Just about bordering on odd, I see things through different eyes.The heading says it all - I live, I love, I craft, I am me...

04/10/2021

Blogtober day 4 - the prickly edition


Day 4

When the boys were little, to get them interested in gardening and wild things and plants and caring for 'something' I introduced them to succulents and cacti. As you would expect they were enthusiastic at first but like all 'slow' things, the boys stopped being quite as hands on. However the succulents quietly continued to grow while the boys basically did the same thing but with a lot more maintenance required!
Fast forward to them going to uni and they both took their collections with them and suddenly I realised that although the plants belonged to the boys in the first place, it was me who for the most part kept an eye on them and now they were gone - I was missing them (the plants not the boys for heavens sake!!) So to fill that space - I may have added (one or two) to my remaining (ex)meagre succulent and cacti family.
Some of the family are a little spikier than others .....

However, with the right platitudes that particular prickly cat-cus can be got around (occasionally).
Most of my little family I have either purchased or been given as small plants and have grown them on.

However, (and I fully blame MrsL for this!) recently I was introduced to, then fell down the rabbit hole of a certain crafty website where you can purchase leaves and plantlets (also known as pups) to plant up and grow on .... so I may have accidently bought one or two (not one or two leaves - don't be silly - boxes!) One of which landed yesterday and I will be going into the glasshouse to settle the leaves and pups into the nicest lumpiest grittiest, well drained-est soil I can lovingly make them.
The second box is due any day now (fingers crossed today then I can get all my new pups planted up) squeee, I may be a little over excited!

Just some of the pups and leaflets I'll be working with later this morning, and in case you are a nerd (as it appears I am) from left to right they are : Titanopsis calcareum (in my hand), Sinocrassula yunnanensis (tiny black leaves),  Dischidia nummularia (little bright green top centre), Echeveria Diffractens (dark purply ones), Curio rowleyansus (top right) and finally Echeveria Setosa Doris Taylor.


I shall also tackle this large, grumpy and reclining Golden Barrel (Echinocactus grusonii) of Eldest's. It needs a bit of surgery (yup - going to chop off the top bit, let it callous over and then plant up, then remove the pup at the base and do the same and hope the main body will recover and grow on) - so a bit of careful TLC should help this fellow recover both his former glory and his mood.🌡

What tickles your fancy? (polite answers please!)
Do you have an obsession? (how ever slight or overboard)
Go on - share your guilty pleasures - here in the comments or over on your blog - sharing is caringπŸŒ΅πŸ˜„


**Edited to add - the second box of succulent leaves arrived so they have all been planted- fingers crossed and I have 'decapitated' the E. grusonii and that and the pup are drying off in the glasshouse where the bare cuts can callous over before I plant them. The main trunk has been planted upright in nicer soil - so hopefully all three parts of the original plant will settle and grow.


13 comments:

  1. I am fascinated.That might be my new obsession.I am into Auriculas,postcards and loads of other things.Never bored.
    Barbarax

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    1. I love Auriculas too however I seem to kill them off with indecent haste .... oops, need to try harder!

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  2. These remind me of my grandad as he was always growing them in his conservatory.

    A friend of mine gets them delivered in a monthly subscription box.

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    1. my Youngest son had a subscription from his girlfriend - he got some really interesting specimens. Yes, cacti and succulents (along with allotments) are seen as the domain of old men but I am fighting that! one plant at a time πŸ˜„πŸŒ΅ I find that lads and the reluctant non-gardener soon warm to them so they are brilliant to get folk involved with plants and gardening 😊

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  3. Great post - lovely photos :) I don't have obsessions I have interests - mainly wool/textile related, but I do have a bit of a thing about the trailing succulents, my favourite being the string of dolphins. My favourite non-trailer at the moment is the bear's paw. I also like variegated plants, jigsaws, auriculas, Italy, genealogy, local history, St Kilda, earrings - and other things. Absolutely no guilt involved lol

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    1. String of Dolphins! Love the name! (off to see what that looks like) ... back - I know which one it is now, I know it as Senecio Hippogriff although I think it's name has changed to ?Curio or something, no idea!

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  4. A fascinating collection.
    I must sort my three out!

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    1. Careful!! - those three will take over and go for world domination (as have my once meagre collection!)πŸŒ΅πŸ˜„

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  5. Having been bought a lovely decoratve birdcage for displaying my cacti collection I am sad to report the demise of not only my own collection but my Goddaughter’s, which she rehomed with me for safe keeping. I probably overwatered. I am considering buying some pottery ones now πŸ˜‚. My husband is always collecting the ‘pups’ from my succulent and potting on with mixed results. Yours look fabulous πŸ˜ƒ

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    1. Thanks Carol :) keep growing the pups!
      Over watering is the killer - even more so than underwatering :D I had to get quite shirty at work as the volunteers were drenching my succulents and cacti so I made a sign that said 'Water only on a Wednesday! - when I am there, and I would choose to leave or water as necessary - they now survive hahaha

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  6. Looks like you are having fun, lots of fun. They are pretty to look at but I refuse to start another hobby/interest! Hope the big, spikey one survives surgery. x

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    1. So do! My planty 'kudos' is resting on it! πŸ˜„πŸŒ΅

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  7. Oh my, that is quite a collection you have accumulated!

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