This week is clean up week at our succulent production facility (the empty lot where we grow succulents) and the crew has lined up flats of succulents on nice clean tables so it all looks pretty. Hap took a picture of some of the succulents to prove it.

I see crassulas and echeverias and pachyphytums and dudleyas and sempervivums – all succulents in the crassulaceae family. What, no euphorbias?

We’ve been talking about slugs at the nursery, and this is what came up.

Blegghhh.

Anyone who’s ever worked at a nursery knows what I’m talking about.

(We recommend industrial sized bags of sluggo.)

I hope there isn’t a yellowjacket nest here at the nursery, but I found this guy eyeing the cryptanthus terrarium hanging off the wood pole.

The newest member of the Cactus Jungle team is….

Godzilla!

Hap finally got the giant San Pedro’s dug up and potted.

10ft.? Sure! Echinopsis pachanoi? You bet!

We’ve had a lot of insects buzzing around recently, pollinating so one presumes. Some really pretty dragonflies too. Here’s my best shot of one sitting on a Cotyledon orbiculata seed pod, taken with my camera phone, without scaring it away.

It’s the last day of August, and that means it’s the last day for our 20% off Pre-Order Succulent Wreath Special. Operators are standing by.

And the last day of our Bird House and Bird Feeder and Bird Food 30% off Clearance Sale.

Here, have a pretty picture of a cactus.

Gymnocalycium baldianum with a ripe fruit.

I’ve been busy today creating a mobile website for our bamboo.

Our regular, full-service Bamboo Bay Area website.

And our newest addition to the website family, our Mobile Bamboo site. Try it out on your phone. Let me know what you think.

So now with the mobile site, our bamboo signage at the store has QR codes.

Like this one:

That’s another way to get to the mobile site without typing anything. Point your camera at the screen and click.

It’s taken a few months but the Saintpaulias are in full bloom again. Yay!

Why we have no customers this morning! Who would try and get past all that?

Well I’m embarrassed. This plant has been mislabeled all along at the nursery.

We’ll be calling this Cotyledon orbiculata v. oblonga from now on.

The little cluster of mini Echinopsis stems? Not one plant, as it happens.

We now carry cast iron army men, and peeps. We must be idiots.

The local feral cat has moved into the back. I suppose the black nursery tray was warm in the sun.

We’re looking to hire a full time nursery sales person, if you know anyone who’s looking. (Resumes only, no calls please.)

Finally we have mini self watering pots for the mini African Violets.

Saintpaulia species

Ever wonder what people working in a nursery talk about when there are no customers around?

Cousin Oliver Syndrome.

It’s our latest ad being published in the SF Chronicle Home and Garden section tomorrow.

Another Euphorbia we’ve been growing for years and now is ready for propagating. Its a hybrid. Any guesses?

We’ve been taking cuts for spring recently. Can you identify this unusual Euphorbia that we’ll hopefully have some rooted plants for sale this spring? We’ve been growing this one plant for 6 years before taking our first cuts.

Our first organic starts of the year are out in the heavy rains which they are promising me are ending tomorrow.

No customers, which is fine since most of the crew went to the NorCal garden show in San Mateo, assuming the storm wasn’t too bad on the peninsula and they could get through. We have a flood advisory going, and this is exactly! (approximately…) one year from when we had to close for a day because of flooding. I’m watching the street levels….

The weather reports are still calling for some sun this weekend, so that’s good news. So come on by! We have our first spring organic veggies out, soaking up some of this delicious rain before the sun comes out and they start growing like mad.

The new orchids are in! They’re adorable.

We’re open all year round. So here’s what we look like on a wintery California day. A bit gray and drizzly. Looks inviting!

We’re closed for the week, reopening on 1/3/11 at 9am.

Happy Holidays

Blogging will be light, but look out – it’s time for the years 10-best lists, and you know what that means…

Ian wishes you a merry Christmas I’m sure.