You may have seen a while back in one of my posts not long after I first arrived here on CG that I went to a Garden Centre in merton in the South of London. The same garden centre that had really neglected and some dying plants. I felt so sorry that first time that I felt compelled to buy at least one plant while I was there. Of course we all know that I came way with the Melocactus Amoenus, of which there were at least four of them at the time.
Also nearer the time I mentioned that I had my eye on yet another cactus, but it was a big one and a bit on the very pricey side.
Well my Girlfriend and I went by there today after I decided I would go back and see if that said plant was still available as I had it in my mind to make them an offer they cannot refuse
As I suspected it was still there along with two further Melo amoenus that remained. One of which the Cephaleum was pretty big and the amount of seed pods on top made for a stunning looking plant. Shame it was suffering so much from lack of water..
So I picked up this hooj plant and lugged it to the checkout. Last year when I first saw the plant it was over
£70. Today when I looked at it, it had been slashed to
£52. I had words with the woman at the checkout at offered her £40 quid for it maybe £45 at a push. Without much hesitation at all she agreed straid off to
£40 of which my Girlfriend and I was surprised, as I had asked to see the shop manager.
So I bought myself the big Ferocactus
;D
We did briefly see the Manager but even he couldn't remember which it was.
I even got a free sturdy carry bag with it. They were probably glad to see the back of the thing to be honest it had been there so long
.
The soil around the plant itself is very unusual. I initially thought it was destructed brick, but I am now starting to think, was it actually a habitat or outdoor grown plant from the US. The older parts of the plant are quite marked up and the spination looking a bit faded if thats possible.
A photo of the plant with a small amount of original material taken out and some darker compost packed around the top to make the plant stand out a lille better against the dark. With the essential 50P to scale
.
I first popped the plant into one glazed pot that was free in my flat, but it was too small and the cactus pot was raised and too wide. I then tried it in a pot that was made available by the Musa Acuminata banana that I recently lost to DREARISM. It slotted in perfectly.
So in the end I didn't repot the plant, but then Fero's and Golden barrels are normally good to be a bit potbound , and in all honesty I think it looks the Dogs hairy sandra's like it is.
All I need to do now is find out exactly what Ferocactus it is. I was thinking wislizenii , but I might be wrong. Anybody care to fill me in on my new purchase
.
And one of the two remaining Melo amoenus plants there. How good does this look !
.
.
I hope you enjoy as much as me and the GF are right now . . . .
=^-^= =^o^= =^u^= =^_~=
.
Eutow_Int*
If I may give a suggestion though, how about a white or grey background? I bet it would look really cool on a cement (concrete) pot. Nice plants too, my favorite is the N. buiningii (edit: if I'm not mistaken; the one in the bottom right custom pot).