Never never again for dear old Ctenanthe…

I always thought of Ctenanthe’s leaves as pink and brown…

This is just a short post to pay tribute to a house plant I have lost. Her name was Ctenanthe, pronounced Tee-nanth-ee. I say “her” because that sound’s like a lovely woman’s name to me…

In fact

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Starry, starry white – my new Hatiora…

My new white Easter cactus or Hatiora gaertneri

It’s a couple of weeks now since the Cardiff Horticultural Show, but I thought I would share one of my purchases with you.

It’s a

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Three treasures of November

This picture of my Liquidambar was taken using my iPhone camera after rain - not a bad shot, really...

This year the grey November is lit up by three of my favourite plants, all coinciding in time thanks to the mixed-up weather we have these days.

Don’t ask me

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My Christmas cactus – one year on…

My Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera russelliana) has grown a lot since last year - it usually sits on my study window ledge but I put it on the cooker hob for its portrait after I had washed off the dust from its greenery...

Last December I blogged on the subject of A Christmas cactus is for life – not just the festive season… and I urge you to go there and read a bit about the Christmas (or Holiday) cactus, Easter cactus and other succulents.

Schlumbergera russelliana in flower in December 2010

Schlumbergera russelliana in flower in December 2010

Schlumbergera russelliana in flower in December 2010

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A Christmas cactus is for life – not just the festive season

Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera russelliana) in bloom

It’s that time of year when garden centres – and even supermarkets – are piled high with Christmas cacti (Schlumbergera russelliana). But unlike the more familiar and disappointing poinsettias, these plants can last for many years, not just for a few weeks over the festive season.

The key to looking after cacti is to think about their natural habitat. It may come as a surprise to some people, but the plants we call “cacti” come in two very different types – the desert varieties, which are usually prickly and built for storing water, and the epiphytes, which are strappy and prickle-less and grow on trees in the jungle. All come from the New World.

Saguaro - Carnegiea gigantea in the Arizona Desert

Only recently have I realised this – in my youth I knew only

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