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8 years ago...

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 2:52 pm
by charlpic
Hi,
It's been a while. In fact, around 8 years since I logged in here last time. At that time, I even planned (and did) a cacti-oriented trip in California and visited some fellow forum users. And then life changed a bit, jobs/kids/moves. It was also very hard on my plants, lots of them died due to lack of care, non-optimal conditions, not enough sunny windowsills in the winter, etc.

But I never really lost my interest. Some of my plants survived and I learned to find genuses that would better fit what I could give them.

Back to 8 years ago, I met Tony, a user of this forum that was such a nice guy with me. I visited his prolific backyard and he was kind enough to give me some spare cuttings that I tried to grow back here. Tony doesn't seem to have post here since 2018 so I don't know if he is still around. Not much of what he kindly gave me survived. But one "particular" plant made through those 8 years and rewarded me quite well a few days ago. From a thumb size cutting, I present you the "bigger than hand" Stapelia gigantea flower.

Image

Maybe it's a usual seeing for a lot of you, but for me it's reminiscent of a wonderful trip, a very kind person and a still burning passion of cacti and succulents.

@Tony,
if you are still around, thank you.

Also, I'm looking forward to be able to un-pause my visits here and come back more often to see what you guys are talking about.

Cheers.

Re: 8 years ago...

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 3:51 pm
by bartab
Welcome back. Look forward to your new adventures

TB.

Re: 8 years ago...

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:45 pm
by One Windowsill
Such impressive giants are surely not usual to many people. Well done!

Re: 8 years ago...

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 2:30 am
by TimN
Welcome back! Tony isn't on here, but he is on Facebook and Instagram. I also got a piece of that S. gigantea from him; quite a plant! When I show it to visitors they ask why I would even have something like that. I dunno, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Re: 8 years ago...

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:40 am
by BennieAnTheJets
That plant is awesome! Velvety, attractive, easy growers and well, if you hold your nose the blooms are fantastic, ha ha!

i have several varieties and love'em all. Why would you have one? Because they are a joy to see every day, that's why.

Congratulations on this big bloom!

Re: 8 years ago...

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 8:34 am
by DaveW
Nice flowers but antisocial plants. I just stick to cactI and don't grow any plants where you have to admire them through the greenhouse windows or hang up a pig as an air freshener! :lol: Certainly not plants for Windowsill growers as you would not want most species in the house when they flower.

Evidently you keep the flies out since they often lay eggs on the flowers thinking they are rotting meat and maggots hatch out but die finding they have no food.

http://pza.sanbi.org/stapelia

Re: 8 years ago...

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 3:47 pm
by charlpic
TimN wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 2:30 am Welcome back! Tony isn't on here, but he is on Facebook and Instagram. I also got a piece of that S. gigantea from him; quite a plant! When I show it to visitors they ask why I would even have something like that. I dunno, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Thanks for the info on Tony.
As for the plant, I welcome any "reasonable" challenge and this one looked like an interesting succulent to me :) Never seen one in garden stores/nurseries around here. I even think "the one" cacti/succulents producer of the province doesn't have any (it's been a few years since my last visit though). It surely raise more questions than my Haworthias.

Re: 8 years ago...

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 3:53 pm
by charlpic
DaveW wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 8:34 am Certainly not plants for Windowsill growers as you would not want most species in the house when they flower.
It's been on a windowsill and hasn't been a problem for the last 8 years. :lol: Let's see if it becomes one! I think I can expect 3~4 more blooms this season.

Re: 8 years ago...

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 8:44 pm
by TimN
They are very frost tender. I lost my first batch years ago to cold. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix now has a LOT of them in the ground.

Re: 8 years ago...

Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2020 6:34 pm
by nachtkrabb
Hi charlpic, welcome back! Great, your Stapelia, and even a Stapelia with a story. I love it. :-) And of course the flower is not only greaat, but lovely, too.

I had a Stapelia with a story, too, for about 30 years. Kept them on window sills, too. Then we got new windows, and all my Stapeliads died during the winter. I really am happy that a neighbor still has a cutling of mine. So, when I find out how to keep them alive, I will ask her for cutlings again. 8-)

Will you stay on board?
N.