Hey Josh, Actually, there's a guy a few towns away who sells huge bags of Perlite @ incredble prices.. Found him on Craigslist. At first I was skeptical about his Perlite, but after talking to an African Violet specialist, he reassured me the size was ideal. As for raised bed, no can do. With two rambunctious dogs, (most plants in the back yard are potted trops & sucs,) they, especially the younger, would pluck and drag plants out of the ground..lol. It wouldn't work in front either, but there's enough room to plant 'x' amount of house plants in the front garden, (flat) but can't do the beds. I wish.. Have you ever read anything by James Underwood Crockett, the original host of the tv show, Victory Garden? He loved plants of all types, and author several plant books. Anyway, he and his wife lived on the east coast. In early spring he'd dig a trench throughout his property. When temps warmed up, he'd set house plants inside the trench, then cover with, I believe Peat Moss. I really miss Mr. Crockett..I learned a lot about plants via his books and weekly tv show. He dedicated his house plant book, Crockett's Indoor Garden, to his wife Margaret. He and his wife went to a plant show. She won the door prize..A Haworthia. He mentioned how she had placed the plant on their kitchen window, rarely watered, yet it would bloom. One thing I love about Crockett's Indoor Garden book is, instead of chapters, he discusses care on a montly basis, starting from Jan through Dec. Since 1978, at the end of the month, I read the following months guide to plants. I LOVE his book! if you saw its condition, you would understand..it looks very very read. Okay, Josh, now you know the history of Mr Crockett..lolol There's still a few months, well, 3-4, before plants can go outdoors. Josh, I thought you had plants growing in the ground? Didn't you have Sedum planted in-ground? Toni

Mike: What kind of snake is the first one? Really pretty. And jeez! That is a *huge* litter of boas!!! Very. very cool, thanks for sharing. Have you thought of doing a xeric terrarium for some of your desert species (I'm guessing you've got at least a room full of herps)? You could incorporate some really interesting plants and features if you can give it enough light. Caudex: I used to think that L's were just a waste of money (or at least an overpriced gimmick), and that lesser lens could be compensated for with the skill of the photographer. I've finally come to realize that it really takes *both* things to produce superb photos: a talented photographer and a nice kit. I would however highly recommend renting any lens before you buy it. I've been wanting to replace my EF-S 60mm macro for a long time now, so I paid $30 and rented the EF 180mm L macro for a weekend. It was an incredible lens, but incredibly hard to use. At that length, with the aperture wide open, the depth of field is less than the thickness of a piece of paper! Anyway, it was a fun weekend, but ultimately, I don't think I'd get much use from that lens, since to get anything to turn out, you have to have great light and a tripod, which sucks in the "field". So, I'm still searching for a new macro lens... Cool pets! How big are they? Do you keep them in cages, or do they have some sort of pen? Tom: That is a really nice photo of your bearded dragon! Great color (had it recently shed?) Kind of funny how it seems fat plants and "alternative" pets seem to be convergent hobbies! Josh: This thread really has spiraled out of control into something much more interesting. One of the reasons I enjoy online forums so much is the exposure you get from these tangential threads... Hey Darryl, got any pictures of Tortellini?

Thank you all so much. The compliments are more than generous, and much appreciated! This is indeed an annual show. In fact, all of the local societies have an annual show and sale down here in Southern California. It ends up being a whole season of shows, lasting late spring to late summer! I suspect I will do much better next year as well. Mostly because the two people who beat me will be forced to move up into Advanced, while I still get another year as a Novice. Plus, I am intending to enter *two* car loads next year! ;-) I can't speak to any other club's show, but the way it works at ours is pretty casual. On Friday, you bring in each of your plants and place them on the appropriate table. Then you fill out a little card, yellow for novice and purple for advanced, with your name and scientific name of the plant. You simply place the card with your plant and voila! its entered. You take a final count and write your name and the number of plants you've entered on the master list and your done. Hauling the plants is a lot of work, especially for those of us interested in fat plants. I suppose it ends up being a painful experience for all those cacti growers too. What is truly amazing is the amount of work the vendors put in hauling their wares and show plants. These people are moving a dozen flats of 4" plants, *plus* a bunch of gorgeous show plants too. I suppose a number of plants get damaged in the move, but so long as you are careful, it isn't like anything really gets ruined. I had a pot tip over (that really tall Dorstenia) but I just repotted it there, it wasn't a big deal. For the risk involved, the reward of sharing our plants with a curious public and the adulation of your peers is well worth it. While there is no formal rule about what type of container your plant is in, there is a deeply ingrained tradition of using relatively muted, earth-toned ceramic pots. More and more the pots are being considered as much a part of the hobby as the plants themselves. Actually, for all I know, it has always been like that, but even in my short experience that would seem to be the case. Technically, only 10% of the plants "score" is from staging, but in practice, that just isn't true. There was a particular guy at this show who had some really stellar plants in pretty unique pots. I personally loved them, I know some others did too. The judges on the other hand, hated them. Time after time, plants that should have won on their own merits, were losing to plants with more conventional pots. Given that condition is supposed to account for 70%, and size/difficulty account 15% it is hard to deny that the container and staging factor more into what plants win than what is stated in the rules. In short, there were a couple of plants there in plastic nursery pots, but if you want to be one of the "cool kids," you've got to stage your stuff in fancy oxide-stained ceramic! :-) I quite often forget the stupendous luck I have in living in SoCal. Even a small show like ours is really full of some amazing plants that could easily be among the world's best. I wish that everyone on this forum could experience a show, but between geography and climate, it just isn't possible. For those of you lucky enough to be able to participate in a local club or show, it is an opportunity you shouldn't pass up. For everyone else, all I can do is post pictures!

Nothing too showy, Ceropegia Woodii flowering Euphorbia Millotii flowering and finally starting to branch. Oh yea and Jathopha Cathartica blooming again..... I must be doing something halfway right lol.