Unfortunately I don't have nearly as much time as I'd like for visiting local cactus and succulent collections. When Craig Fry answered the call with a couple of cacti I really wanted, he made the offer to visit him at C and D Plants so I could inspect said cacti and bring them home with me. I simply couldn't pass up an opportunity like that, so on March 15 I took the drive out to Costa Mesa. And what a lovely time! The experience was a treat in and of itself, but the opportunity to talk c&s with one of our SoCal forum members made it even better.
Craig invited me to bring my camera -- a situation I took full advantage of. What I didn't know was that I'd be going into a scaled-down version of the Huntington Desert Garden! When I visited the Huntington about 2 years ago, I entered the desert greehouse and it took about 10 minutes before I went into sensory overload as I photographed the heck out of the place. C and D gave me deja vu all over again, although I put my Huntington camera experience to good use. It's amazing how much detail can be pulled out of hi-res photos, so that's how I took 41 pics and turned them into 114 after I completed my post-production work using Photoshop. Here are just the highlights -- if you like what you see, I'll give you the OneDrive link to my virtual tour of C and D at the end of this little presentation:
First, I'll introduce you to my gracious hosts Craig and Denise.
This is the cactus & succulent GH, jammed to the rafters with an incredibly diverse selection of plants.
This GH is all about succulents.
Since SoCal's November-April rainy season can be a problem for winter-sensitive plants, this mini-GH is a clever way of dealing with the overflow when there's not enough room in the "big house".
Now for the outdoor collection.
Here's an old but obviously well-grown Stenocactus in full flower.
A 2-headed Eriosyce senilis, rather rare I believe.
Even rarer -- one with 3 heads and an offset unusually high on the plant.
Here's Craig tending to just a few of his bazillion plants.
And finally, here's the OneDrive link I promised you:
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=70339293 ... wXXKCmML2I" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I honestly don't know how the Frys manage to grow so many plants so well. With all the wonderful cacti and succulents I viewed, the equally wonderful conversations I had with Craig and Denise were just bonus. This was a morning I'll always cherish, and I wish y'all could've been there with me live and in person!
Cheers, everyone!
A visit with C and D
- Steve Johnson
- Posts: 4583
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
A visit with C and D
Last edited by Steve Johnson on Mon May 23, 2016 6:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: A visit with C and D
Better than I could have imagined!
It’s not the fall that kills you; it’s the sudden stop at the end.
Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)
Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)
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- Posts: 221
- Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:43 am
- Location: Geronimo, Texas (near San Antonio) Edge of zone 8a - 8b.
Re: A visit with C and D
Thanks Steve
We enjoyed your visit
The plants are transitioning to Spring, and we have been doing heavy duty repotting before it's too late
It looks overwhelming, and it is..
but isn't taming the overwhelming a challenge worth pursing if it's something you love?
We enjoyed your visit
The plants are transitioning to Spring, and we have been doing heavy duty repotting before it's too late
It looks overwhelming, and it is..
but isn't taming the overwhelming a challenge worth pursing if it's something you love?
- CactusFanDan
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:33 pm
- Location: Manchester, England
- Contact:
Re: A visit with C and D
Here here! Such a large and beautiful collection. I strive to have a collection like that some day.C And D wrote:It looks overwhelming, and it is..
but isn't taming the overwhelming a challenge worth pursing if it's something you love?