Saturday, July 15, 2017

Breaking news (2 pics)

This just in. The first lithops flower of the season!

Quite early. But L. gesinae v. annae (C078) always is. I had one blooming in June once. The precious little sun 💗



Also, one of the Delosperma cooperi seedlings (one of those bonsai guys) has flowered for the first time. It's kinda a big deal for me. I've been waiting for this for years! Finally!


4 comments:

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    1. Thank you! I treasure every flower I can get :)

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  2. There are quite a few hybrid Delosperma cultivars on the market now, but I still think D. cooperi is the best. I have five of the cultivars and there are some interesting flower colors, but the flowers are usually much smaller than D. cooperi and the plants are usually not as vigorous as D. cooperi. At the old house I had some D. cooperi plantings in the ground that were over a meter in diameter.

    I also like Delosperma nupigenum but it doesn't seem to handle our hot, humid summers very well. I'll plant both D. cooperi and D. nupigenum in the new outdoor succulent bed I am planning for next year. I'll hopefully begin soil preparation this fall. I would love to try a small planting of Delosperma sphalmanthoides, but you never find it in the local nurseries. I don't think it can take the amount of rainfall we get in this area.

    How are your balcony boxes doing this summer? Do you have any planted this summer. They looked great last year. I love to see succulents planted without the restraints of a pot. Thanks for all of your lovely photos, I always greatly enjoy them. Have a wonderful day.

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    1. Over a meter! That's one impressive plant :D
      I also like D. cooperi. Growing outside is what's best for them. I only got a flower from mine after it had spent the whole winter outside on the balcony. They like it.

      It so happens that I also have a D. nupigenum. But it is small and not very strong. It dried off its flowers this year. A bit touchy this plant. I think I wouldn't recommend growing D. sphalmantoides outside. These plants are so tiny and fragile. It feels like the leaves already get damaged when I just *think* about touching them (and you can't help touching them - too cute!). Maybe the outside world would be too much for them to handle. But anyway, I wish you good luck in your endeavors of growing outside succulents! I'm sure you'll make it work! Please share pictures :)

      My balcony is unfortunately pretty much the same. I still have not made it pretty...

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