GG's New Loft

Some people have asked how GG likes her new home. Perhaps a picture will tell a thousand words. GG is very comfortable and loves being with Daddy wherever he is. She likes the courtyard where she takes a walk about 30 times a day and she loves playing hide and seek with her balls and chasing them and her toys down the steps. She sleeps very well and has adjusted to life without a doggie door very well. She taught herself how to tell us when she needs to go out and it almost sounds like she's trying to speak. It sounds kind of like a guttural growl and bark and mumble. But she definitely gets her point across. The problem is that she also loves to go out and see her friends of which she now has many. I wish she could differentiate her requests to go out so that I would know the reason for the walk.

GG & The Bear

Hi everyone. Las Vegas Cockapoo here! Things are happening! For some reason, my Mom and Dad are removing stuff from my house and then they appear at this other place ... something called the "chicken loft." (Okay, it's a long story.) Anyway, when they say we are going to the chicken loft, they put my bed in the floor of the passenger seat because the back end is full of stuff and I get in. I'm very happy there as I am right next to my Mom and she reaches down once in a while to give me a rub ... not to mention the cool air from the AC blowing on me for the 35 minute ride. We get there and I get to pee first. I really like my pee place. There are a lot of great new smells.

Anyway, as sooon as we go inside, I have my ball and orange man right there. I don't have to ask for them ... they are just right there. COOL! I'm finding a couple of great places to put the ball and try to get it. The only one that Mom didn't like was over the balcony outside. I don't get to take the ball out there anymore. But, I do love to drop the ball down the steps. COOL! COOL! COOL!

I have noticed that the things that disappear at our house are showing up at the chicken loft. Hmmmm.

Back to the picture above. While my Mom was packing things up, her bear which was a gift from a dear friend of hers, ended up on the floor. I sniffed and prodded that bear for several days while trying very hard to behave myself and not tear its insides out. Finally, my Mom gave the bear to me as a photo op. That lasted about 8 hours before I began to tear its insides out. Mom took it from me right away. Gee! I was just getting to the good stuff ... ing.

Ice Plant, Bishop's Cap & ???

I have looked and looked for the name of this cactus and I can't find it. But, I like it! Its spines are fairly flat to the stem and, so far, it is only a single stem.

This is my rather sad-looking Ice Plant. It did make a few fuscia colored flowers last spring so I shouldn't give it a hard time, should I?

My Bishop's Cap made a flower while I was away a few weeks ago and I was hoping that one of these buds would flower up soon but, so far, nothing.

Pups

I still don't know what this is. I said before that it might be an Echinopsis but I'm beginning to think that it isn't. Anyway, look at the pups growing on its side!

Finally! The Argentine Bloomed!

The Argentine Giant Cactus finally presented us with a bloom in the summer of '09! Isn't it gorgeous? It only lasts a day.

Little Backyard Happenings

Well, this is our backyard. It is our creation and we have strived to nuture it to a well tended garden mixed with tropical palms, desert plants and trees and various native and non-native cacti. The pool design is my own. (Pools are a must in Las Vegas!)

I don't believe you have met my Organ Pipe Cactus. I bought it about a year ago and planted it in the ground right away. It seems to be pretty happy even though it gets sun only about 3 months out of the year. It has probably doubled in size since I planted it.







You have met my Silver Torch. It has grown even more since I last wrote about it. It is doing very well and bloomed profusely this spring and summer.












This is another cactus that you have not met. It is my Red Barrel or Ferocactus cylindraceous. It is also referred to as a Fire Barrel or California Barrel. It shows as bright red especially right after a good rainfall. It needs very little water out in the wild, however, I have learned that it appreciates a lot more care when placed in a pot. Someday, I hope it will make yellow flowers.

Guess what! My Argentine Pipe Cactus is blooming again. This is the first year that it has tried to bloom twice. I am hoping that this bloom goes all the way.

Several weeks ago, I cut off an arm from the Argentine that was hanging off of the main stem in a precarious way. I cut the arm to be square on the bottom at the advice of an internet expert and waited about a week for it to dry. Then I planted it in cactus soil, waited another week then started watering it. Voila! A new Argentine, portable version!

This is my Fishhook cactus. Remember that it was beginning to bloom? Well, it's still going!

Is my Cereus Serious?

Can someone please tell me why my Cereus peruvianus v. monstrose (did I spell that right?) is doing a back bend away from the light source?

Desert Rose

I have been waiting to write about my Adenium or Desert Rose because it was having some trouble with bugs throughout the winter and spring. The leaves were curled and malformed due to the critters and I even tried Neem on the plant numerous times to get rid of them. I suppose I shouldn't have but it did survive. However, the bugs survived as well. Finally, I found some information on a website to suggest how to get rid of them and to start with, it told me to remove all the leaves! Whew! By looking at the picture to the right, you can imagine how desperate I was to get this plant looking better! I pinched every last leaf off the plant. I suppose I did know that this plant reproduced leaves rapidly and that losing its leaves was something that the adenium does when it gets overwatered, too. So, in the back of my mind, I knew that removing its leaves was not going to kill it. ... Still...!

I began spraying the plant every day with water. Apparently, the critters don't like to be wet. (Ahh, too bad.) It wasn't long before leaf buds began appearing on all the limbs. Most limbs had two or three starters. I was holding my breath as to whether the leaves would form normally or not. I just kept spraying it down with the water trying to get every last millimeter of surface wet.

It may have only taken a month for the plant to reproduce all of its leaves. As you can see, they are normal for the most part. (I'm still spraying it every day.) If I have to go through the process again, I will. But, for now, I'm pretty happy! I will be even more happy if this bloomer would start producing some beautiful desert roses. I'll keep you informed.

Ferocactus Blooms

My fishhook cactus is blooming up a storm! I counted 22 buds on it a couple of weeks ago and they are blooming as we speak at the rate of about 3 to 5 at a time. The blooms last a day and the fruits are under the blooms. After it quits blooming, the fruits will grow a little bigger and turn yellow. The fruits are actually quite sweet tasting and can be eaten.

GG's Cousin Heidi

I am Heidi, a maine coon cat extraordinaire. I live with my Mom in Georgia. My Mom is tops. She gives me all a cat could want; a great house all to myself (oh yeah, and her), food everyday, a screen door to watch the birds in the morning, sometimes a bit of tuna, and really cool guests like Andrew, Mitchell and Aunt Kay.

Aunt Kay was just here last weekend. At first, I wasn't so sure she remembered me so I played it tough and hid just out of her sight for a few hours. She acted like she remembered me but I still didn't know for sure. And, did she remember how special I was? Well, soon I decided to put her to the test. I allowed her to pet me ... only at arm's length. She seemed to remember that cats only like to be scratched behind the ears and that's where she concentrated her efforts.

The next day, I showed my Mom how special she is by sitting on her tummy and doing the two-step. I know how she likes that. For the most part, I ignored Aunt Kay but, darned, if she didn't keep crawling up to me and acting like she knew me. Rubbing my ears and back. Playing with my tail and paws. Hmmph! The nerve! She just wouldn't go away! I chirped and chirped and chirped. (Funny thing was that she chirped back!)

So, the next day, Aunt Kay decided she would just go straight for my tummy. Whoa! Only my Mom does that! "Well, okay," I thought, "I'll let her do that just this once. Then, that's it!" I won't tell her that I kind of liked it! I let out a few chirps but I don't think I was fooling her.

Then, Mom brought out the "big guns!" She found my old toy, the fishing rod with the feather toy on the end of it. I forgot how much I loved that thing. Aunt Kay and I played and played. I caught it most of the time but Aunt Kay was pretty good, too. I was playing the two level version of this game which didn't seem to bother Aunt Kay even though I think it was making Mom nervous that I was on the coffee table during the game. I decided Aunt Kay was all right and she definitely remembered me so that night, I was waiting outside the bathroom when she finished her bath to say goodnight.

So, after four days, I decided I could share my space with this new female and, as I passed by her bedroom on the last morning, I noticed that she was busying around putting things in a suitcase. I entered her space and chirped a few times. Aunt Kay bent down to rub me seeming to be especially pleased. Later, I approached her at the breakfast table and thoughtfully laid down to offer my tummy to her reaching hand. "No, Aunt Kay," I said silently, "I was just getting used to this intrusion. Don't leave me until I am finished with you!"

Alas, that morning she did not return with my Mom. But, it's okay. I love my Mom and life is wonderful at my house.

Austrocylindropuntia Vestita

I haven't been writing a lot lately because I am finding it difficult to identify the few cacti that I have left to write about. I found this one quite by accident when I was looking for something else on the internet. This is an austrocylindropuntia vestita. It is a South American beauty whose name means "strange hairy thing." (Just kidding!) I bought it as a member of that famous cactus garden three years ago. It doesn't like much water but when it does need water, it tells you clearly by falling over. It seems to prefer being inside out of the worst heat.

Baby Feros

Remember those seeds I germinated? Well, they are still growing. In fact, the seedlings are beginning to take on the shape of the adult plant. It's very interesting to watch but I'm starting to get a little worried that there are too many too close together!

The Game "Hide the Ball"

Well, the game, according to my Mom and Dad, is really called "Put the ball somewhere where you can't get it and see if you can get it!" It seems to be really annoying to them when I play the "under the couch" version of this game. But, lately, I've been developping a new version that seems a little more acceptable to them.

Okay! So, here are the rules:

1) First, you convince Mom to give you the ball as early as possible in the day. She puts it in my drawer overnight; I guess so I won't play with it at 3am. I can't help it. There's nothing like a little game time to get you back to sleep when you wake in the middle of the night.

I stand at the drawer and stare at Mom while she's on the computer ... yes, I know what that clickity thing is on the table. Sometimes I do this for an hour. It really bugs her. Finally, she let's me have my ball.

2) Second, I bring it to my bed for a little quiet time together.... Hush! I love my ball!

3) Then I take it to my crate and play a little pawball against the sides of the crate.

4) Then ... oops ... somehow it gets all tangled up in my towels. (A good excuse to pull out all the towels again.) Hmmm. If I can still see it, I scrape and scratch the towels up over it more and more and more.

5) Then, I try to find it.

This is really fun. The other day I tried it in the bedroom with the towels that make up my neatly laid out palette on the floor. Wow! What fun! Four towels, a moving blanket and my bed all in the fray! The best fun I've had in a while ... at least a day or two!

Mom just watched. I don't think it annoyed her nearly as much as hiding the ball under the couch does. You know? That couch is just a little too low to the ground.

Las Vegas Cockapoo, over and out!

Birthday Cake Cactus

This is my Mammillaria hahniana or Birthday Cake Cactus or Old Lady Cactus. I don't know if you remember but I have another cactus that I called the Powder Puff Cactus even though it was labeled as one of these. That was my call and I think I'll stick to it for now. The main reason for this decision is the appearance of its flowers. The cactus above has not bloomed for me yet so when it does, I may have to change my directive.

The flowers on the Birthday Cake Cactus are supposed to form a tight ring on the crown of the plant, like candles on a birthday cake. The spines vary in appearance. Sometimes they are long or curly or hairy, not unlike the "Powder Puff Cactus" that I also have.

I have recently repotted this one and I am very happy with its new "do." Mammillarias need little water and a lot of light and they love to bloom!

Peanut Cactus

According to a forum entry by a French pro cactus gardener, "The most recent name for the peanut cactus is Echinopsis chamaecereus.It used to be called Chamaecereus sylvestrii.It is mostly still sold under that name.The plant as found in the wild(Argentina) has red flowers.It has been crossed extensively with other Echinopsis (or Lobivia) species in order to obtain new and original flower colours."

All that I know about this plant is that it doesn't like to be out in the cold. Oh sure, it survives but it doesn't like it! The picture below shows what happened to the plant when I placed it outside this spring. The nights were getting down to 50 degrees F and it turned scrawny and red. Finally, I gave up on it recovering while outside and I brought it back in. Within a few days, the plant greened up again and began looking like the picture above.

It seems to like being watered but will let you know when it needs it by drooping over the sides of the pot. Mine has not flowered yet but I'm looking forward to the day because the flowers should be pretty large compared to the size of the plant.

Curiosity Plants

These two plants are simply cacti with deformed growing points. Interesting, huh? Although I think the one above is some sort of Cereus, I know the one to the left and below are Cereus peruvianus v. monstrose because the very reputable dealer that I bought this from said so! At any rate, these cacti get very flat and skinny when they don't have enough water so I judge this way as far as whether I am watering enough.

I made the same mistake with the second cactus this spring by taking it outside and watering it. Then the cold spell happened and it got waterlogged spots on it. I decided to cut off the worst spots by cutting off the whole limb and repotting it. So far so good. It is very slow growing so I won't reap benefits for a while.

Aloe vera

My aloe vera was given to me by a dear friend a year and a half ago. True to its reputation, it is quite easy to care for. Although it is a succulent, it is from the lily and onion family! It has many scientific names but the most common are Aloe barbadensis miller or simply Aloe vera. My plant has a few white spots on it so I believe this puts it in the category of the Aloe vera var. chinensis. Common names are numerous including Medicinal aloe, Chinese aloe, Indian aloe, True aloe, Burn aloe and Bitter aloe. It is believed that the species originated in South Africa but, at the present, lives and thrives all over the world in temperate and tropical climates.

Grown outdoors, the plant can live under conditions of slight frost in the winter and heat in the summer with a bit of shade. It will become dormant at times of stress and needs no water during this time. During the growing seasons, it can take well-drained water and will flower. It turns a reddish hue in temperatures fluctuating high or low.

The plant has a history of being used for medicinal purposes. Little scientific proof of effectiveness exists but the leaves contain 12 different vitamins.

Gray Ghost & Neon Cactus

The Gray Ghost Organ Pipe Cactus is actually a Stenocereus pruinosus. I am so happy I found this one today! It was rather by accident. You see, my Gray Ghost is no longer looking like this! I used it today to graft my Neon Cactus onto. But, I have saved the top of the Gray Ghost and hope to root it in the coming months as I did three years ago when it broke off with the help of clumsy landscapers. It needs very little water and can take a bit of cold but the sun scorched it a couple of years ago and it wasn't looking so good. So, anyway, when I was looking up how to graft a cactus, I found a picture of the Gray Ghost! "That's it!," I exclaimed.

So this is a Gymnocalycium mihanovichii 'Red Top' or Ruby ball or Neon Cactus. It is a cactus that is bred without any chlorophyll and grafted onto a green stock that makes its food. It will flower but rarely. If you put it in the sun, its color will fade as I believe mine has a little. Too much light, I guess.

So, a couple of weeks after I took this picture, the stock cactus (the base) rotted. It happened very quickly. I guess I had overwatered it. I hate it when it is a surprise. Anyway, I had to do something very quickly if I wanted to save the Neon. So, now, the Neon sits on top of my Gray Ghost stock. I cut each cactus and put them together then taped them down. Soon, they are supposed to fuse together and I will remove the tape. We will see if it works! I'll learn something anyway!

Haworthia

This is an Haworthia enigma GM412 CL1 formerly known as the aubergine form of Haworthia magnifica var. atrofusca. Although I would like to name this plant an enigma, let's just call it the Haworthia until I have another haworthia!

When I bought this plant last fall, it was larger and greener. Then one day I overwatered it. It grew a flower stalk of about 10 inches tall with white flowers coming off of it and then the roots under half of the plant rotted. When I realized what was happening, I pulled out the plant to save the remaining two roots, let them dry a bit and then repotted it. I set it outside for the spring and it turned red and a bit wrinkled. It took me a while to realize that it was just reacting to the higher temperatures and that it would survive. I brought it back inside when the temperatures reached the 90's and I soon saw a change, finally, for the good. It is turning green again and I believe the two roots that are left are taking hold.

Note to self: Never overwater again.

This plant requires light shade to full shade. It is slow growing from South Africa. It will tolerate a light frost but medium temperatures and light watering seem to be the key.

Gasteria Ox Tongues

The succulent above is from the Gasteria or Ox Tongue genus. I believe it is either a gasteria obtusa or gasteria brachyphylla. They are similar plants which are related to the Aloe. Gasterias come from southern or southwestern Africa and prefer some shade. Its flowers appear on stalks with branches that come from the center of the plant and are usually red or orange in color. The leaves, themselves, can be gray or green or spotted or variegated with bands. They should be kept dry in the winter and can withstand low temperatures for short periods of time. Little watering is necessary in the summer and it is better to err on the dry side.



Although I believe this plant is also a gasteria, I am unable to find the species' name. It is similar to a gasteria x or Blushing Star but the rosette has grown tall instead of staying squat like the pictures I have seen. On the left is a picture of it when still outside in the very warm shade. It turned red with the heat and a little shrivelled. I brought it inside when the temperatures began reaching 100 degrees and the green returned very quickly as you see in the picture on the right. I'm not sure if it is good or bad that the plant has grown up and spindly but it seems happy now.

Barrel Cactus

This is a ferocactus glaucescens. I am having a somewhat difficult time identifying the cacti that I have left to catalog but I finally found this one. The problem is that there are a few cacti with this name but I have found at least two sources that show this exact picture as having this name.

This cactus grows into a barrel form to the dimensions of around 25"x20". It tolerates a lot of neglect and it's very important not to overwater unless there is excellent drainage. When I placed this one outside in the spring, I watered it along with the others then there was a cold night. What used to be an excellent specimen is now a bit wrinkled at the bottom due to this unfortunate event. It is recovering on top but the bottom will forever be yellow and wrinkled.

Prickly Pear & GG

On a hike today in the Spring Mountains just outside of Las Vegas, I saw several prickly pear in bloom on top of a long rocky ridge.

Hi, the Las Vegas Cockapoo here. My job is tough sometimes. Guarding the house, taking care of my ball and keeping up with my favorite toy, Mr. Orange Man, can take its toll on a little gal like me. This is one of my favorite ways to relax. I love the cool tile floor on my back and a little air conditioning on the underside helps, too.

Feather Cactus

Okay, to try to get it right I am rewriting this entry. Although I am still unsure due to the various pictures I have seen, I believe that this really might be a Mammallaria plumosa or Feather Cactus. There must be several forms of cactus with the same name or everyone is as confused as I am! Anyway, let's go with Feather Cactus! It is a native of northern Mexico and can tolerate temperatures as low as 20 degrees F. But, it prefers temperatures no lower than 50 degrees F. AND, it is suggested that this cactus not become terribly dry in the winter as in the summer.

This cactus produces white flowers and mine gave me several a couple of months ago in the spring. I had kept it indoors for the winter and watered it every two weeks. They like a lot of light and the southern exposure of my winter window garden was apparently enough to make it happy. I have it inside at this time after placing it outside until it got up to 100 degrees. I brought several of the cacti in because of the rising temperatures and they have all breathed a sigh of relief! You see, not all cacti love to be sizzling hot and bone dry!

Argentine Giant Non-Bloom

Well, I promised to show you the spectacular blooms of the Argentine when they happened. I showed you the picutures of the buds and I waited ... and waited ... and waited. The buds showed no sign of growing until about a week ago. "Finally," I thought. Then, one of the buds grew and I thought it would bloom any night at that time.

This is how far the bloom got when it was looking normal. Then, just as it should have been opening, everything that you see that is white turned black. The tip of the bud was fused together and I couldn't coax it open even with force. I don't know what really happened. Maybe it stayed a bud too long. ...Or, maybe it was using all of its energy for the two pups I found today. One is pictured below. The other is the same size nearby. Blooms ... pups ... blooms ... pups! I like them both!!

Rainbow Cactus

The Rainbow Cactus is officially called an Echinocereus rigidissimus v. rubrispinus ... another mouthful! This cactus will slowly form a clump and will probably flower while still small. In the spring, the Rainbow Cactus produces a ring of pink flowers on the crown of the stem which will be followed by green berries. I wintered this cactus outside in the ground. It did fine as it likes a long dry winter dormancy. I re-potted it when the weather warmed up as I felt I needed more control over its care.

Old Man Cactus

So, this is the real Old Man Cactus! He is from Mexico and his official name is Cephalocereus senilis. Another common name for him is Bunny Cactus; I guess because of the soft outer growth. Growing in the wild, this cactus can reach fifty feet tall .... Can you imagine?? But, in cultivation, it may reach ten feet in a very very long time. There are spines underneath all that fluff. It will rarely branch. And, old plants will produce cream colored or pink flowers which bloom at night. They say that the "fluff" can be washed and combed if you feel it's necessary! The care for this plant stresses the importance of NOT overwatering it! It needs almost no water during the dormant winter months and very little during the growing season. Dry weather is good for him.

Cactus Babyland

Well, here they are! Some of them, anyway! The ferocactus seeds that I germinated a few weeks ago are growing. I was able to eventually take off the plastic wrap covering the seedlings and I water them with mist every day. If I miss a day, I lose a few of them! But there are plenty to lose!!! I'll need to keep this up for a year or two before I can transplant them into their own pots. Hopefully, by then, I won't need too many pots!

The following are my baby cacti! I may need to wait a little longer before identifying them clearly. But, I'm thinking that this one, to the left, may be an Echinopsis mamillosa f. kermesina. At least, I hope so because, if it is, it will produce very large flowers. It will stay fairly small. I need to keep it out of the cold as it shrivels quickly in cold temperatures.

I love this one and I think I almost lost it. Several weeks ago, it shrivelled and I thought it was a goner. I may have watered it too much. But, I didn't give up. I set it outside and became very careful about the amount of water I gave it. It still didn't perk up. So, I brought it back in and began spraying it instead of watering it. Voila! It came back and is beautiful again. Now, if I only knew what it was! Maybe it is a Coryphantha clava or Coryphantha delaetiana which should produce yellow flowers with age.

This one I know for sure! To the left is an Astro- phytum asterias or a Silver Dollar Cactus. Being a kin to my Bishop's Cap Cactus, it is spineless. Unlike the Bishop's Cap, it is very sensitive to being overwatered. After about five years, it should produce red flowers. It becomes flatter during the winter dormancy.

These twins gave me a scare earlier this year when I set them outside. I soon watered them and then we had a very cold night. These plants shrivelled and turned red. I thought they were soon to die but, again, I persevered! Eventually, when it started getting hotter, I brought them inside again and began spraying them instead of watering them. Encore, voila!! They perked back up and here we have healthy plants again. What are they? Well, I was told they were a rare white version of the echinocactus (like the Golden Barrel species). So far, I haven't found a picture on the internet to back that up.

Next, I have a Ferocactus emoryi, I think. I guess it's possible that this is a baby Red Barrel (or Fire Barrel) or Ferocactus cylindraceus but I tend to think it is the former. At any rate, I like it. It is colorful and stays pretty happy with regular cactus care.

Last, but not least, is the leuch- tenbergia principis. There is only one species in this genus. It is very slow growing and is related to the ferocactus. It has a nickname of agave cactus because the full-grown plant appears in the shape of an agave but with spines and flowers and fruits after around eight years. When it gets a little older, it will be able to acclimate to the winter temperatures.