Huernia flower

I have really neglected my stapeliads but this Huernia didn't let that stop it from blooming. It has been producing flowers faithfully although most of the time they go unnoticed.

I think this is Huernia zebrina. Don't know the subspecies - maybe magnifica?



A closer look at the flower....

Echinopsis calochlora clump bloomed!

I previously wrote about one of these in bloom, but I didn't really feel that it was my own since I got the plant already in bud from a friend.

This clump is mine, though - started as a small offset I got from my aunt some years ago, which has grown and grown.

It's such a pity the flower only lasts one night.

December 2004


December 2005


Tuesday (July 2006)


Yesterday (Thursday)


This morning!


Close up of flower


Another view

Bloomin' bruchii

My Gymnocalycium bruchii is very happy in its new home. It aborted one of its three buds after travel and transplanting, but the other two opened soon after, and more buds have followed. I'm glad I decided to take it along and not give it away, since the small offsets clearly have quite a way to go before they get to this size.






The other Gymnos continue to bloom, and now the Echinopsis clumps have finally decided to join in the party - several of then are now budding so I have a lot to look forward to.

I'm still rearranging my garden and transplanting my seedlings and and repotting plants, and just getting back to "normal". That's keeps me busy outside and not inside - so my posts are now not as frequent but I'm really trying to get back on track.

Echinocereus knippelianus

This is one of my favourite plants. From early on, when I started getting to know more about cacti, it just seemed so attractive with its plump green body with few spines and nice flowers. This was, of course, from looking at photos in books, because I didn't have one to see for myself.

Many of the seeds I ordered from a nursery in the UK in 2003 did not survive due to a combination of my lack of knowledge and other external factors (heat, insects, etc), but I have managed to get a few of them to three years old now and doing well.

Included in these (survivors) are two Echinocereus knippelianus plants, and although I have no blooms yet, I feel that I have done well with them. One of them was attacked by some insect about a year ago, and I was sure it wouldn't survive since the growing point was damaged, but after languishing for a while it has now put on another stem which looks just fine and healthy. You can see it in the photo. Now I'm just waiting to see if I get more offsets or even flowers.

Catching up

I've been busy the last couple of weeks since I have moved back home, and it has been fun "catching up" with my plants, seeing how they are doing, and of course inspecting, repotting, and trying to get back into a familiar arrangement.

So - no time for blogging in all that activity, but I will have quite a bit to post - what with many blooming gymnos today, my seedlings making progress (nearly gave them sunstroke this week and hope they'll be okay), new plants settling in, etc.

The grafted rebutia I recently got travelled well, and it didn't even wait to be unpacked before blooming - the bud had apparently tried to open while it was still wrapped up in paper but fortunately that didn't prevent it from showing its stuff once I got it set up in its pot. Lovely red flower - identified the plant as Rebutia krainziana. So here's the photo - enjoy!