Getting excited. There's a 50% chance of rain for Valentine's day. I watered but there's nothing like some rain to make things right and super charge the plants as we've been so dry out here. Keeping my eye on the forecast and my hopes up.

Any rain would be welcome here. We're mostly back to brown again.

Some aloe seedlings on the patio, most about a year old... The plant in the second picture (8 inch pot) is a year-old sibling of B1 & B4 in the first picture, just further along (and already thinking like a tree). The rest are various hybrid seedlings from aloes around here that I'm growing for the flowers or the form (in the case of the dwarf plants). Some barrel cacti at the bottom.



These 2 plants are siblings and that purple color is from the sun.



Finally some nice Gasteraloe flowers, and two Haworthias (the flowers are attached to a second plant out of frame below, now a Haworthiopsis).

Very nice collection. Lookin' good. So what are your future plans for these kids?

I have absolutely no plans for the baby aloe seedlings. Presumably they will end up somewhere in the ground. I am curious to see the flowers. There should be some good bicolor and bottle brush types in there. I was hoping to get these two mixed together but so far I'm not seeing much of the one in front. The seed parent of the bigger green seedling is the yellow flowered plant with the channeled leaves (a tree).

Trying to respond for the third time, perhaps it will be charmed. Cut 'n paste so if the internet does down because of flooding... I have been innundated with water. Wishing I could share water with those in need.

AgaveGirll ~ I am fortunate because the menagerie (5 cats and a vintage dog) is totally unimpressed with my plants. They spend time in and out and bother nothing except to molest the catnip. The cats also like to lounge in the greenhouse.

The area of Texas I am in is closer to south Louisiana, wooded and wet. Not best suited for succulents so most overwinter in the greenhouse.

No photos... the outdoor Agaves are currently mush from two consecutives nights in the low teens. They (and a few sacrificial Aloes) will come back from the roots.

As an experiment, I planted excess succulent plants in a raised dry bed quite a few years ago. It is under the eaves of the greenhouse so remains dry.

I was astounded to learn that A. barbadensis will come back from the root system even when the tops are frozen. I leave the dead foliage in place till new growth begins.

The Gasteraloe, Gasterias and Haworthias offer some blooms in the greenhouse which are welcomed but not very showy.

It is rare for me to get the showy blooms that are common at this time of year in some of your succulents. So you see why I love to see y'alls beautiful plants and wonderful blooms. Please keep the photos coming...

Hello everyone!

We were in San Francisco over the weekend, with the warm-up and nice cool air mix around, it was just fun to be outdoors. We happened to pass by an area with the lovely 163 mosaic tiled steps at 16th street. Most people were of course aiming for the steps, while I am more engrossed with the succulent community garden they have along the staircase. Such a lovely dry garden indeed! With that full sun, sloped area and cool air, it is just fun to see the succulents thriving so well there. I really enjoyed seeing this garden. Really educates me just how much gritty the media has to be and the measures used to maximize an otherwise hard to plant area. The importance of full sun/light access, air movement around the plants and proper drainage is greatly seen.

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing those photos. I admire that they have ID tags on those plants also. Does that area not receive freezing temps, I wonder?

I'm very familiar with those mosaicked steps, but never even noticed the beautiful succulent gardens! Thanks for posting them, Tarev. They're just lovely! I don't think it ever freezes there so close to the water, but I could be wrong.

Tarev, Thank you for the showy pictures. Enjoyed them very much.

How impressive! Thank you for sharing!

Beautiful photos of San Francisco. Hope you enjoyed your trip and had a wonderful time. Thank you for sharing.

Baja,
I'm sure your aloe babies will be beautiful if mom and dad are any indications from the pics. Looking forward to the flowering. You will have to post their progress for us.

Kristi,
Yep. You and I have very different climates indeed. I'm as bone dry and arid as you are wet and humid. You envy our blooms and I envy your ability to grow anything green and succulent looking and that doesn't look like it had a blow torch taken to it most of the year.
Lots of fur kids you have there too. Good for you! Glad they're all well behaved. Like I said, mine is too with the only exception being some strange malice she bears towards house plants.

Tarev, I love to see public landscaping done with that much color and style.

It looks like one way or the other these two aloes in the public garden will get together.... looking very fruity at the moment.



And a Euphorbia here just on the verge of flowering in the public garden. Another plant I wouldn't mind seeing pregnant. With a lovely scent, too.

pod said:Beautiful! Thanks for sharing those photos. I admire that they have ID tags on those plants also. Does that area not receive freezing temps, I wonder?

Hi Kristi, it does not go freezing there due to the ocean, so they get better weather there along the coast, hardly any temps below 45F there. On the flip side though, if it is a very rainy winter, then they get the first brunt of the strong downpour.

Our area gets the overnight sub-freezing temps being more inland where we may get into the low 20F's. In summer though, we try to escape to the coast to cool down, the time when inland temps is just searing triple digit dry heat.

Though not in blooming mode, the color changing fun with Aeoniums during winter time is always fun to see!

Photos taken 19Jan 2018


Photos taken today, 16 Feb2018

Nice color changes, T! My Sempervivums do that too. In winter they are black or purple, and in summer, bright green.

Everyone's plants are looking so yummy. Nothing exciting going on in my yard except the weather and the weeds (still there....my pulling them was postponed due to rain ) We went from the 80s and unseasonably dry and warm to the 60s and finally got our much desired rain for the last 2 days. These 60 degree temps are more in line with what is 'normal' for this time of year here.

Had a nice soaker. Today was weird. Woke up this morning to dense fog! Really cool to see though because it is so rare here in our part of the desert. In 10 or 11 years I can count on one hand the amounts of time I've experienced fog here in the low Sonoran desert.

It is starting to burn off now as the sun is coming out. As for the plants only the two Ming Things look a little disgruntled at the weather and temp changes. I'm hoping they'll get over it. Everything else looks quite happy.

Next sunny day I'll have to go out and check on things and see how the agaves and aloes are faring from this water they just received. Usually they'll display a little growth spurt. Oh...and so do the weeds. I really need to pull my weeds!

What a cool weather change for your area! I know you enjoy it.

If you can stand the humidity, I think now would be an excellent time to harvest the week crop. They seem to give it up easier when the soil is moist.

Working today and hoping to dry out before summer. It is not in the 10 day forecast...

Searching for the proper name of this lovely aloe. Figured if anyone would know, it would be @Baja_Costero or @AgaveGirl1. I've always called it Weird Al; deserves a better title . Any clues?

I do not know the correct name of your aloe, Char. But I like the colors, the teeth, and the upright growth habit. Over the past decade or two there has been a great proliferation of small bumpy hybrids, and to be honest I have stopped keeping up with them.

Thank you, @Baja_Costero. I guess I'll stick with Weird Al!