The Cactus Convention

The 35th Cactus and Succulent Society of America’s biennial convention was held last week at the Sheraton Hotel in Austin, Texas. This is the second one I have attended, and at both I have met interesting people, learned something new about growing cactus, and yes,...

The Cactus Convention

Really. An event made in heaven for cactus lovers. And did you know there is even a cactus society-The Cactus and Succulent Society of America? This group holds a convention every other year and in different cities across the U.S. This year the convention is in...

The Bombax Tree, aka The Shaving Brush Tree

  I bought this bombax tree back in 1985 when I was first getting interested in the more unusual specimens I would come across when searching for cactus and succulents. It was in a one-gallon container then and about a foot tall. Today it is in an 18-inch pot and...

The Cholla Says Winter Is Over

When winter arrives and the weather gets colder and icier, prickly pear and cholla get progressively droopy and sad-looking. Both plants are in the same cactus family of opuntia, so I guess they respond similarly to the cold. By the end of winter, this is what one of...

Trichocereus Grandiforus Blooms in Neon

When I see the buds forming on my trichocereus grandiflorus, I get really exited. The flowers are quite large, and the petals literally glow with iridescent color, like, well, neon. Pictures just don’t do them justice, although every year I drag out the camera and try...

It is Springtime in the Greenhouse

I am just having more fun walking into the greenhouse every morning to see what is blooming. First it was the blizzarde. Now we are having dustbowl-worthy winds and dirt, sand dunes where there should be lawns, and still no rain in sight, but the greenhouse provides a...