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Thanks for the replies. Cameraman, thanks for the ID. I can tell from your (much clearer) pic that it definitely is an Echinopsis. The lights were just standard enegery saving compact flourescents from Wilkos. Since taking those photos, I've had to rehome the flourescents as they were needed elsewhere and have added another succulent and a bana plant! :) Thanks, Chris

Wow. This is certainly an older thread! My elementary school teacher gave me a jade plant. I had it for several years but it received no sunlight. I had no knowledge nor was I interested at the time but it grew very slowly. It never gave any indication that it was sick or tired or anything so it was never moved. It was near the stove the entire time so I wonder if steam and heat kept it going. After moving, my mother set it outside on the front porch where it got a blast of sun for the first time in so long. I panicked and brought it back in but it was too late. The jade plant died. I was so furious because it was really something special even though I wasn't truly interested in it at the time. Years later, I saw a jade plant growing in a tiny pot and I recalled the jade plant I had. I decided to buy it and it's been exactly 10 years now. I've made several cuttings from it to make some attempts at having it grow big and thick (I am convinced now that it must be some type of dwarf variety since it never got big or thick). Two years ago, I got another jade plant from a nursery which is growing very nicely that I made several cuttings from it to pot them up. I also received quite a few jade plant cuttings from a 2005 succulent sendoff (I can't remember who hosted it but I came in really late and the guy apologized that there wasn't more variety but I was ecstatic at the huge cuttings he gave me that I just potted them up instead of breaking them up into smaller plants!). And just shortly ago, I received more cuttings from a jade plant. I am really thankful to all those who were willing to share. I guess when it comes to types, I don't have very many. Most are jade plants. But when it comes to pots, I do have quite a bit. It happens when I get 'inspired' to try something so I get a cutting from the main plant and wait for the cutting to get big enough. I -used- to have a cactus collection. A store was selling these small cacti geared towards children. It'd be growing in a tiny terracotta pot with a plastic bag and colorful images of children gleefully looking at a smiling cactus or something. Every year, I'd get several if they were on sale and I'd end up repotting a few when they got too big for the tiny pot. I never had to bring them in for winter. They wintered outside very well but that was my fault because I tend to forget but when they survived the first winter, I just let them stay out every winter since. Then one winter was amazingly unusually cold. My entire cactus collection died. That was a surprise but I didn't really know any better at the time. The only cactus I have is something called "Opuntia Pusilla". I can't seem to find an official name for it as I've seen various names used for it. It is an ugly cactus that never grows big and it doesn't grow upwards. The *only* reason I still have mine (I've had them for more than 10 years and they've never ever been brought in. They've survived every type of winter thus far!) is because I really like how they flower. Otherwise, I would've thrown them away years back because they're ugly to look at. I'll admit, I've been lightly thinking on the idea of getting a 'proper' prickly pear but I shudder at the idea of handling cacti. I love them but I'm absolutely terrified of them. hehe. Here is a link that might be useful: Opuntia pusilla

i collect cacti and succulants and am always looking for more, i have many plants and bulbs and cacti that i would trade for more cacti. If you have something interesting let me know.