In answer to the questions 'What it was?', it wound up to be this in early January.

I associate Colleen with all windows into consciousness.

I like this one more than Victoria (admittedly I was there only on a grim, cold Boxing Day).

Satsu - satsu - no - matsu never fails to get a rise out of boys named Sue who are Haw collectors.

Yoko using the death ray to get rid of all the North Korean moles before repotting commences.

Just waiting for spting folks, that's all we're doing here.

It doth cause me to bleed, but no sharks were attracted.

One of Guadalajara's finest adjusting to winter.

Agave nzidiensiopsis? (sp?)

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Just to confirm that it's not all palm trees and drinks with umbrellas, Rags is admiring the Yucca.

Oldish cactus art print interlude

with the artist's / printer's chop

Because Zoe's diet is Beacarnea gracilis...

Cute pics of your cat and dog too!

BRRR...great picture with the snow. Sure looks too cold for my bones. Please keep all that cold weather your way, away from Florida,lol.

I believe the correct spelling for that agave is Agave nizandensis. I can't seem to get mine to have more than 5 leaves at a time, thats a nice one.

Thanks for showing the pictures, you have alot of great specimens there. I'd love to see your sleepers in leaf in the spring.

Denise

Those plants in your 7th photo look dead to me. That's the difference between someone who knows what they are doing like you, and a newbie like me. Out of curiousity, can those plants be tricked into thinking it's spring by lengthening the amount of time they get light by artificial lighting?

What are you going to do with those pretty china plates sitting on the carpet? or should I call them pretty plant saucers?

Please pardon the spelling - I suppose that's what I get posting at oh-dark-thirty.

Pug,

It's not all that bad this winter (my sixth in a row of complaining about the weather and doing nothing about it) - it actually didn't freeze last night, but winter's not done by a long shot.

Denise,

I used to be an Aloe snob and collected nothing but species, but the more things change...I can't have that many species here, but the hybrids fit in easily. That's Aloe 'Sunrise' and I'm finding that I was a foolish Aloe collector (in my defense, the hybrids back then weren't as showy as they are now, and I'm a sucka for the wow factor). She does know (I have a spread I use as a cover, and thanks for the nizright spelling,

Colleen,

It's but a temporary reprieve - let Yoko hang out for a few unsupervised hours and she'll put things to wrong.

Rian,

I'm waiting on my f/c Atlanta-Capetown ticket to bring it to you - I don't know the date, either.

Stush,

You're welcome. If you want to see something that will knock your socks off (and got a couple thousand dollars for the CSSA at the recent convention's plant auction) look for the white-variegated Agave victoria-reginae.

Sharon,

I was very fortunate this year - yes, that's all I needed was more plants (not ties!).

Penny,

It's not that bad - I don't have to water outside in the winter. That plant that I think you're looking at is Commiphora abyssinica. Commiphoras are grown for their resin, which is used to make incense (remember frankincense and myrrh? Commiphora and Boswellia are their sources, tapped like sugar maples). Both of those genus of plants are Old World, their New World relative are the Bursera. Ummm, love the volatile oils! Anyway, it ought to wake up in about 3 months...

I wish we had the selection up here that's down there - I need these in 50 lb. bags, though.

The grit and some top soil, along with the right pot and music (wait, not that pot!)

, make for a happy plant.

Closeup of that sartorially splendid Aloe 'Sunrise'

Snow today

Opuntia rooting attempt - both of these are from a member's garden (thank you, Tristan!)

Denise

Oh, just FYI on the cactus print, that mark is not "the artist's / printer's chop," actually it is the seal of the paper maker, Strathmore, which still produces artist paper.

So that is the view out your window? Impressive, indeed, but tropical, as opposed to temperate, landscapes are more to my liking these days!

Christopher

I have the same question as Denise...is the second to last pic a view from your house?!?! Crikey!

So, are all these wonderful plants spending their winter inside your house near windows? That is a lot of window real estate that is needed for that collection!

As I keep acquiring plants myself, I wonder if there ever is a saturation point where not another plant could possibly be integrated into my collection somewhere - window, sunroom, HID lights, garage...

With an Agave Blue Glow (I have hoovb to blame for giving me the jones for that one!) and a Leuchtenbergia principis (for that one I blame Keith) on the way (weather permitting), I guess I have not hit that saturation point just yet...

This forum is dangerous.

Tom

It's from the edge of the back yard - beyond there there be dragons (or at least wild roses).

Christopher,

That indeed is Aloe marlothii - it gets a bluish cast to it in winter that's pretty. I'm glad they're growing on you. That's one of the nice things about Agaves (and Aloes, for that matter) - you can root prune and keep in the same pot for years. Geoff posted a picture of one he's kept in a pot and I saw it and thought that Agave guadalajarana would be a welcome addition, but a largish Agave can always be kept down, as it were.

Tom,

I hope you can say that a year from now. That's exactly where they are. Yes, the salon has been said to be taken over by plants, but my response to that is the same as T. Soprano's 'Whaddya gonna do?'. You're talking about a collection limitation and you've got all that room? No borders, Tom, no borders. So you're taking the shipping chance? I had an Agave 'Blue Glow' but it went away. I guess I'll need to get another (I think it froze, and it was but a wee bairn). So you're saying you're not blaming Keith and hoovb, but it's their fault? Nothing wrong with that logic.

Oh, and here are two winter-growing succulents - I'm so happy the baby leafed out!

60 hour heat pack and a prayer...

T

Christopher, you're quite right - it's not the artist at all, but the watermark of the manufacturer. The artist is Andrew O. Gunn. (it looks like there's a period after the second 'n' of Gunn, so that might mean he's abbreviating it the painting equivalent of a stage name - whaddya know?

I agree with you about the Aloe marlothii, Jeff. Glaucous would be the correct terminology, right? This is mine. Needs a sunnier window, but my southern exposure is at a premium.

Christopher

As for your other painting, I believe the artist could be Andrew Simpson Gunn. Maybe the "O" is supposed to be a rock beneath the plant?

A bit of bio about him: Born in Glasgow, Scotland on June 14, 1879. Gunn settled in Los Angeles in 1911. He worked there as an artist and drafting engineer until his death on Jan. 22, 1947.

Do you recall where you got the painting?

As always, love your plants, wit & humor!! :D

Thanks so much, RoRo! I got it from one of my succulent mentors (who started collecting in LA area in the 1960s).

Yes, the view is nice - I guess one has to like that sort of thing or go mad.

I think it's a print, Rosemarie, but it could be a watercolour, I guess. I don't really know. Do I have something I can retire on?

Can't have you going mad, now can we?!

Given that it is on handmade Strathmore paper, I'd say it's a watercolor original-not a print...and from the look of it...the area of signature. No, sorry to say, don't think you can retire on it. I don't think he was famous. Nonetheless, nice!

Aren't the Agave nizandensis gorgeous? The one I got from Gay & Scott starting getting purplish-red right on cue once it was planted with more sun exposure.

Cheers,
Tristan

Rob

Love everything!!

Kamloops is one gorgeous place to live!! I remember my trip through your area and was taken by the beauty!! We were on our way from Banff to an area called Canim Lake.

A trip to remmember...

Thanks for the wonderful pictures!!!

Take care,

Laura

I had even thought today was the SDCSS Winter Show - I think I could be going a little SAD.

Hiya Tristan,

Lovely to see you here - no, it's not pupping yet. That's some unartful cutting. BTW, what are the names of my Opuntias? The platyopuntia one sure looks like a Brazilian.

Hi Rob,

Greg Starr says the one on the left may be a Calibanus/Beaucarnea recurvata cross. The one Zoe is chewing on is B. gracilis (what a whompingly thick caudex for such a small plant). The bare one is a Commiphora and the three in the front are Albucas. Does that cover them or am I missing one?

Hello Laura,

Thank you!

Lookin' good!

Cheers,
Tristan