Seeing The Light
Flower stem emerging from Aloe petricola; Leucospermum 'Tango' first flowers color up No gardening today. The wind is ripping branches, leaves, and flowers from shrubs and trees today. At least it's a cold Santa Ana this time, not hot, and a strange one, because the sky is grey with clouds instead of the usual tannish with blowing dust. A low pressure system from the south and a high pressure system from the north are meeting to squeeze Great Basin air, sending it roaring through our neighborhood. The neighbor's dead Eucalyptus rocks stiffly, like Frankenstein's Monster walking; the live Eucs, with considerable grace, sway. An occasional leaf blown hard, hits window glass with a plunk. Birds are absent. Indoors, I look at garden photos and consider light. Late afternoon light: Midday light: Late afternoon: Midday: Advantage, late afternoon. Overcast morning: Sunny morning: Advantage overcast. Late afternoon, really too late, but with the sun behind
Thanks for doing a great job documenting the trophy table - there are so many fantastical species and genera I've never even heard of. This is the best C&S show by far and I will make it there one day. (Hubby was celebrating his b-day so I didn't try to try to alter his plans for the weekend.) My favorites are a toss up - Pachypodium namaquensis and Operculicarya decaryi.
ReplyDeleteDear Husband's birthday is important! Hope you and he had a delightful day.
DeleteI love those fluted leaves--got a photo of a Manfreda at the show with the same fluting--will put that one in a 2nd post. It was a beauty, too.
I looked back at the TT post for the 2017 intercity, and it appears O. decaryi is pretty easy to grow outdoors in SoCal--the one in the Arboretum's Madagascar garden seemed to be thriving.
That Dyckia 'Battlestar'! Dazzling.
ReplyDeleteAnd then the Gymnocalcium, which glow like Marilyn Monroe.
Yes, the Dyckia, the brown was so brown, and the silver spines so silvery! The Gymnocalcium is probably as tricky to handle as poor MM was...
DeleteBeautiful, weird and amazing! The more natural form of the Operculicaryi reminds me of one of the Ents from Lord of the Rings. Would be fun to have this staring at you as you clean the house. Thanks for the show tour. Did you buy anything?
ReplyDeleteYes, it bestows the feeling of an Ent, or Addam's Cousin Itt! It would certainly make house cleaning a little more fun.
DeleteBought one thing--will post it soon, if I don't kill it first.
I really enjoyed them all—so thank you for that—but I think I’m sticking with the Agave utahensis, best agave, best in show....
ReplyDeleteHow about those spines, eh? Danger incarnate!
DeleteThere were stunners of a Mangave and a Manfreda at the show as well. Future post.
I think my favorite was Best Something. Looks a bit Pachypodium-ish to me. I like the graceful neck and topknot of leaves. And I have a thing for caudiciform plants.
ReplyDeleteYes I loved the elegant curve of it. Something in Apocynaceae--Pachypodium, Oleander, Plumeria, and suchlike.
DeleteFabulous, thank you for sharing pictures of these stunning plants. My favourite Madagascar Euphorbia.
ReplyDeleteThey had those at the sale--another tempting plant!
DeleteI saw that Madagascar euphorb on the sales table and was intrigued but didn't bite. I ogle all the tables but never systematically, just drifting to whatever catches my eye -- plenty! -- so appreciate this BIS review. My Pachypodium namman. has lost its leaves, and I can never keep straight their dormancy issues. It looks solid, but all those at the show had leaves....
ReplyDeleteSaw them too, but limited myself to a specific shopping list. DH took a lot of photos so I could wander...then he wandered and I took a lot of photos. We both missed things the other caught. Double the fun! There was a lot to look at--I was exhausted when we got out of there.
DeleteI had to start keeping a list of winter vs. summer dormancy to keep them all straight. Aloes are tricky--some are summer growers, some winter.
These plants don't look real to me. They look like great works of art.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'm walking through a sculpture gallery at those shows. They do seem like art works--and they are, the art of nature!
DeleteI MUST GO NEXT YEAR. The end.
ReplyDelete