Titanopsis galore

Although the name implies mammoth proportions, the Titanopsis is actually quite small and fagile-looking.  What I like about it most is the curious way the tip of the leaves look - knobby and mottled.  It makes for an intriguing specimen.

Luckily, I found one that was ready to flower, and after a couple of days, it rewarded me with 2 flowers!  They're like a breath of spring in the middle of winter.

Cactaholic part 2

Frithia Pulchra
There's this group of cacti which prefer to lie low on the ground and disguise themselves so as not to be seen by plant-eaters.  I'd like to have some Lithops, but have not seen one yet.  In the meantime, I have the split rock cactus (previous blog post) and the frithia pulchra.  At the end of each tubular leaf is a 'window'; I suspect that in the wild this helps them blend in.

The cactaholic

I guess it just starts with one, which gets followed up by another, then another, and before you know it you're hooked.  Collecting cacti and succulents, that is.  I am no stranger to gardening, though.  Back in college, my friends and I worked part-time at the Library and growing african violets by the windowsill was a favourite occupation amongst the Librarians.  We brought home leaf cuttings and soon we were cultivating other plants and frequented the Orchidarium to feed this latest obsession.  I had a number of bonsai that I was quite proud of.

So growing cacti and succulents isn't really a new thing for me.  Even better, these plants are more forgiving and require less care so it's easy to become enamoured and attracted to collecting these.

As of last count, I have around 35 different kinds.  I will feature them all on this blog in batches.  And here's the first set.

Astrphytum ornatum var. marbellii

I was attracted to this cactus by its symmetrical, twisting shape.  Only in cacti can you find such amazing living sculptures.