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.