Thursday, August 1, 2013

Cacti

I wrote this post a few weeks ago and got interrupted and just noticed now that I saved it as a draft but never published it.  So this is old news...but, as always, VERY interesting news.  Haha...

My cousin gave me this tray full of succulents over the 4th of July.  A few years ago, my sister and I were visiting her in Northern MN and her mother in law, who loves plants and gardening and worked at a greenhouse until recently, gave us each an agave plant.  They are both still alive.  I thought mine was fading over the winter this year but as soon as I put it outside in the sun it came back and became healthy again!  I was glad because I am attached to that thing. 

This new tray had a lot of potential. 


Succulents are native to harsh desert conditions and enjoy sandy soil and even grow between cracks in rocks.  They don't need much water since they store water in their leaves like a cactus but they don't mind water either.  And of course they like sun.  They have shallow roots so can be planted in shallow containers and don't mind being packed close together with other plants .

I rummage sale and thrift store shopped for some fun containers and found a few.  That one on the right is a bundt cake pan and the big one in the middle is a metal bowl with a rustic look to it.  Justin drilled drainage holes in them for me. 


 
I love them...they look like they belong in a fish tank!
 
We also have this cute little cactus in a pot.  Justin brought it home from a trip to Oklahoma.  He dug it out of the ground and scooped up it's preferred sandy soil and wrapped it in a bag and brought it home on the plane. 


It had two flowers bloom eventually and has several more.  Hopefully it will have more flowers this summer.  Now we officially have way too many plants around here! 






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