax ellipticum is a subtree from Mexico, also known as Pseudobombax.

7. Ibervillea lindhemerii is pretty much our least popular caudex, and it’s in the cucumber family, so go figure.

6. Sinningia tubiflora is one of the easiest caudiciforms to grow.

5. Dioscorea macrostachya – babies!

4. Ornithogalum caudatum is the Pregnant Onion.

3. Urginea maritima – generally a solitary bulb that blooms when it is 15 to 20 years old. If it were in bloom this year, it would be number 1. But it will have to wait for another year.

2. Nananthus transvaalensis X Aloinopsis orpenii is a caudiciform mesemb with rose flowers

And the number one caudex for all of 2009… Read More…

OK, this is a new one for us, since this was the first year we carried organic veggie starts, and the photos aren’t really very good, so maybe I won’t do 10. Maybe I’ll be happy with only 5. Or 4. Let’s see what we have.

10. Lettuce. Yes, this is a summer blend lettuce. get a grip, what do you think veggie starts are?

9. Tomato “SF Fog”

8. Cilantro

7. Kale “Red Russian”

6. Lettuce Mesclum Mix

5. Mint “Bergamot”

4. Super Sugar Snap Peas

3.Tomato “Fireworks”

I guess that’s enough. Maybe I should renumber them 1 thru 8. Man, I’m lazy today, what with it being christmas eve and all, and we’re open til 5pm so it will be a long day before christmas dinner.

I would have to say this is my worst top ten list ever. If I made a list of Top Ten Worst Top Ten Lists, this would be number 1. Yay!

I haven’t decided yet whether this list will be for the genus euphorbia or the entire family euphorbiaceae. Let’s get started and see what turns up. Either way, they’re all poisonous, and none of them are poinsettias.

10. Euphorbia ammak

9. E. “Helena’s Blush” – This was very popular this year. We’re not usually big on the variegated spurges.

8. E. tirucallii, aka Milk Bush, Pencil Cactus and Firesticks.

7. E. ledienii – seems quite cactus-like, now that I think of it.

6. E. gariepina – this would have ranked higher if Hap were making this list.

5. E. myrsinites, the Donkey Tail Spurge

4. E. lomi “Salmon”

3. E. lactea crest “Ghost”

2. E. stenoclada

And the number one Euphorbia for 2009 is… Read More…

I don’t know why Bromeliads get their own list. And yet, the demands of the trade are such that here it is, in all its flaming glory – Top Ten Bromeliads of 2009. On the other hand we don’t actually carry that many species and I don’t photograph most of the florist bromeliads, so we’ll see if we can get to 10. Hey – it’s the best I can do.

10. Vriesea imperialis – some would say this is the greatest of all the terrestrial bromeliads, and so should be number 1.

9.Tillandsia stricta “Stiff Gray”

8. Neoregelia “Sarah Head”

7. Cryptanthus bivittatus

6. Dyckia platyphylla

5. Neoregelia “Rubra”

4. Cryptanthus “Black Mystic”

3. Puya berteroniana

2. Tillandsia bulbosa

And coming soon to a theater near you, it’s the number 1 hit terrestrial bromeliad of the year… Read More…

10. First, for the Shade category, we have Heuchera “Santa Ana Cardinal”

9. For the Sunflower Family category, there’s Aster chilensis

8. For the Fried Egg category, I like Romneya coulteri

7. For the Even More Delicious than a Fried Egg category, I see we’ve reached agreement with a Mallow, Malacothamnus palmeri

6. For the Tops in Shrubbiness category, there’s always Ceanothus “Tassajara Blue”, a classic Cal. Lilac for your enjoyment.

5. For the Most Beautiful category, Dudleya attenuata, but of course.

4. I see Manzanitas have their own category this year. Arctostaphylos pajaroensis “Warren Roberts” was a strong contender in the past, and has come through with the win this year with their big juicy berries!

3. For the Most Blooms, Dudleya cymosa – we seem to have our 2nd Dudleya on this list. It’s an outstanding performance by the Dudleyas this year!

2. For the Bay Area Favorite Award, Salvia “Allen Chickering”

And the #1 California native plant for your garden of 2009 is… Read More…

The rain is coming down hard, so now is a good time to remember all the best of the succulents we had this year, through all the sunny days we had.

10. Pachyphytum longifolium

9. Sempervivum “Lavender and Old Lace”

8. Sedum makinoi “Ogon”

7. Dischidia ruscifolia

6. Echeveria agavoides “Ebony”

5. Aeonium subplanum

4. Jovibarba heuffeli – actually, I was thinking this may have been number 1, but it was a tough call to place it at #4, but that’s what I’m here for – to make the tough calls.

3. Astroloba foliosa

2. Aeonium decorum “Tricolor”

Read More…

I love Top 10 lists! And now I realize I haven’t ever made one myself. That seems odd. So here to rectify this egregious lapse is my first ever top 10 list.

Top 10 Cactus of 2009

10. Mammillaria elongata

9. Echinocereus armatus

8. Opuntia santa-rita

7. Echinopsis peruviana

6. Oreocereus trollii

Oh, that’s cute.

5. Pereskia lychnidiflora

4. Mammillaria bocasana ssp. multilanata

3. Eriosyce esmereldana

2. Rebutia krainziana

And the number one cactus of 2009… Read More…

We may not be the favorite local nursery of the SF Chronicle, but apparently the L.A. Times likes us. From the Saturday Home section:

…an elegant tillandsia wreath. Made-to-order by Cactus Jungle Nursery & Garden in Berkeley, the 14-inch design contains hundreds of tiny living air plants…

The L.A. Times says they’re featuring our Tillandsia Wreaths in Saturday’s paper! Woohoo!

If you get the Times, check it out, and send us a copy too, OK?

Yes, we’re now on twitter. Ian set it up. Check us out at @cactusjungle.

What will be different from the blog, you may ask? Well, the blog is mostly just me, with some of Hap thrown in. The twitter account will be everyone at the nursery. Yay! I wonder if we can get Samuella to twitter too?

Last week, Enchiladas Mexican Restaurant (opened)…, bringing downtown diners yet another option.

Chile verde con nopales ($10.95) is a classic Mexican dish that combines spicy pork chunks with a flavorful sauce of green tomatillo and cactus (yes, cactus).

I’m sure it’s delicious.

I suspect this is a drug related article, but then I think that’s probably the best explantation for Michael Crichton.

From Palestine, TX

You meditate and talk to cactuses? Oh, you’re weird. Chances are, Michael Crichton didn’t actually talk to a cactus, but he got some sort of experience out of it, so who’s to say what actually happened?

Yeah, that’s so true. I mean one person says he talked to a cactus and the other person says he was on a drug-fueled bender. Who can figure this puzzle out? It’s a mystery, alright.

What’s interesting is that this was published in a regular daily newspaper. And they wonder why they’re a dying business, but I’m not bitter.

Apparently cactus is the new metaphor for men. You know, Men are from cactus and women are from roses. This could be a lot of fun if it catches on.

How will the words of the Rose show real feeling for the Cactus?  Will the subconscious give away in some trait in tone, inflection, or voice stress that may betray a lack of feeling or true respect from the Rose’s years of constant cultivation as opposed to the years of harsh desert conditions faced by the Cactus?

And that was from a real newspaper, the Jacksonville (FL) Times-Union.

It’s not all just piracy on the high seas, there’s also some stunning succulents in Somalia.

Pseudolithos harardheranus from Harardhere, which has emerged as the piracy capital of the world.

More interesting pictures accompany the article, too.

There’s a native plant sale at the old cemetery in Santa Rosa today.

Old roses and native plants propagated from some of the heirlooms abloom in Santa Rosa’s rural cemetery, will be on sale May 2. Pick up some pots for your own garden after taking a free guided walk through the cemetery…. The cemetery is located at Franklin Avenue at Monroe Street.

A.E. ARAIZA / ARIZONA DAILY STAR

The cactus-and-sunset logo on the McKale Center floor will be eliminated. Because it didn’t conform to UA branding, it was given a special waiver more than 20 years ago.

Rainy summers in Florida can be a problem for you and your cactus and succulent garden, if you live in Florida. From TCPalm.com

Photo Credit: Carol Cloud Bailey

Beautiful Agave stricta also known as the hedgehog or globe agave is native to Mexico and very cold and drought tolerant. However, it does not grow well in wet locations or areas with lots of rain. It could be a great addition to succulent or cactus gardens in our area if water is controlled during the rainy summers. Place hedgehog agave carefully, its tidy round leaves are tipped with spines sharp enough to pierce leather gloves.

Out of the UK, comes this touching tale of a local favorite on the comeback trail.

More than 1,000 people have joined an internet campaign to bring back the world’s first talking plant to Aberdeen.

Fond memories of childhood conversations with Spike, a talking cactus formerly found in Duthie Park’s winter gardens, have prompted an online petition calling for his immediate return.

In the 10 days since the campaign group was formed on social networking site Facebook, more than 1,000 people have demanded Spike’s reinstatement.

I love talking cacti! I just thought I was the only one who could hear them. Good to know I’m not the only one, because I was starting to get a bit worried.

Cactus, like people, can sunburn. But unlike people, the plant’s burn never goes away. It may seem odd that the heat-loving, desert-dwelling plants can be so sensitive, but that was just one of the tidbits of information offered Saturday during the weekly discussion at Green Things nursery’s winter horticulture series (AZ).

Well…. If it’s just a minor burn, the plant can heal over. Major burns can kill the plant, or cause permanent damage.

The University of South Florida has a lovely Botanic Garden, and the good people at the Tampa Tribune think the best part about it is the succulent house.

Take a stroll through the Botanical Gardens at USF and you’ll likely fall in love… Unrequited plant love is one of the top five causes of gardener heartache.

Angel wing begonia

There are several cultivars of angel wing, which takes its name from the shape of its leaves.

Hoya carnosa

Tribune photo by PENNY CARNATHAN
One of (our) favorite plant genera is hoya, which includes about 300 species of tropical climbers, many of them epiphytic vines.

Sometimes I  like to make up things about the articles I post. Like in this case, I’d like to imagine that the writer is actually a WWII bomber pilot from Connecticut who recently built a new greenhouse outside the kitchen backdoor, but it’s still too cold out there for the hoyas and begonias, so they’re languishing in the garage.