Willamette Valley Succulent Garden (with a couple opuntias)

dvdmsy · Post by **dvdmsy** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:42 pm

I built a "winter" garden for my parents in the spring of 2009. That is, one that looks great any time of year, and one they needn't maintain at all. There are mostly succulents and yuccas, but I planted (in pots) a few opuntias. The cacti will stay there through the winter. I'll know by April if the soil I planted them in was well draining enough. The mild winter temperatures shouldn't be an issue with the species I chose (I hope).

There are a few more photos I want to share, but as usual I'm unable to attach any more to the forum page, for whatever reason. Does anyone know why uploading pictures to the forum is so problematic and how to remedy it?

Arjen · Post by **Arjen** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:11 am

nice garden!

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:38 am

Nice pics, what type of Opuntia is that?

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:52 am

Nice garden! Try compressing your photo file sizes closer to the size required, I think 600X600. Reducing the file size is much quicker on your computer and then the photos will load more quickly to the CG server.

peterb

dvdmsy · Post by **dvdmsy** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 9:11 pm

Here's another one. This time in bloom...

dvdmsy · Post by **dvdmsy** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 9:19 pm

A close-up of one of the opuntias that will stay outside this winter. It might be Florida variety the name of which I can't remember.

The microdasys are sprouting new pads...

dvdmsy · Post by **dvdmsy** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 9:24 pm

Another...

cruaux · Post by **cruaux** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 3:33 am

Where in the Willamette Valley is this?

(I'm in Corvallis)

If we have a 'typical' Willamette valley winter pretty much everything I see in the ground will sail through just fine. Last winter was longer, colder and wetter than usual and a lot of plants that are 'so so' for hardiness in this area died. The smaller plants in pots (particularly the Euphorbia) will probably need to go inside or in the garage

The opuntias should be OK outside, there's at least one stand of a similar looking opuntia growing 'semi-wild' on the road between Corvallis and Albany, and OSU has a couple of raised beds outside one of the residence halls that has Opuntia and Cylindropuntia growing happily outside with no apparent care.

dvdmsy · Post by **dvdmsy** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 3:54 am

This garden is in Wilsonville which even by Portland standards is considered the "Banana Belt". It's usually a couple of degrees warmer there than in town. Anyway, only the opuntias in the very large pots will stay outside through winter. Everything else is merely spending the summer outside.

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 12:00 pm

I believe the most common Opuntias here in Florida are humifusa and dillenii, and that's as close as I'll get to an ID as I am so very often wrong!

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 11:39 pm

hmm the ones with the larger funky pads might be the O. dilleni but I am not positive on that at all.

Whatever they are they are neat

Arjen · Post by **Arjen** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 6:01 am

I can't really help much on an identification, however I can tell you it is most definitely not opuntia dilenii.

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 6:11 am

See what I mean....

I am not sure either.

dvdmsy · Post by **dvdmsy** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 7:48 am

I thought I was sure what that opuntia was, but now I'm unsure. What I know is this: I "borrowed" a pad from a sprawling cactus on the sidewalk near Belmont St. in Portland, and this is the result. So I know it can thrive in the PNW because that plant had to be at least five years old...

dvdmsy · Post by **dvdmsy** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 7:53 am

Another one. This one has a past (partially eaten in it's prior habitat?) and it's in-it-to-win-it. Can anyone identify it?