Seen At The Intercity C&S Show 2015

 The sale.  We were there first thing.  An hour later, it was jammed with people. 
The show's trophy winners:
The show--most of it.  The camera lens wasn't wide angle enough to take it all in.  We were early.  Later, it was crammed with people. 
Is that the Gasteria 'Shining Star' from the Huntington show?  Different pot.  Greened up.  Love that plant. 
Tephrocactus geometricus there, the one that looks like scoops of Opuntia ice cream
That is the Leutchenbergia from the Huntington show, now sporting at least two flower buds. 
Rhipsalis boliviana
Best Aloe (or novice Best Aloe?).  A very common species, Aloe variegata, available at any big box store, but beautifully grown.  
A winning Agave, A. stricta variegated. 
A display of Lithops by the California Cactus Center
A bright red Tillansia among the Dyckias. 
Fockia crispa
There I am enthralled by the plants.  Beloved kindly took photos of the show so I could walk around with my jaw dropped, like a baby bird begging to be fed.  Bedazzled by plants.  Thanks, sweetie!
Tag not reachable, can't tell you what this is.  A wild guess: Best caudiciform? 
Not your typical garden Opuntias there. 
 One interesting trend:  pots made from rocks.  I can remember thinking about doing that--and several people actually did it.  Some are more successful than others at simulating a rock outcropping, but they are all fairly cool:
Copiapoa tenuissima monstrose:
 This one looked the most natural to me, with the prettiest rocks:
This one looks out of proportion to the size of the plant.  Awesome plant:
 This one is better. Yet another awesome plant.  Pygmaeocereus bylessianus.  But you knew that. 
Other interesting items seen:  a 19th century Epiphyllum dress print (!)  Oh, those Victorians!
 "I guess so." to the first, "A few." to the second
 The Arboretum got new electric vehicle chargers.  An old non-functioning paddle-style charger (J1773), circa 1999, was there last year.  Three functioning new ones this year, with SAE J1772 connectors.  The Arboretum has greened.    
What I got at the sale.  Clockwise from top, Agave parryi truncata variegated? (labelled as A. parrasana truncata variegated),  Aloe aculeata, Aloe claviflora? (labeled as Aloe clavata)
A few more from the show:  Epiphyllum guatemalense
A monstrose form of Eulychnia castenaea
A South African bulb, Albuca batteniana.  
How long does it take her to do her foliage every morning? 
It was a full day.  Much seen.

Comments

  1. What an amazing show! Every photo was a treat, so I can't decide on a favorite. The trunk on the Fockia crispa was so interesting. And the rock containers, which I have never seen before, really show off the plant forms. Thanks for sharing - I wish more of these plants liked zone 8 living!

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    1. Dry dry arid zone 8 living, many do like that. The dry-arid might be the difficult part.

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  2. Wonderful photos, and your new plants... ay caramba, I love that striated parryi...! The red Tillandsia with the silvery Dyckias, so beautiful. Love (fellow Gates CSS member) Tony Marino's rocky containers, especially that last one with Pygmaeocereus bylesianus (which will be on this week's spelling test, oy). Must get some info on those planters from Tony.

    I didn't get to the Intercity this year, and so I'm so happy to see your report and the terrific photos!

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    1. Almost didn't get that Agave, but glad I did. If you get some info about the rock planters from Tony, please do let us know. I thought they were great and may be a whole new thing at C&S shows--and at home.

      Beloved took a lot more excellent photos, I hope to blog those, but not right away. An overwhelming day it was.

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  3. The way to do it, be there before the crowds descend :)

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    1. Yes, not only the crowds there, and the summer heat that far inland, but the traffic there and back. Early birds get the best.

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  4. To start with wow. Such amazing plants and love the stone pots. Brilliant idea to get partner to take the photos for you, other wise my of spend all your time taking photos and not enjoying the show.

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    1. He took excellent photos and was so sweet about doing so. I am very lucky!

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  5. Rock pots! How creative (and heavy!), they look so good with the plants. It surprises me how often there is a plastic nursery pot off to the side of what ever fantabulous thing is actually being photographed. It looks like most people take such care to match plant and pot in a unified look...do others really just bring their prized plants in plastic pots? (oh and nice haul!)

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    1. Most of the pots are quite pretty, but there are plastic ones here and there. Some of the plastic-potted plants were the blue-ribbon winners. It is about the plants first. A pretty pot helps the score, but a great plant is a great plant.

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  6. How lucky you are to have this show nearby! So many cool plants. Tephrocactus geometricus is new to me - love it! Nice new additions to your collection.

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    1. It's the show of shows for C&S here in So Cal. As good as they get.

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  7. I can only imagine how crowded it must have gotten. The Inter-City Show draws people from all over the place.

    Isn't it funny how after a while you recognize show plants because the travel the circuit? That happens even up here.

    You nabbed a nice variegated agave there. There is no A. parrasana truncata, so it could very well be A. parryi. Time will tell.

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    1. It is fun seeing the plants over time--some have gotten bigger and more amazing, but not all of them. The A. albopilosa that was a stunner last year was back, larger but looking tired and yellow.

      We left before it got really crowded and hot. Crowds and heat :(

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  8. Oh. my. God. Those CURLS!!

    Still chuckling at "scoops of Opuntia ice cream"...

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    1. Yeah, those ringlets, like Dorothy and C. Lion got at the Emerald City beauty shoppe.

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  9. The red Tillandsia in its colorful pot among the grey Dyckias and their recessive dark pots: what an image. Very Wizard-of-Oz-esque. Please pass on my thanks to your Beloved for that and all the others; outstanding job.

    I went back through the pics focusing on the containers and find myself coming back again and again to the one displaying the Lithops. Whoa! It looks like some sort of fossil.

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    1. I will relay the message. :)

      The lithops reminded me of cobblestones.

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  10. I brought home that agave too! The variegation on mine is just barely starting to show, not nearly as pronounced as yours yet.

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  11. I was hoping to get there this weekend but my beloved was less accommodating than yours about the drive. I love that curly Albuca.

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    1. Leave home first thing Sunday morning--hardly any traffic. Get there as they open, hardly any visitors. Leave when the crowds arrive. I drive there (he rests), he drives home (I rest). (So you know for next year!)

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  12. I've never seen anything likeTephrocactus geometricus. Incredible! I could list all of the plants that had me saying "wow" out loud, but that would get tiresome. Love the last one and your caption. And so many fantastic pots! I never would've thought to make them out of rocks. And those lithops... Ahhh!

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    1. It's a fun event. One learns there are plants out there in the world you could never imagine. Glad you enjoyed the post.

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  13. Great photos! I love the Tephrocactus geometricus, red Tillandsia with the Dyckias and the Albuca batteniana. I like your new Agave too.

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    1. Thanks! Those were my favorites, too. Now to get that Agave planted and growing. :)

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  14. I always look forward to your reports on these shows. So many fabulous, odd plants...and the rock pots are pretty cool too.

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    1. Happy you found it of interest. :)

      Amazing what is out there, very lovingly raised. I think one trick those virtuoso growers practice is growing the plant in the ground or raised bed, then potting it up temporarily for the show. And 10-25% shade cloth seems to be common.

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