Your first problem will be that once the grass/weeds are removed from this slope you have opened it up to erosion. So it would be best to terrace across the slope with railroad ties or rocks to stabilize it. Then plant ten beach plum bushes (Prunus maritima) on the slope underplanted with either Bar Harbor juniper (Juniperous horizontalis 'Bar Harbor') or Shore juniper (Juniperous conferta) which will remain low growing and in time cover the slope. This will give you all year green plus decidous shrubs which bloom in the spring and bear a fruiting crop for jelly and pies. All three plant types will grow well in the adverse situation you describe.

I used to follow the standard one-fits-all instructions when germinating cacti from seeds. Back then, I was unaware of the difficulties involved with peat-based soil, and later find it hard to follow-up on climate control while at work. The "Chain of events" had too many "weak links", such as forgetting to ventilate the seed tray, or forgetting to cover it afterwards, how fast should I reduce humidity, cats digging in the trays, and any other thing you guess is possible. As I re-potted cacti, I have found many small cacti just beneath the gravel mulch, and being amazed how easy and effortless that was, this has made me research on the subject. The cacti originate from seeds which fell-off from the mother plant and were left to grow on their own. This year is the first year I have re-potted a large number of cacti which I grew from seed using this technique. Next spring, I'm intending to try it on seeds which I've ordered, consisting of cacti for the time being. A small description of my climate: I live in a Mediterranean country, close to the sea, so temperatures are relatively stable: Winter temperatures have not gone below 37F (3C) as far as I remember, but hail happens. It is not a concern if you use the gravel mulch for the seedlings. Summer temperatures rarely surpass the 104F (40C), and mostly around 33F (91.4C). Rain falls in the winter, between end of September and early June. Cacti growers sow the seeds around May. About the technique: I find a 1:1 or 1:2 peat-to-sand as a good mix, and I include high-grade peat, just in case. I lay the seeds on the mix, then put the fine gravel on. The gravel is good for several reasons: Prevents the peat and sand mix from separating while irrigating, holds the seeds in place, protects seeds from birds, preserves moisture, prevents soil overheating and if you chose the right gravel, it may let in some light without full exposure. My gravel looks very much like alabaster, so it is translucent, but not completely transparent. From experience, seeds which fell-off to the ground in the summer have survived the rains in winter. This is fine as long as the seedlings do not germinate before frost begins in your area. In the summer, an occasional watering is just fine.The soil did dry-out between watering but they managed to grow. They grew even faster when I transplanted them, keeping the gravel mulch almost to the top. So the big question: Before I order more seeds, have you tried something like that on other succulents, like Euphorbias, Pachipodiums, Adeniums, crassulas and all other succulents? Did it work?

Marine, good luck with your coco. Here's my suggestion though. Do whatever you can to keep the coco alive, but have a plan b. On the IPS form I learned of a remarkable palm, the Beccariophoenix alfredii. This palm was discovered in I think 2005, and is a close relative of Beccariophoenix madagascariensis. The no windows form of Beccariophoenix madagascariensis is super cold hardy, but slow growing and the windows form isn't cold hardy, but grows fast. The alfredii is as cold hardy as the no windows, and grows as fast as the windows, the perfect coconut-like palm. Pictures just don't give this palm justice, I saw one at a local palm arboretum and I thought it was just a coconut until I read the tag, that convinced me to buy one. Once it is a few years old, only experts will be able to tell the difference. I've got an alfredii in a 5 gallon pot until it outgrows it, and after that it'll go into the ground. It was $8 and worth every penny. I urge you to get one of these palms, you'll be really, really glad you did in a few years. Get a 1 gallon (larger are hard to come by because it's so new) and plant it into a 5 gallon pot, and once it outgrows this pot plant it where it's final destination will be. With only the care of any other palm you'll have a palm that only an expert will know it's not a coconut. Keith

Mutation. The variety is Knock Out. Knock Out has produced several "sports" or mutations, including Pink Knock Out and Blushing Knock Out. Every so often, it will produce a bloom (or two or three) with multiple colors like this one. I have a Blushing Knock Out that sometimes shows half light pink, half dark pink, and some with stripes. She can mark that cane, and if more blooms with the same coloring appear, try to root it. More often than not, it is a one-off occurrence.