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Wow, this flower is so cute, looks like ears of rabbit!

Way low on succulent photos, will have to step it up
This all I got for now

Gibbaeum album "Purple/Rose/Pink Flowers"

I threw in some Brighamia insignis seesds in the succulent garden in Mid February
They are growing super fast!!
Not all of them made it, some rotted when small. I put this one in a pot.

C And D wrote:Way low on succulent photos, will have to step it up
This all I got for now

Gibbaeum album "Purple/Rose/Pink Flowers"
IMG_9081.jpg

wow, I thought they were stones, but it's all plant, very beautiful

Mesemb Holy Grail !!!!

2 Muiria hortenseae flowering at the same time !!! I had to manually open the sheath to let the flowers out, and it was good thing I did
because they could have just stayed under there and never opened. Hopefully, I will get seeds.

No hope for seeds for the Phyllobolus (Dactylopsis) digitatus this year
only 1 flowered Not very pretty at this time of year

C And D wrote:Mesemb Holy Grail !!!!

>>>

<<<

Great, good luck!!!

Best wishes

K.W.

Hope you can get some Muiria hortenseae seeds this year~~

C And D wrote:Bulbine bruynsii
IMG_8928.jpg

I just repotted my 2013 sown Bulbine bruynsii today. Was really surprised how the tubers look like below the soil. Weird alien tentacles...!

None of my Bulbine bruynsii woke up this year, in other words, they all died.
We had a weird Fall, cool at first, then a couple heat waves, then rain, then more heat, a lot of bulbs didn't make it.
I watered them in early October along with all the other Fall resurgents, hoping to wake them up, but it might have been too early.

I just planted the last of my seeds, hoping for better luck this year, but still not sure of how to get them through the summer and to come back reliably in the Fall. Some water? No water?, keep dry until they sprout on their own???, shade? heat?

I was able to identify the Conophytum I posted on the page before, now that it flowered.
It's a C. taylorianum, non-keeled form.
I have loads of the keeled form I was selling as C. taylorianum, but it may be C. taylorianum ssp. ernianum and the one below is just plain C. taylorianum

C And D wrote:None of my Bulbine bruynsii woke up this year, in other words, they all died.

One of two pots I have also showed no leaves emerging from the soil. But I haven't checked if the bulbs are still there, yes or no. I had repotted them in September, and the bulbs seemed fine. Weird bulbs, by the way, nothing like any other bulb I have...

They have been late before in previous years (although I can't recall this late). Could be the bulbs skip a growing season. Have seen that happening with other bulbs.

Another pot with younger plants showed three still being alive.

Pretty sure Bulbines technically have rhizomes, not bulbs (which are layered like an onion).

I have the impression Bulbines are not extremely long-lived and need to be rejuvenated or resown every few years to ensure continuity. Or maybe that's what I need to do to keep them in my collection Luckily most will flower within a year from seed.

I had some issues with B. torta a few years ago, when the roots of my plant dried out and I thought it was a goner. However, it had made a second growth point which survived (with a small part of root) while the main plant died off. The offset is still alive 3 years later (unfortunately no companion so it can't set seeds) but I'm a bit more careful with it (lives under the staging during the summer with a tiny splash of water every month or so).

I've also seen that B. mesembryanthemoides seems to do better with less harsh summer conditions - the ones I left completely dry never came out of dormancy and withered away, while the others I watered a little every month popped back without issues.

I'm not sure how any of that translates to B. bruynsii (still keeping my eye out for one), but it seems to be not too distantly related to B. mesembryanthemoides.

Aiko wrote:

C And D wrote:None of my Bulbine bruynsii woke up this year, in other words, they all died.

One of two pots I have also showed no leaves emerging from the soil. But I haven't checked if the bulbs are still there, yes or no. I had repotted them in September, and the bulbs seemed fine.

I have checked. They are gone... Luckily I still have a pot with some seedlings of a younger age. Will not be repotting them until they have flowered and set some seeds.

Back to posting
Had some disappointments the last year
Lost all my Muiria, Didymaotus, and some other rare stuff to a super hot day that fried them
lost all my Bulbine brynsii, and had some pest problems

But new stuff always keeps the fun at a level 11.

Talk about new!
Lenophyllum guttatum variegated Anacampseros comptonii Denise's' Caralluma foetida caused quite a commotion with the stinkyiest flowers Yet! But they are so lovely The flies loved them The flies loved it so much that it brought in flies from around the block and they were getting into our house,
so I cut the flower off and threw it away after the photos

Here is another Skinky flower
Piaranthus pillansii
More of an obnoxious musty smell
Flies don't seem interested in it.

Monanthes polyphylla or subcrassicaulis? Neat tiny flowers Sacrocaulon herrei Aanacampseros

A lost Desert Tortoise appeared on our front lawn one day
Our dog Butters had to investigate The owners were found and he was safely returned