bruno' s terrace 2012

[bruno]

A lot of snow this year, fun for the kids and perhaps for some of the cold loving plants which would love air conditioning year round in our climate. This was the situation at the beginning of february

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....

[bruno]

This is the beginning of the secound round

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sure sempervivum are among those that enjoyed all this, these Crassulaceae are native of high mountains here

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.....

[bruno]

After that we had good weather and the situation looks much improved. No plant shows damage of any sort except for a M. armillata that looks gone. Here are some pic I took today

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ciao

[CoronaCactus]

Thats amazing!
For some reason i thought your terrace was fully covered.

[iann]

You look younger than I expected

Was that very wet snow? Lots of those plants would love being under a nice covering of fluffy white stuff, but maybe not smothered under half-melted ice

[bruno]

That's Lorenzo: some snow no school but snowballs, that' s what his face way saying as it started falling down. Yes wet snow, the day after some ice and it began melting. However in the second run no snow fell on the plants, except on scleros and pedios, that I put outside for the purpose

[Arjen]

your plants recovered well! they would never have made it here

[peterb]

Gorgeous plants Bruno, and it looks like the snow and cold actually made them happy. You might have a banner year for flowers.

peterb

[Tiggy]

I wish my plants had resisted as well as yours. I've lost a few of the more delicate ones, and have been desperately trying to re-generate some. We are in the north of Italy and over 800m. high, the temps. were the coldest that we have seen yet in 11yrs. Even those that have always been outside through previous winters have succumbed this year. On the whole though I saved most of them and this was only the second year since I started collecting so I've learnt a lot as well. Full speed ahead to renovate an old make-shift greenhouse that will be easier to heat.
By the way Bruno, any suggestions as to where I can purchase the small Parasene heaters at a reasonable price in Italy? I've looked on the net, but the ones that I found cost 50-60euros more for one large and one small one compared to England, and THEY won't export. Apreciate any suggestions.
Susi

[TimN]

Beautiful plants, Bruno! I love seeing your rooftop garden. The snow looked pretty scary, glad to hear there wasn't significant damage. Sorry to hear you didn't fare so well, Susi. It sounds like there was some crazy (bad) weather in lots of places. In AZ we had one of the mildest winters since I've been here (10 years).

[bruno]

Thanks all!
Hi Susi, sorry for the plants
As a matter of fact there is no need to heat here in Rome. Given the climate we have, most of the plants I am growing would require some air conditioning rather than a heater. That is why I am not familiar with those small Parasene heaters you are looking for. However if you send me an mp with some example I can try to hear from friends living in the north and get their feedback for you.
Ciao

[tumamoc]

Am I looking at pictures of Rome or Minnesota?

[Tiggy]

Thanks all!
Hi Susi, sorry for the plants
As a matter of fact there is no need to heat here in Rome. Given the climate we have, most of the plants I am growing would require some air conditioning rather than a heater. That is why I am not familiar with those small Parasene heaters you are looking for. However if you send me an mp with some example I can try to hear from friends living in the north and get their feedback for you.
Ciao

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The small one costs E45,10 and the big one costs E55,13 (at the time of posting though I noticed that it is offer at E42,10,making it cheaper than the little one ) with the special price maybe it's worth thinking of whether it's worth the trouble after all. Anyway if you come up with any more suggestions I would be grateful.
Thanks again Bruno.
Susi

[bruno]

Hi Susi, I am asking around and coming back to you if I have any news

Back to the plants....
I had my first graft of Austrocylindropuntia pachypus three years ago. During its second winter it became rotting from the apex and I cut a thick slice. After a few months it set a small new head but eventually, during late fall, all the plant went away, and I could save only that small new head, which I put in a small pot with pure lapillus waiting for the spring to try graft it.
A few days ago, not without surprise I saw these new roots born at the base of the cutting

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good sign isn' t it?

This morning I took out the covering of the Opuntia tunnel, here it is, no damage at all

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and here is one of its inhabitants Cylindorpuntia leptocaulis, the close up showing the typical sheat covering the spine

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back soon with a few more pics, ciao

[Arjen]

none of your pictures show, probably due to the crash

I however do have a question, could you perhaps someday spare a cutting or some seeds of that pachypus? I've been looking for that plant for ages!
I am of course willing to pay for the cutting and the postage