Rose, I noticed that they ship the plants bare roots. I'm a newbie too, so I bought plants already rooted in pots. There was a lesser chance of me killing them that way. You might go to nurseries near you and see what plants they are selling and see what they actually look like. They probably are selling things that grow where you live. It will make life a lot easier for a beginner. But save Jeff's post (there's a "clip this post" option at the top of each posting) for soil mix if you are buying bare root. As he mentions, there are a ton of opinions about soil! I do what he says for my simple little collection and it works well. Also, the people on this Forum are extremely knowledgeable, generous with their time and advice, and patient and understanding with newbies. Succulents are not like roses where you can apply what you do for one rose to all roses. Succulents culture is widely variable and it takes a while to learn. So don't feel shy about posting your questions. I'm always learning from what other people post and from their photos. I looked at the link Rose gave and looking at the photos,I can't tell the difference between the Jovibarba and the Semperviums. So I read about them in one of my books and it mentioned that you have to wait until they bloom to definitely tell them apart. Now that could be a long time. Jeff, what is that a photo of? Nice color! Looks like a couple of pups in there too!

Its a long hard road learning to ID these things. There is no magic book you can get and certainly no single internet source that's going to do it for you. For really reliable IDs you will need to study botanical terminology, then get a flower and a fruit, plus the appropriate reference work to describe the species. I'll assume you've already narrowed it down to a genus. What the internet can do for you, again assuming you can take a stab at a genus, is provide hundreds of pictures of cultivated plants in different stages of growth, which should help you confirm a name. There are also lists of all species and more importantly most of the synonyms since names have changed often. For a few genera there are good references on the net. I've found very good info for Mammillaria, Copiapoa, Turbinicarpus, and Notocactus which are of particular interest to me. Lastly, if you really want an overview of the whole picture then you have little choice but to stump up for the New Cactus Lexicon. It is the latest definitive reference and will remain so for a number of years.

Hi Bear, Well i heard there was a small NY group but so small i think they disolved? Not sure but my guess is since the perfect weather here in California for growing Jungle Cacti outside theres just more growers in dense consentrations here making a Epiphyllum club(s) more doable, they even have membership ups and downs too as many have regretfully passed on lately. Jungle cacti are really worldwide and growers are spread out far and wide so a online forum tends to bring everyone together the best. If you ever hear of any other clubs that are created east coast or anywhere please let me know since i can post it to the forum to help other growers nearby that location find each other. It would be great if you could join us at Epi Cacti forums though! Yes trading is encouraged there to further cultivation as no-one has them all not even me with a humoungous collection. And new hybrids are introduced every year so the varieties of huge bloomers keeps growing. Matt mattslandscape.com Here is a link that might be useful: Epi Cacti Forums

Garden Club Topics 1)How to put together nice hanging baskets 2) Start saving blooms in spring in a large container (whole club activity) for potpourri to share in Oct. and Nov. 3) Basic flower designs 4) Table size water fountains – how to make 5) Hosta gardening – miniature – medium – gigantic! 6) Holiday wreath making – bring scissors, materials, etc. 7) Unusual and underused garden plants 8) Honeybees – garden friends – contact local Bee society 9) Bird migration 10) Putting your garden flowers to rest 11) Mysteries of the soil - - all you need to know about soil and the effects different varieties have on plants – extension officer 12) Container gardening – winter displays 13) Lasagna gardening – no-til, no-dig gardening 14) Attracting hummingbirds 15) Making it easy – things you can do to make gardening easier, mulching, potting, and much more 16) ‘not all insects are bad’ 17) Dried flower art on soap 18) What’s new in recycling? 19) History of Sunflowers 20) Companion planting 21) Moon planting – by the light of a silvery moon 22) Lilies & hostas 23) Hyper-tufa planters 24) Leaf casting 25) Planting Container party 26) Fall arrangements with pumpkins and gourds 27) Feeding your winter friends – best types of food for no waste, food recipes 28) Who knew, plants at the Zoo. . 29) Old Native Indian gardening 30) A journey through time and nature 31) Hydrangea mania - Everything you ever wanted to know about hydrangeas 32) nightscaping – garden rooms – lighting – playing cards – entertaining 33) Shrubs beyond yew 34) Victorian parlor plants 35) Heirloom plants and seeds 36) Wildflower walks 37) Seed starting – different styles – hydroponics – under lights – under plastic etc. 38) Lawn treatments – when and how – from feeding to mowing height at different times of the year to dethatching to plugging 39) Creating a wildlife vacation land – wildlife federation 40) How to garden when you are handicapped – tools and techniques 41) Rain gardening and creating a rain barrel 42) Aquatic gardening 43) Carnivorous gardening – contact carnivorous plant society 44) Bonsai – expanding the plant lover’s horizon – contact local bonsai society 45) Topiary gardening – contact topiary society 46) Easiest way to start a new garden – newspapers 47) Square foot gardening 48) Dwarf orchards – how many trees do you want? 49) Terrestrial Invasives – problematics and management – extension office 50) Wholesale! – set up with company beforehand – whole club go at same time and buy plants at wholesale or near wholesale prices 51) Thorns and jelly – cacti and other succulents 52) Ornamental & garden pest management 53) Great gardens of the world – their history, design, traditional plantings, for example – India, Thailand, Japan, China, Austria, Netherlands 54) Heirloom vegetables 55) The tomato – old and new 56) From garden to vase – cutting gardens – harvesting & condition – perennials, shrubs, annuals, foliage 57) Rock gardens – what, where, how – rock garden society 58) National Agricultural Library – what’s there? 59) Intimacy in your garden!! Intimate spaces, texture, color, & the right plant for the right space 60) Roadside Geology of Georgia - Bill Witherspoon - rocks deposit nutrients into the soil, plants grow based on nutrients found in the soil 61) Nutrient management – managing applications for strong growth, while minimizing escaping run-offs. Extension agent 62) Cooking with Herbs from your garden 63) Impact gardening – small space gardening 64) Host a chili cook-off and craft fair 65) What’s buzzing in your garden? Different bees, their benefits, & why they love your garden – promoting pollinators. Extension agent or bee society 66) Doing battle with gypsy moths – extension agent 67) Wings of fancy – butterfly types & their host plants 68) That darn squirrel ate all my tulip bulbs again! Using plastic cups, yogurt tubs etc. 69) Viburnums and their use in your landscape 70) Woody ornamentals – extension agent 71) Conifer gardens – green – green – and more green 72) Out of the heat and into the cool – shade gardening 73) Moss gardening 74) Zinnia or sunflower contest or flower show 75) Your heady garden – fragrance 76) Garden structures – accessorizing your garden 77) The Natural Communities of Georgia - Leslie Edwards 78) Wow! No weeds! – miniature gardens 79) Annuals for color 80) Rose Gardening 81) Organic Gardening Fundamentals 82) Home Garden fruits and berries 83) Trees & Shrubs for Home Landscapes 84) Easy Care Lawns and Groundcovers 85) Perennials for all year 86) Bulbs for Spring, Summer and Fall 87) Going Green (conservation methods) in Lawn and Garden 88) Herb Gardening 89) Wildflower Gardening 90) Container Gardening 91) Greenhouse Gardening 92) Winter Sowing 93) Native Plants in the Home Landscape 94) Piet Oudolf - landscape architect gardening principles 95) Pruning Simplified - What, When, and How 96) Old-Fashioned Flowers for Modern Gardeners 97) Exotic Tropicals for beds and borders 98) Rediscovering Cottage Gardens 99) Planten Un Bloom - public park in Hamburg, Germany 100) Ornamental Grasses for Year-round beauty 101) Art of Preserving Flowers 102) Wreaths for All Seasons 103) How to make a meadow wildflower garden 104) Landscaping Tips and Tricks 105) Garden Therapy 106) Creepy Crawlers in your Garden 107) Planning/planting your lawn/flower beds for Curb Appeal 108) Conservation Planting - improve your soil with the plants you grow 109) Low Maintenance Trees and Shrubs - how native plants make gardening easier 110) Planning for Lifetime Gardening 111) Garden Planning to conserve water - goes beyond just mulching around the plants 112) Hugelkultur Gardening 113) After Gardening - Gardening Stretches - Simple, easy stretches after you garden to avoid muscle cramps and fatigue 114) Xeriscape Gardening 115) Art in the Garden – Garden Sculptures 116) Falconry 117) Daylillies – Merrilily Gardens 118) Mushroom Gardening – grow your own mushrooms 119) Arborists 120) Grasslands 121) Milkweed 122) Clematis 123) “Saving Life on Earth” – Doug Talamy 124) Species vs. Cultivars vs. Natives 125) Honeysuckle – Natives vs. Cultivars 126) Cultivating Care: Building Ecological Communities 127) Wild and Neat: Bridging the Gap between Great Design and Ecology 128) Being Native in the Anthropocene – Chuck Cannon 129) Site Commissioning 130) Composting 131) Hawthornes 132) Monarchs 133) Butterflies 134) Living on a Liberated Landscape 135) Dahlias 136) Rediscovering the Low Country Landscape 137) Endophytes 138) Self-sustaining Landscape 139) Sedges 140) Living in the Wild 141) Growing a Greener World 142) Fluttering through the Garden 143) Bog Gardening 144) Land Trusts 145) Gardening for Joy and Abundance 146) Forest Bathing 147) Botanical Adventures of Charles Darwin 148) Birding 149) Hummingbird Gardening 150) Gardening as Exercise 151) Water Gardening 152) Planting for Overwintering Birds 153) Cut Flower Gardening 154) Rose Gardening