Cactus Book…

One of the gifts I received from Christmas was “Cactus: The Most Beautiful Species and Their Care” by Elisabeth Manke. Thanks Howie :)

Found Christmas Kalanchoe + Wierdo Kiwi Fruits

As I was walking to carpool after work and saw some broken Christmas Kalanchoe plants. Knowing me, I searched for any leaves that were broken off. I was able to collect these, which I’ll try to propagate.

Found Christmas Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)
Found Christmas Kalanchoe

Once I got home, I took my Mom grocery shopping and we saw these weirdo Kiwi Fruits which we bought for a $1 (for 4).

Weirdo Kiwi Fruits
Weirdo Kiwi Fruits

Photos from the Garden

I love my new Canon PowerShot A610 camera, because it can take much better macros than my old Canon PowerShot SD100. I can shoot as close as 1cm. Below are some photos I took earlier today.

Jade Plant Flowers
Jade Plant Flowers

Coleus “Alabama Sunset” Seed Stalk
Coleus Alabama Sunset Seed Stalk

Dried up Dusty Miller seed heads
Dried up Dusty Miller seed heads

Dusty Miller photo

Can you identify this cactus?

I just discovered that one of our freelancers here at work is really into cactus and succulents, like me. I was trying to explain on of my favorites. it’s kinda toupe or grayish tan with long spines that look like thin fingernails. Then I tried to draw it:

[Edited July 20, 2005] I found it with the help of (Anonymous). It’s a Opuntia Diademanta. Here are some pics of it: ( link 1 ) ( link 2 )

[Edited July 25, 2006] The actual name of this cactus is ‘Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus’ or Paper Spine Cactus. ( DG PlantFile )

5 Day Weekend…

Friday, July 1

Today was the start of my 5 day holiday weekend. I had a lot of errands to do so I was only able to do a little bit of maintenance gardening and everything is looking good.

My mom and I went to Mid City Nursery in American Canyon. Even though this nursery is less than 10 minutes away from my house, I’ve never been to it because it closes before I get home from work.

I was very impressed. They had a lot of plants that I normally don’t see in larger garden centers, including some Fuchsias, Coleus and Euphorbias that I liked. I ended up buying 4 plants (I’ll post photos later)

Euphorbia Mozambique
Fuchsia hybrid “Golden Marinka”
Fushsia triphylla “Firecracker”
Coleus “Velvet Lime”

Saturday-Monday, July 2-4

My friend Darwin and I are going to Reno to take a mini vacation and visit my friend Michael. Michael introduced me to Coleus last year and actually gave me my first cutting (unfortunately it didn’t survive). Michael is starting his “Garden Design and Installation” business and I was looking forward to seeing him and his work… So I packed some Coleus I rooted and brought it along with the business cards that I designed for him.

We visited several nurseries and I did buy some plants (I’ll post photos later):

Coleus “Pat Martin”
Coleus “Jade”
Coleus “New Orleans Red”
Coleus “Stained Glassworks Burgundy Wedding Train”
Coleus “Gay’s Delight”
Perilla “Magilla”

Michael also gave me a cute little hypertufa pot that he made planted with a succulent.

Tuesday, July 3

Since this was my last day of the long weekend I wanted to visit the Berkeley Horticultural Nursery again… just to see if they had any new Coleus…. and they did… so I ended up buying five more… I just couldn’t resist.

Coleus “Wild Lime”
Coleus “Wild Lime” (I think this one is mislabeled because it’s different than the previous “Wild Lime”)
Coleus “Exhinition Magma”
Coleus “Rustic Orange”
Coleus “Trailing Rose Frost”

I also noticed another nursery on the way home. So I checked it out and OMG they had a Coleus sale. Buy 3 get one free… So I got four more along with a Euphorbia species. The Coleus were old and already flowering, but I’ll just take cuttings of them and make new plants.

Coleus “Dragon Black”
Coleus “Tabasco”
Coleus “Sunshine Burgundy Sun”
Coleus “Kong Green”

With all these new plants, I stopped by a local store and got a couple of cheap 18 inch pots. I also got Mondo Grass Ophiopogon and “found” some detached baby succulents.

Once home, I did major potting. All in all, I potted 5 succulents, a hanging Fuchsia pot and 3 large pots with Coleus.

I’m sleepy, so that’s it for now… I’ll post some pictures soon…

[edited June 8, 2005: Added missing plant names]

3 More Succulents…

I’m really getting addicted to planting again… I went shopping with my mom and I got 3 succulents in 2″ containers. One Sedum spathulifolium “Carnea” and two other Euphorbias that didn’t have tags, so I have to research their names.

I’ve collected cactus and succulents for as long as I remember. I especially the ones in 2″ pots because I get a sense of satisfaction watching them grow and develop.

For the last couple of years, when friends ask me what I want for my birthday or Christmas, I tell them to get me an unusual 2″ cactus… and that all I want. (Hint, hint!!!)

A Whole Bunch of Garden Photos…

Today I was able to take a whole bunch of garden photos, including some fruits, vegetables, flowers and other stuff in my garden. So if you have the bandwidth, check behind the cut.

Vegetables

Cucumbers
Cucumber

Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper
Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper

Pepperoncini
Pepperoncini

Baby Zuchini
Baby Zuchini

Sweet 100 Tomatoes
Sweet 100 Tomatoes

Newly transplanted Bok Choy
Newly transplanted Bok Choy

Flowers

Begonia
Begonia

Succulent Flower (I forgot this succulent’s name)
Succulent Flower

Flamingo Flower or Brazilian Plume Flower
Flamingo Flower

Coreopsis
Coreopsis

Clematis seed pod
Clematis

Fushia
Fushia

Radish
Radish Flowers

Lettuce
Lettuce Flowers

Young Hollyhock
Young Hollyhock

Garlic
Garlic

Young Gladiola
Young Gladiola

Hydrangea
Hydrangea

Fruits

Apples and Fushia
Apples and Fushia

Figs
Figs

Persimmons
Persimmons

Plum
Plum

Pear
Pear

Calamansi
Calamansi

Calamansi Leaves
Calamansi Leaves

Other Garden Stuff

Me
Me

Black Ladybug?
Black Ladybug?

Mickey
Mickey

p.s. Sorry for the image quality, my camera is acting up.

Also posted in gardening, entry: 691466