Monday, March 25, 2019

Cistus Nursery, in mid-March

I usually make at least one winter-time visit to Cistus, this year I went from the wreath making visit last November all the way to March 13th without stopping by. I was obviously long overdue...

This visit was such a mood lifter after a freaky cold and snowy February and early March.

Maytenus boaria 'Green Showers', the mama plant of my tree.

*sigh* another reminder that I need to add some Cyclamen to my garden.

And this! So wish I had room for a Garrya elliptica.

The promise of spring...

Yucca baccata

Arctostaphylos 'Pacific Mist'

Gunnera manicata

Ochagavia carnea

One of these really wanted to come home with me, but since I still get all weepy thinking about the last one I planted, and lost, well. I walked away.

That blue sky!

Edgeworthia papyrifera ‘Akebono Improved’

This looks so reptilian...

Fern magic...

And then there were spikes...

Every color and length imaginable...

"Not necessarily for beginners" a challenge if ever I heard one.

But I want them all!

Okay, must look elsewhere and then come back and make my choices.

Aloe arborescens 'Variegata'

Back in the greenhouses there were several fabulous Echium in bloom...

So lovely!

And then I made my purchases and made my way home. Here's what I left with...

Another Aechmea x Billbergia which I think is maybe a Cryptbergia.

My "not for beginners" cactus...

Echinomastus johnsonii

Echinocereus engelmannii

Aloe aristata, one is a birthday gift for a friend, and I "needed" another. Mine in the ground have done fabulous...

Xerophyta capensis

Which is great for its black coloring on the tips of each leaf and the violet flowers to come.

Finally a pair of Fascicularia pitcairnifolia. On the left is F. pitcairnifolia (Cotswold) and on the right Fascicularia pitcairnifolia 'Spinners Form'.

I'm already scheming on my next visit...

Weather Diary, March 24: Hi 63, Low 44/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

19 comments:

  1. I bought one of those Aloe arborescens variegata last winter (over a year ago) at Molbak's houseplant sale and when I repotted it a couple pieces fell off, so I rooted them. I now have two little ones to bring to the swap. Those cactus are crazy! So many swirly spikes you can't even see the rest of the plant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice work on the aloe rooting! Mine is still just a single stem (no branching).

      Delete
  2. Raising cacti from seed must take so much patience, not to mention expertise. Some of those lovelies, you can hardly see the cactus for the thorns. Do you use thongs to re-pot them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will probably just wrap a heavy towel around the top of the plant when working with it.

      Delete
  3. I expect you were in spiky heaven and I've no doubt whatsoever that you're up to the challenge of those "not for beginners" cacti.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We shall see. Of course winter rain is the issue if I decide to put them in the ground.

      Delete
  4. Spring is such an exhilarating but dangerous time of year with all the new plants coming into the nurseries and garden centers. Would have come home with one of those bright red-thorned cacti. Have to thank-you for id'ing the Aloe variegata. I have a fairly large one in a pot but was unable to get an accurate identification. Now I have!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! Glad to help. And yes, spring is dangerous. Even though I've vowed to not by much I still have a growing stash of new plants...

      Delete
  5. I'm only a bit jealous that you live so close to Cistus. Nice haul but I don't know how you were able to narrow your choices to just two from all of those handsome cacti. The "not for beginners" bit would have scared me a bit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was difficult to decide! And ya, I'm not convinced I'm up to the challenge but I'll do my best.

      Delete
  6. I love when cactus are still tiny but have their grownup spines -- How does the plant even grow when it's shading itself with so much shagginess? (Sharp and pointy but still shaggy!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is a good question! Also there's a photo making the rounds on FB of a cactus that died and dried up but it's spines are still in the shape of the plant. Pretty cool, eh?

      Delete
  7. It's so close and I haven't been in a long time. What's wrong with me? Thanks for the great tour, Loree. You have given me plant lust all over again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Get thyself to Cistus! You deserve it.

      Delete
  8. Cactus immediately following the 'not for beginner's' tag looks so very much like a Texas native we call 'Horse Crippler Cactus.' Love the ones you chose. I, too, couldn't have left without that pink one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A very kind blog reader sent me a horse crippler years ago, sadly it's joined the great compost pile in the sky.

      Delete
  9. That is a nursery that most definitely inspires scheming!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Comment moderation is on (because you know: spam), I will approve and post your comment as soon as possible!