I wasn't home st the time, but returned to the aftermath. He could have at least moved them for me though.

Sadly, I have not been able to find every cactus I had then, since then. It seems that our BBS vary in their shipments. But, I have found ones I've not been able to find before (such as my R. muscula).

Oo, I like your Haws. I wonder which ssp. the one is on the right? When mine was stressed,it turned a dark purple, not red.

I'm not much a fan of yellow, but that's a pretty one!

Planto

Yeah, the washer dudes could, definitely, have been conscientious about it. Well, I'm sure, one day he'll find his just washed clothes on the floor in the laundry room…..
>;P

I looked at the label which helpfully describes one as a haworthia. : / The other label indicates venusa tesselata.
I think they're both the same species, just different personality. :]

This yellow echi was a nice rich color. Only lasted one day. I do like the lighter lemon yellow to butter cream pastel colors. I'm hoping the other one is like that.

It's odd what BBS's will contain. I'm impressed with the nice variety of phaleanopsis they carry. The hunt for long lost elements can be a sort of treasure hunt. It is a neat feeling when you find something similar and even nicer, after least expecting it. Hope you find like or ones that are even better than.

Thought I'd post another inhabitant. I also like "air plants" or tillandsias .

I've had this for more than 12 years. It was rather expensive when I bought it. I've seen a few at shows, but not as nice a flower as this. I do think this one is especially nicely shaped and colored.
Now it has split into 3 large plants. I'm fascinated by the pure white with purple edging. Makes for a pretty flower. They are also nicely fragrant.

I really do love gardens, gardening and just being among the beauty and calming effect of greenery.

Lol, a label stating "Haworthia" isn't all that helpful is it. I like that, different personalities.

I like Tillies too, but I don't own any. Our BBS don't seem to have many different Phals, although I did see a couple "new" ones last week.

I don't have the ability to have a garden yet, but it is one of my aspirations.

Planto

I can imagine your garden will be filled with very interesting species grown to specimen sizes with educated care.
;] Good aspiration.

I'm trying same, but since all are babies, will try to be patient....

This is the new Rose Quartz. Round flowers!! This is how I've always seen pics of. I'm pretty convinced the ones I have are seedlings of similar cross.

Thanks for the compliment. :)

Hmm... I'm not sure which hybrid I have then, considering it has produced both types of flowers. Oh well lol.

Planto

I am in love with this flower!
This is a no-name hybrid I acquired from eBay.
It's 4 inches across and has that much pale washed yellow I love with butter yellow mid vein and trim. This is my kind of yellow.

This post was edited by aztcqn on Fri, Jun 6, 14 at 15:34

Gymnocalycium horstii. Not the best shaped flower, but, a yard resident for a long time. Been a couple of years since I've gotten to see it in open state.

This post was edited by aztcqn on Wed, Jul 2, 14 at 6:47

I've never been much for yellow, but I like the size of that one. Big flowers are always nice.

I also have a Gymno in bloom, but it's going on day three or four and they haven't completely opened yet... I'm afraid they're going to die before they open completely. It's taunted me for over a month or so growing the flower buds, and now it's taunting me because they don't want to open.

Planto

I thought I was the only person with an anti-gymno flower yard!
You know, Planto, that horstii has been traveling west from bench to yard floor to quarter yard- ever searching for areas with more sun. Seems this one and the mihanovichii or freidrichii (I have both under separate names and meant to comment, sometime back your Plaid Cactus has a pretty flower) both will fret and fidget half opening their flowers near shade, even dappled sun for small part of afternoon-nope won't oblige. Even overcast days are anti-open bloom.
I'm thinking they need super bright, uninterrupted, all day or at least 6 hours of sun to open up. And, yet I'll find the rebutias and chameo hybrids will open under the tree shade with bright reflected. Some of our plants truly have (snooty) quirks.…

This post was edited by aztcqn on Fri, Jun 6, 14 at 13:46

So, my Mom can be a great help in the yard. Like a busy bee raking and watering. I asked her to help cut up branches for trash and when I turned my back, she kept going on over to the calandriana! Said it was ratty. Where I had one large community, I now have 7-8 "new" plants. : /
I call her the human termite. Lol.

This post was edited by aztcqn on Fri, Jun 6, 14 at 14:01

I just love Cacti flowers so much better than anythoyher plant?

earlier in thread you asked me about a stapelia in the back found I have;
s. variegata, and gigantea

Hmm, you may be on to something there. My 'Plaid Cactus' was in bloom when my Mother gave it to me, but its new blooms are the ones I mentioned earlier being fussy to open. I've read online though, to protect this one from hot afternoon sun. Go figure.

Planto

Hi mushibu, The long slim one was the photobombing plant in background! Would like to see when the flowers bloom on these!

Planto, Hm, protecting from shadows, here. I wanna see flowers! It's been in yard for over a decade in worse conditions-full sun lack of consistent water. In my case I'll err on the side of a little too much sun. I'm thinking, so far in my experience, it's more important that they receive water at the right times, esp. during higher temps. I believe the horstii can handle the direct sunlight because it's been acclimated to it over the years.....
Perhaps, in small increments the gymno mihanovichii can be brought to tolerate a little more?

Well, to help get over the loss of my beautiful variegated haworthia, I invited some new friends into the garden.
There's more green in them AND they came with long fat roots! Sundewd was right on when he mentioned that the pale, one I stressed, over was sold un-established and pushed deep into the pot to hide it's lack of solid roots. All the leaves on that one are turning watery. The crown hasn't yet, will be surprising if it doesn't.

Blagh, onto renewed positive growing attempts.

This post was edited by aztcqn on Fri, Jun 6, 14 at 15:56

that's the coming bloom.

Since your comment about your Gymno not fully opening its blooms, I was curious to see exactly which direction our window faces (I had a few C&S indoors, most of my cacti are outdoors). I had my suspicions that maybe mine wasn't receiving enough light as it was only partially opening its two flowers for almost a week.

I've been saying all along that we have a South window, but to my surprise, it's a Southeast window. More East than South at that. No wonder it wasn't opening. That being said, I placed everyone that was in the windowsill outside this morning to bask in the sun with their prickly friends. Now it looks like the patio has exploded, but I believe that in the long run, everyone will be happier. It's a shame I didn't check that earlier.

To my amazement, my Gymno 'Plaid Cactus' opened its buds fully this morning. So, I will say, you must be onto something!

{{gwi:524186}}

Planto

Is that the gymno? Nice! Looks like an echi hybrid......
And post pics. Most curious to see the explosion.

Another thing I've noticed is that the gymno horstii responded to consistent feeding last year and part of this....even in full sun it is a deep green. I believe it's due to the kelp emulsion it received.
On a more annoying note, I can't seem to get the watering right for the echis! My gut reaction to watering sparingly is not indicated for these alpine growers. I wait too long and the buds fall off. :[
Dangit!

No prickle flowers atm, so here's a balloon flower in lovely shade of blue.....

This post was edited by aztcqn on Wed, Jun 11, 14 at 7:41

Yep, that's my Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. friedrichii that my Mother gifted me.

My Mother had some balloon flowers (had being the opportune word). For some reason, they don't seem to come back in the Spring. Granted, we had a really bad ice storm in February, a number of things haven't come back.

Sadly, this may be the last time I write about my cacti. I'm considering giving them to my Mother (I hope she'll want them >>). We've had three bad rain/wind storms and last night was the worst one so far.

My poor tomato plant was blown over (again) and this time, it doesn't look like it's ever going to straighten back out. I did move my cacti yesterday evening because I saw it was going to rain and I had just watered them (no mention of 40mph winds... gee weatherman). Had I not moved them (I was lucky the last two times, I knew of it beforehand), they would have been gone.

If it can blow over my tomato plant that has to weigh at least thirty pounds (no lie, I stopped trying it pick it up, it hurts my back!)... a little 2.5 inch clay pot isn't going to fair well. I think they will fair better at my Mothers, she at least has more places she can put them and not have to worry. *sigh*

Planto

Okay, I take that statement back! I put my thinking cap on this morning and tried to think of some way that I could keep my cacti from getting blown away. I really really didn't want to give them away, as it's taken me so long to find some of the specimens I have and losing my collection again (third time, this time it would be my fault), I just couldn't bear it.

First I considered potting them all together. I did find a shallow clay pot in town, but $15 is more than I care to spend.

So, second idea, buy one of those plastic trays you place underneath plant pots and stick them all together in that. Well, for $1, that idea works out much better. Now, there's no guarantee they won't still get blown across the patio, but at least if they're together in this plastic tray, the likelihood is much less I believe. If anything, the entire tray may slide across the patio. Much better than plants flying everywhere dontcha think? :)

Planto

Doh! Tupid wind.

Aaaaaw,
Must be real bad to consider giving up your spiny and fat leaved babies. Seems so odd to hear of rain and tornado like conditions still going on near summer. But, then I have no idea of weather patterns out there. . How frustrating to have to pick up after messy weather.

I had to chase out a baby possum from the patio 3 times last night. Acts like a weather system. Keeps knocking over glass bottles and throwing around my potted plants as he looks for a non-existent dead cow (blood and bone meal) and I'm fearing for my hand chosen ceramic pots.

On thinking of your plan, if you bury or plant heavy rocks in the tray on the corners along with your cacti ( while heavily chained and attached to foundation with addition of dense collapsed star matter) might make it little stabler by adding weight? Hope you find a way to keep them (and yourself) safe.

Your gymno really is lovely, so big! And the midstripe reminds me of echinopsis Barberpole. Hope mine flowers large and fluffy.

This post was edited by aztcqn on Wed, Jun 11, 14 at 17:32

Speaking of hurricane-like winds, we had more this afternoon. In fact, it's been raining for almost three hours now.

This kind of weather isn't normal for us, but we've had some weird weather this year. It snowed in February, first time in two or three years (we used to get snow every ten years or so). Two weeks later, we had a severe ice storm that left us out of power for three days. Some perennials are still recovering, some never came back. A couple weeks after that, we had an earthquake. It was minor, but no one around here can remember ever experiencing an earthquake (we did have a large flood back in the 90s, but that was about it).

The winter before this last one was so minor, none of the annuals died back. So, this year it makes up for it by giving us temperatures in the single digits! Sorry to keep going on, but just explaining the odd weather we've been having. Last year we had that rain that went on and on... I'm hoping that's not what this is going to turn into.

At least we don't have animals trying to eat things and knocking over pots lol. Hopefully your possum friend moves on. My Mother does have issues with squirrels, but there's nothing to speak of here.

That's a good idea, I should look around for some heavy rocks (small enough to fit in my plant tray). I know I see some in the mulch from time to time. Hopefully my neighbors don't see me picking up rocks... I'm sure they already think I'm weird. :P

Anything blooming for you today? My Gymno only bloomed for one day! All that waiting and I get one day of fully opened flowers, haha.

Thanks for reading.

Planto

Oh my, that's a heck of a climate. When it gets hot here for days, they call it earthquake weather. But quakes are the norm, here, just can't feel them all.

Poor little plants trying to adapt to the odd weather extremes. Makes you really appreciate how they are designed for there particular native areas.
I wish we had a good dump of rain….now, Cali is considered in severe drought.
I've always wondered how concerned the state regulators/legislaturers are about it when the golf courses are still glowing green while they may put out a ration for the drinking public. Doesn't make sense…. Alarming that it basically comes down to who will pay for it…not who needs it….

I always wondered why they don't have catch reservoirs for all the run-off that floods the channels briefly every year. That would be a good investment or a program to help folks set up rain barrels that can be filtered for drinking. But, then the state wouldn't get to profit…..so no push for it.

Hey, rock picking upping is a street cleaning service! ;] I've begun to hunt around the yard for stray rocks for my month old emerging succulent diorama projects.
I really love the many different ideas I see on Pinterest. It's another way to be creative in 3D.

Yeah must like the pretty ones…..a quick burst then theirs gone. I wonder if that adds to the obsession to get them to bloom, because they are fleeting and sometimes have to be teased out with food, the right amount of water and perfect sun.

SO, no cactus blooms, but one of my favorite orchids produced it's beautiful deep purple flower. Love this plant in particular. It's a zygopetalum. Trick is to get it to bloom more than 2 flowers at a time. This year experimenting with actual attention and love to all my plant kingdom representatives.

I remember hearing about the drought in Cali, but it didn't occur to me that the golf courses for the rich folks are probably still green. That's sad.

No offense, but it sounds like your state government does a lot of odd things... Don't get me started on politics! Okay, I won't get myself started.

Yes, that could be part of the obsession. There are plenty of night blooming cacti out there. Good thing I don't have one of those. I am a night owl, but I think going outside at night while Hubby is sleeping would surely wake him up.

Purple is my favorite color. I wasn't aware there was such an orchid with such a dark purple flower.

I guess I ought to stop complaining about the rain, someone obviously enjoyed it.

Planto

Odd Cali, Yeah most obvious when the Terminator was elected.......Ok, no politics only cute flowering cactus and orchids and such! :D
Speaking of cute, that one seems super happy. Love its triple pinwheel flowers! Hope you don't have to give up your herd.

The purple zygo is one of my very favorite orchid types. They grow really well outdoors, here. But the color of that lip is unreal. My favorite color scheme is the blue violets shades edging toward red as in crimson. I love those intense colors in flowers and cars. Also, currently, I seem to be drawn to the blue /green and blue grey succulents I'm coming across. So neat to see a non-green leaf.

Having said all that about intense blood colored hues, here's a currently flowering epidendrum (reed) orchid hybrid in soft yellow. ;]

Sigh, Okay, today I bought some pots to organize and consolidate the myriad little pots of succulents every where......time to get to work!

I am going to do whatever I can to not give them up. I think I give up too easily sometimes and there are a few in my collection (including the one pictured in my previous post) that took me years to find. To give them up so easily, that would just be stupid on my part. Did you notice the little tray I had everyone in (not that you can really see everyone else)? I'm hoping that will keep them from being blown all over the place. The small pots are surrounded by larger, heavier pots.

I've never seen an orchid flower like that before. I'm not big into yellow (yeah, I can see these yellow daffodils on the sides of my post here >>), but I liek those. The shape is interesting!

Planto

I like daffodils, too! ;]
Well, I can see you want your plants to have a fighting chance over at your mom's. I'd be annoyed seeing my plants kicked around by storms, as well. I know there will be a way to protect them during the violent winds. The tray with heavy pots protecting the smaller ones sounds a good idea. I wonder if you have any bricks lying around to re-inforce the load on the tray? Or maybe I'm just odd and find it normal to have construction elements and rocks hidden like easter eggs all over the yard. I was hunting around for these stray rocks to place in the big succulent bowls for interest. I was happy to have a role for them after decades of ignoring them or throwing them under the trees when my toes would find them.......

The yellow orc is a reed type and pretty forgiving on its care. With attention and fertilizer I hope to grow it so one of these seasons it will blow out tons of spikes filled with dozens of upside down flowers.

Well, I spent the day ripping up established pots of sedums.....the one in a pic I posted with the blue green leaves. I really like these sedum's. Despite the invasion they were growing quite well. {{gwi:524187}}
This one even had little flower spikes. Well, they no longer look like this....
{{gwi:524188}}

They looked happy, but, I had to suck it up and just do it. I found hordes of disgusting root mealy in the center of the masses of each plant. Had to dig 'em out, spray them and let them dry. In a few days will recheck then spray again. As I was looking at my echi herd, this big fat bold mealy was skipping along on the surface of one of the hybrids! I hate them, can't seem to get rid of them. Ugh. I bombed it with alcohol.....
Sigh......

Sorry, I must not have explained myself very well. I won't be taking my collection to my Mom's afterall. As soon as I said that, I started thinking of a way to keep them with me. Sadly, one of my two trays is so full of pots, I can't squeeze anything in (rocks or bricks). I did find a rock the other day for the other tray, but I'll need to pick up a few more. I'm not sure why, but the mulch here seems to have rocks in some parts of it. Hey, free weights! Lol.

I made a hasty decision, thinking of giving them to my Mom and posting that. Again, my apologies.

I'm hoping we've seen the last of the strong winds, but who knows. I had to tie the tomato plant to the patio, haha. It's blown over three times and despite thinking this time was the last time, the cage was just bent. It does need to lean on something though because one side of it is so heavy. When things grow well forme, they turn into monsters. I had a Ruellia last year... they're only supposed to be 2-3ft tall I've read. Mine was reaching 6ft. That one had to go to my MIL's to be potted in the ground. I bought a daylily yesterday... I hope that doesn't turn into another monster!

I'm sorry to hear about your mealy bug problem. I have a friend who's AVs got mealy bug somehow. She's still battling...

Planto

This post was edited by plantomaniac08 on Fri, Jun 13, 14 at 8:31

Okay, I do have a picture for you today. I picked this one up the other day. I'm officially out of room, indoors and out (especially indoors). That being said, this will be my last purchase... that's unless someone gifts me a plant, in which case, you can't turn down a gift lol.

Parodia leninghausii 'Golden Ball Cactus'
{{gwi:524189}}

Planto

OMG! Those are beautiful big blooms!!! I've always wanted some of the mini parodias. I've seen one with a yellow flower crown that looks so cute. Never saw one with such huge flowers. You have a winner, there!

Oh no worries! I just know how the mind works when newly faced with a dilemma. Glad you resolved to keep your babies.

Monsterizing plant's not a bad quality to have. NIce to have super powered dirt. Only time mine's super powered is when I add blood and bone meal to newly potted plantings. Plants respond so well to that. I tell my mom plants are little vampire carnivores. If they had thought bubbles there'd be like an Audrey alter ego screaming "Feed Me!" Oh yeah, and then the possums dig everything up.......sigh.

No more cacti flowers. I am suspecting the tree canopy has become too dense over them. Sunlight is probably not enough. Only new flowering in the garden is another laelia hybrid. This one I've had for a few years. So nice to re-aquaint with it this week! Forgot it was a bicolor. It's scented, too.

This post was edited by aztcqn on Fri, Jun 20, 14 at 19:15

Small with only one flower but so cute!
Rebutia "Apricot"

Here's a new favorite!!!
sulcorebutia vanbaelii. This one will be spectacular with a many flowered flush next year...can't wait.

Haha. It had buds on it when I purchased it, so I can't take credit for the blooms. I'm not partial to yellow, but I do like the flowers on this Parodia.

That's one of my Husband's favorite movies. I purchased it for him last year sometime (I'd never seen it before). I like the 'Apricot' Rebutia, I love peach colored flowers, although that's not something you see a lot.

I really like that last one, it almost looks black. It's a Rebutia hybridized with what?

Planto

Hi Planto!

Me too. I like only certain yellow shades. The lighter creamier and tending towards lemon. Well, I'm sure you will be able to reproduce same kind of yellow explosion from it next round. ;]
Do you still have any plants setting another round of buds?

The red one, I believe, it's a species - sulcorebutia vanbaelii. I googled it and same type of flower and coloring came up. It is a pretty dark body on it. The flower is that dark blood (yay, crimson hue!) red, but, it has a yellow center which when open sets a neat color contrast to it. I'm not sure how sulcorebutia is in relation to rebutia. I think I read it's a subspecies.

In case you were wondering, they are new eBay acquisitions, but, they were so cute and the money sort of flew into the ether before I knew it!

The Apricot opens a nice orange, bit lighter than the muscula, then it pales the heck out to this orange sherbet cream.
Love mini cacti!

Oh wait, there's a movie named "Parodia"? I tried to look up......

This post was edited by aztcqn on Sun, Jun 22, 14 at 16:35

'Rose Quartz'

Planto

Very nice! So full and deep hued.
Here's mine. A spikier and redder version.

Haha, no, I was thinking of the movie "The Little Shop of Horrors" (you said Audrey). :P

Planto

A small focal of beauty in my world. I think it's a chamaeolobivia in tangerine. A rescue from a corner of oblivion at a local nursery. Not a good picture this time. But, any bloom, even a blurry one from my garden is better than last Friday's terrible experience.

Uh oh, what happened on Friday? I love the color of the flowers, not to mention... the cactus is orange? :D

Planto

Hi Planto,

This happened Friday
I lost my great car. Spent longer looking for it than I owned it....

;[,,,,,

This post was edited by aztcqn on Wed, Jul 2, 14 at 21:34

I was at a standstill in traffic when idiot rear-ends my car. Been getting treated for whiplash. I am sore, but can walk and all. Just really lost some confidence in L.A. streets. This is the third time I've had my car totaled. Each time I didn't do anything wrong. Was coming to a stop from 2 mile an hour traffic in Friday, downtown "rush" hour and bam!!!! Still smarting from the whole thing.

I forgot I had pictures on my flash drive......not much popping in the yard. I think my echis need more sun. They've decided flowering is too much work and stare back at me with poker faces.....

What's blooming in your yard?

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you. Even more to hear that this is the third time you've had your car totaled!

On the bright side, you're relatively unharmed and it could have been much worse (a lady here where I live passed away yesterday from a car collision).

Lol, I don't think cacti bloom non-stop, they have to take a break ya know?

Nothing here blooming. I'm waiting for my Aloe 'Grassy Lassie' flowers to open. Any day now...

I just decided the other day that I'm going to be indeed giving my cacti and succulents to my Mom (temporarily, just so she can care for them for me until we get a house).

I was unnerved to see someone pressure washing (again) the neighboring apartment unit and feared ours would be next. He hasn't come back, but I cannot guarantee I'll always be home when they decide to pressure wash. Since he's pressure washing the exterior, we won't be getting a notice (as I was told from the apartment folks). Well, your pressure washing our balcony is going to get all over my plants, thank you kindly.

So, I know they'll be safe at my Mother's. If it's not the weather I have to worry about, it's the people who maintain the area. I think it's a good thing, the buildings do need cleaned from time to time, but, if I'm not told to move my plants and they get sprayed and die... I will be someone's worst enemy. Some of the cacti are irreplaceable. It's taken me six years to find them. I am not willing to lose those because of someone's negligence.

Sorry, I'm ranting. I'll share pictures with you when I can. But, nothing blooming this week.

I'm glad to hear you're okay. You're my cactus friend, your well-being is important.

Planto

Oh no, the pressure washing zealot is back?! So unfair that you can't feel your plants are safe where they are. Wind can be annoying, but, it don't gotta brain. Humans, on the other hand, don't have an excuse for laziness or blatant inconsideration or worse destructiveness. It makes me mad, when one is conscientious and worry about not imposing on the neighbor and then some miscreant (or a mental cretin) bulldozes over our property. Big BIG sore point with me. So, please! Feel free to vent.

I totally understand not risking a loss of something you've taken the time to acquire. Living babies that you plan to nurture and grow to nice specimens! Totally understand that. hhmmm, well, you get visitation rights 'til you get a private piece of property to space out a nice garden. Girl, believe me, I take major issue with stupid, irresponsible people…. especially after being the only one towed home from this recent collision. His Explorer was drivable, and the 2 cars in from of me in the pile up drove home. Yes, 3rd time some idiot plowed into me. 1st time my front end was rammed from the right when the idiot women ran a red light 4-5 seconds after it set (and everyone opposite me had stopped) red and broke my front axel in two. She was going 60 miles per hour while I was barely moving left. 2nd time (in 2010) my car went head on into the fool that cut me off. Both going at 40 miles and hour. This helped wiggle 3 discs out just a little further than good and later caused a really bad sciatica event that took out my right leg for more than a month. The current slam has set me back in the muscle spasm dept. Whiplash, crumped shoulders and neck. Right leg thigh twitching like mad sometimes, but no sciatica, thank God.

And with a knot in my stomach (anger), I begin the trial in researching and looking at ads for a similar condition car all over again. What I had, and was quite happy with-not going to ever sell, was a 2nd generation Lexus sedan, 15 years old but they were made with bulletproof engines. Took 2 years to find my car in excellent condition with 62,000 on the odometer and I want the exact same 15 year old model. Sigh. But, yes. I am getting treated, but can walk and wasn't hospitalized. Thank you, Planto, I really appreciate your words. I look forward to communicating with my cactus buddy, too. I need the connection to the prickly fat leafed admiration club. It's a welcome relief from the current hassles.

I wish that was the only problem I face, tho.
Where I live, it used to be a pleasant safe neighborhood. Just in the last 5 years, we are being drawn into a battle over securing our block from transients that park their Rv's and campers for weeks and leave their trash in the street in front of out homes. This being underwear, smelly clothes, broken furniture even condoms, bottles of beer and lurid looks. The ones without vehicles decide to hole up behind our alley and smoke and drink and urinate back there. They overturn the dumpsters and litter the alley with garbage. I hate seeing them there when I take my trash out for trash day. I hate for my Mom to be exposed to them and worry when I'm not home. Last year, I've found people using our front hose to take a bath, I've found trash, smelly blankets thrown into my yard.
It means a call to local non-emergency, sometimes, twice a week. My, whose ranting, now. :[

I sometimes lose interest in organizing the yard when I think about what I see happening to my block. I worry.

What I like about cactus and succulents is that they are quite forgiving and stay green even without a growing medium. I still have the remnants of the mealy triage, I did a month ago, putting out roots waiting for me to give them a pot. I admire their resilience. Maybe, I like this type of plants because they've shown me that you can go on despite less than ideal situations. I can't give up. Some days wear on me more than others.

I forgot to post this bloom. It's a tricho named Lavender. Quite a deep deep magenta with edges of purple. It's my moms favorite ( every new bloom becomes the current favorite). It lasted 3 1/2 days

This post was edited by aztcqn on Fri, Jul 4, 14 at 2:59

Thanks for letting me vent, haha. Mom has a few cacti herself and she hasn't lost any yet. In fact, the Haworthia she had (I sorta killed that one... another story for another day), bloomed several times. So, I believe they will be in good hands!

After reading your commentary on your accidents, I feel lucky that Hubby and I have never been in serious accidents. I cannot understand how someone fails to notice traffic in front of them is stopped... Will your insurance company be giving you enough compensation to purchase another car?

I... don't have the highest respect for some people, so reading your stories about the transients disgusts me. Is there nothing law enforcement can do? If they don't live there, how are they allowed to park their RVs/Campers, roam around? Is there not places for RVs and Campers to stay? I don't understand the lack of enforcement there.

Did you pot up the Sedums yet? That's amazing that they're still going! I'd like to see a picture whenever you can obtain one.

Some days are harder than others. We all have them. But like you said, we can't give up. :)

That almost looks like a 'Rose Quartz' bloom, odd how some of them are so similar!

Planto

Yes, it could be the RoseQ's bigger brother! I hope it will bloom with several flowers open at once in future. This one is my favorite tricho after the Flying Saucer.

The jury is still out on the haworthias - It's in the mid 80's, so I"m thinking' they may be somewhat slowing down in growth? Jeesz. it's so counter-intuitive to stop watering when they are in heatwave…. Your mom has the gift!

My insurance hasn't given an answer to my attorney, yet. There is an amount I won't accept less than but. guess, I'lll see. Rear-ender is also underinsured……
Yep. L.A. bureaucrats have decided that homeowners, tax payers do not deserve peace of mind. Here, it's allowed to sleep in your cars in public areas. Freeway in front of our house is city property. Doesn't matter if it's in a residential neighborhood. We have to wait 72 hours before the city will disperse them. Sidewalk sleepers can stay as long as they want, can't clean up their junk because it's legally their personal property, even if they just picked it out of your trash, We can call the patrol units to come check it out, but transers hide before the police come.
Since the current passel of "elected" have been in, we have less access to basic services and security. One ex. the city doesn't send a street sweeper through here, anymore, because we don't have signs on the street. So it's not even random, we're simply not on the schedule, ever. We have to call in about that.The non-emergency lines were always answered by an Officer, not the case, now, we get a recording, sometimes cycling for 15 minutes. Property tax yanked out of us, but, no services. Neighboring districts are clean. We have to fight to get that basic right to be free of litter and addicts. It's dis-heartening, but, my neighbors ( bless them ) are a unified bunch and it is a concerted effort to keep our street safe. Well, thanks for letting me go off cactus for a bit. Back to more enjoyable pursuits.

I did pot up the greater mass of sedums after a week of triage, but, they look a bit ratty. When they show new growth, I promise to post pics. ;]
Just looked at the sedums and they are not worse for wear, just too many patches from my poking through them to get all the mealies.

Oops,I lied. THIS is the oldest prickly yard inhabitant. I think some kind of notocactus. It is making nice new growth (and babies!) after years of neglect. It appreciates the new regimen of plant snacks and water.

This post was edited by aztcqn on Sat, Jul 5, 14 at 15:56

"nother view of noto...
Has the scars to prove it's mightiness at surviving my yard....

Rose Quartz! It's popped with a few more magenta flowers. I like this lil plant.

That Haworthia Three cornered hat intrigued me. I found this link about it. Very cool.

Here is a link that might be useful: Huntington Botanical Gardens

Wow! What an insanely loooong spike!
I love how the tubercles against the dark haworthia leaves glistens in strong light, like it has glass or small diamond chips on it.
Thanks for the link, Laura.

A red hot patch among the cacti crowd.
Sulcorebutia tunariensis.

here is me Stapelia Variegata with a large Bud for you :) it's grown!

The first celebrations of Spring!

A gymnocalycium bruchii.