Five Years and Counting: A Big Thank You to My Readers!!

I can't believe I've been keeping this blog for 5 years! I'm so happy you've found a spot to learn more about Tillandsias and Mesembs, and share in my gardening adventures. I hope you have enjoyed the posts on all sorts of sundry and various things of passing or abiding interest to me, your humble blogger!

Our celebrity Mesemb, Babytoes

So a big shout-out to my readers and followers, and a big bloom from Babytoes, perhaps the first internet celebrity Mesemb?? Or is that going too far? ;-)

And yes, I still grow Lithops. I've come to feel, however, that it's best to support policies and laws that support their wild environment, where they grow best. Growing them at home certainly improves their fan base and helps more people become aware of how precious and amazing these little plants are. So let's grow some more! I think we can all agree on more Lithops in the world....

My sand dune at night. Painting by MRobb

Lithops!

Mesembs in bloom

Learning about all sorts of Mesembs and cacti is a wonderful hobby, and I'm going to continue, most likely, for the rest of my life. Tillandsias are native to my area, and frankly, I'm running out of space to grow them, as they are extremely happy in my home and garden. So you'll be reading more about them, too.

Tillies!

Los Tres Amigos.

And my artwork and pottery continue, so thank you for your wonderful compliments.

So have a wonderful weekend walkabout, and once again, thank you so much! See you soon!

Los Tres Amigos: 3 Hairy Guys

Posing for you all today are my three hairy guys, Espostoa lanata on the left, Rebutia albipilosa in the front, and Cephalocereus senilis on the right, at the back. All are New World cacti, yet all sport very different hair stylings. That's creativity.

What everyone wants to know about their "Old Men" or "Old Women" cacti is, how to make that hair grow long and lush? The key is a lot of morning sunshine. They are not crazy about strong afternoon sun or extreme heat, but several hours of morning sunshine, outside, suits them very well. If they can't be outside now and then, a sunny east-facing window does well, too.  I don't like growing these outside all the time, because their hair gets dirty and turns yellow-gray. Yuck.

The hair's function is to reflect sunlight and trap pests. It also helps retain water, so they can be a little more rot-prone than other cacti. Another reason to grow small ones like this indoors. Outdoors, some columnar hairy cacti can become quite huge! Not a good choice for the living room in that case....

Hairy cacti make a great mini-collection within a wider succulent collection- they are a lot of fun.

Now I have to get back to prepping for TS Isaac, soon to be Hurricane Isaac. Never dull around here in summer!

(Photo from OSHA, USA)