Beautiful collection. Thanks for sharing. I'm new to C&S, so my plants haven't really filled out yet; I can't wait until they look as settled and contented as yours. Particularly love the elephant bush; I keep buying more of them (just can't help myself!); not sure I'll have room inside for all of them when the frost starts.

Jenufa,what part of Calif are you,i mean how far north.I'm in S.Calif and i don't have to bring anything in,Thank goodness.
Kathi

Hi Kathi: I'm in Santa Rosa, which is actually Zone 8 (I moved from Zone 9 San Francisco, but the profile page won't let me update my zone - aarrgh). Because of the drought I felt guilty about all of the water-hungry flowers I had on my balcony, so the last few months I've been converting to cactus and succulents. And now I'm hopelessly addicted!

We do get frost here but not every night unless it's a real cold snap. Lowest I've seen is about 25, but I'm not sure how often it gets that cold. I may leave a few 'protect from frost' plants out and see what happens. But I really love those portulacaria afras: they look great in my balcony railing boxes and I don't want to lose any. I really envy you living in a more c&s friendly climate.

Kathy, you really know how to put on a good show, your pictures always look nice and your plants too, what kind of fertilizer do you use and please don't say none .

Greg

Just gorgeous!

For most of the cacti and succulents,i don't use any fertilizer.I do on some of the crassulas,and kalanchoe,but there i just use the Bayer rose and flower systemic granuals.
Kathi

Beautiful healthy plants!
I live in CA also but the high desert.
We always get deep freeze here and even snow.
A real change fron temps we get anywhere from 100-110
Lots of plants have to come in or perish in the freeze.
Right now we are in a severe drought so have water
restrictions. But that doesn't stop me !
Thanks for sharing.
Karen

Karen,as you can see from my pics,we are also in a severe drought.The grass in my backyard is dead,the front I keep green by watering on our assigned days then everyday I wash dishes in as dishpan,and I throw that water on the front yard daily.I refuse to let my plants and flowers die off.I' lo cutback oneverything else,but not my plants.
Kathi

Hi Kathi
I know why there is a drought in California, your using all to keep your succulents beautiful,.one must have their priorities in life. Hope you are not near the fires I keep hearing about in California.

Richard

Nice show, Kathi. I would only make one correction as to the ID of the first 3 pics. That is either Stapelia gigantea (pictured) or S. hirsuta. My personal choice would be S. hirsuta, but Stan will chime in soon enough.

Kathi, love all your pictures, so what is picture 5??? what ever it is it looks really interesting and pretty. Dottie

Kathi,
Looks different than mine. I sent you both gigantea and a cutting of Stapelia flavirostris Red blooms. Picture of mine just blooming again. Thats something that they change color a little by where they are grown at. How's Euphorbia lactea growing and the other S. gigantea? Got more if you want replacements.
Doc,
They do look like S. hirsuta but I purchased that by that name and that's what they sent me.
Stush

Kathi,
Yours looks more like Steapelia grandiflora. Are you sure you didn't get this from some one else? I would ask for a peice back but I just purchased one on Ebay. Hope it's as nice as yours.
I am confused.
Stush

Fantastic collection of plants Kathi. My favourite is the stapelia, they are amazing flowers despite their smell. I have not seen many of the plants you have pictured and find the 'bears paws' Cotyledon tomentosa, (I'm not bragging, I didn't know that name, I googled it, ha-ha!) particularly unusual.

Howard & Stush, your plants look really nice too, and those flowers really do look like exotic starfish.

Gill UK

Stush,yes that is the one you sent and the name does say gigantea,i was just posting from memory(which isn't very good these day

The red one has a tiny bud right now,but unfortunately the lactea didn't make it,i don't know why they were all planted the same and kept in the same area.

Dottie,#5 is a rhipsalis,i have several of those,all different from each other.That one was around on the other side of the house for a few years and was on deaths doorstep when i realized it wasn't doing so well.So i brought it around to the patio,soaked it,as it was very dry,and then hung it on the patio where i could see it all the time and not forget it,and it took off.I had to trim it last month as it was dragging all over the floor.I gave the cuttings to my neighbor.

Richard,LOL Yup got my priorities in order,we gave up other stuff so we can keep our plants.Well worth it to!!!

Biker,my bad,as i said above i was going from memory,which isn't the best.I sometimes get the names of some of these plants mixed up as so many look similar.

Thanks everyone for the compliments and help on names.

Dottie,and others,i have a lot of pictures of my other gardens on the cottage garden,some on Calif gardens,but not many as it's kinda slow over there

Yesterday i posted this big bug over on the pest forum,that i need to know what it is,as i found it in the cats water bowl one morning and have never seen anything like it before.So if any of you are so inclined,feel free to have a looky see!!
Kathi

Off Topic...

It sounds like some of you purchase plants on EBay. Do you have pretty good luck with that? Do you have any recommended sellers?

A few years ago I tried buying some Sans on EBay. Their immediate and painful deaths may have been my fault, of course, but they were pretty much at death's door when I got them, so that kind of put me off spending money on mail order.

Thanks.

This post was edited by jenufa on Mon, Sep 22, 14 at 20:33

I have never bought a plant or anything else on ebay..I get most of mine from stores,friends folks on this and other boards,swaps etc.
Kathi

I had one like that second photo but I never learned what it was. I got it from a neighbor who gave it to me when I cared for his bonsai trees when he was gone for a month. I have since lost it but I do recall when it bloomed it smelled really, really BAD. I wish I had it still or I keep in touch with the neighbor from that apartment.

Dave

I have purchased many of my plants on Ebay. I see some here and I like them and the only way I see them is on Ebay. So far so good. I buy plants only from U.S. but I have purchased seed from China with good results. They have paypal and money back guarantee if you complain and tell them your not happy.
Seeds are funny. If not fresh or properly cared for will result in low to no germination rate. Mostly if I can at least get one to raise I am happy for the cost. However I did get seeds that I couldn't get one to germinate. The latest seeds purchased was from China being Aloe poly. I got almost 50% germination rate. 47 plants out of 100 purchased. I plan to give them away also come next year. Hope it helps.
Stush

I have purchased lots of plants and seeds off of ebay.
My last purchases on ebay were.
An Aloe pillansii plant
Aloe suzannae seeds
Gasteria excelsa seeds

Hello again Adam. Good hearing from you.
Stush