Thank you ellen. They only look attractive because they're newly purchased lol. I don't have any cacti though, i wouldn't know the difference of caring for them and other succulents. Yes, I tried to do arrangements but i haven't had much success in making all the individual components thrive. I think you have to choose the ones with the same water and sunlight requirements. I'm still figuring that out. For instance, in my limited experience, sedum rubrotinctum doesn't like playing with others. (Or maybe the species just outright hates me). I keep the young offsets and propagating leaves in plastic containers and small pots because i heard they needed more moisture (please, anyone, correct me if i'm wrong). But the rest is in clay pots or ceramics with drainage holes. Iane (I'm still waiting for those IDs people before i pot them! :D) This post was edited by brown_panda on Wed, Nov 19, 14 at 15:44

Ahhh communication! We wrote letters, or if we knew the person we waited until Sunday when the rates were cheaper and called by phone. But couldn't talk long because of toll charges. Yes the AVSA was an important way to find out what was being hybridized and registered. There were no NOIDS then. I don't think there was much trading leaves thru the mail. Mostly you bought your violets in the stores. They all had tags in them. I even remember that some of the tags were hand written with big black marker. (didn't have sharpies then!) Trading thru the mail was not something anyone did. If a violet came in the mail it came from a greenhouse that you ordered it from. Also there were a lot of florists in my area that also had their own greenhouses (for raising bedding plants, glox, cactus etc) and they also raised violets from leaves. They would order leaves from Lyon, Tinari etc., put them down and raise them for sale. A wide variety of plants would end up for sale. The same violets that were registered (AVSA) were the ones in the stores for sale. Imagine that! Optimara was just coming into it's own. There were some of them also for sale. One of their early ones was Opt. Elfriede. Would love to have her again. Guess you call her Vintage! Yes there were tons of color catalogs you could send for cheap or free. I would dream about the violets in them and would be sooooo excited when I would be at the store and be able to actually buy that violet!!!! As I have said before,,,I still have some of my favorite catalogs and I look at them for reference. AND memories. AND information. Just this morning I was looking thru an old AVSA mag and saw the color pix of mini Pip Squeek sitting in the top of the head of a ceramic Snoopy dog. How cute. That is what we did. That was my world in SE Michigan! Rosie

Just keep it in dapples sun then...no need to have stretched succulents in your climate :) - I have, but winter is too long and too dark for succulents and even supplemental lights are not as good as real thing. They are native to Mexico, am sure closer to your climate than mine. Here is one of mine, in January, under the lights:

Hi again - Seeing you seem to like looking at pictures, I'll post a few more of my own hybrids, mainly because I know they haven't been shown anywhere else. I've always been interested in colour and although shape is a very important attribute in quality bromeliads especially if they are being shown; it's the colour that's always been the most important to me and I never cease to wonder at the variety of colours that can appear in plants produced from the same seed capsule. The following batch of pictures are of a random group of hybrids I have bred since I started dabbling around in hybridising. They won't be everyone's cup of tea, however I'll be surprised if there isn't at least something among them that appeals to each of you. Neoregelia concentrica x ('Charm' x 'Cracker Jack') #007 Neoregelia ('Charm' x 'Cracker Jack') x 'Lambert's Pride' Neoregelia carcharodon x concentrica Neoregelia ('Charm' x 'Cracker Jack') x Self #003 Neoregelia concentrica x 'Painted Lady' #001 Neoregelia concentrica x 'Mister Odean' Neoregelia (carcharodon x concentrica) x Self #005 Neoregelia concentrica x ('Charm x 'Cracker Jack') #002 Neoregelia ('Charm' x 'Cracker Jack') x Self #005 Neoregelia concentrica x ('Charm' x 'Cracker Jack') #005 All the best, Nev.