Penny Carnathan

Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.

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Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.

Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.

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Cactus used to leave me all prickly. Not anymore

Posted Sep 6, 2009 by Loren Omoto

Updated Sep 7, 2009 at 08:29 PM

Cactus and succulents have always left me cold. Fine for those who love ‘em. Not for me. Until FOD Janna and I hit the Central Florida Cactus and Succulent Society’s sale today at USF Botanical Gardens.

Safe to say Cupid shot some spiny little arrows through both our hearts.

I would buy this sculptural dish garden in a heartbeat! Unfortunately, it wasn’t for sale. Janna and I met a very warm and fuzzy club member, Steve Walsh, who took us on a short field trip to the botanical gardens’ Cactus Garden. As many times as I’ve walked the gardens, I had never seen this very sunny homage to all things succulent.

Lesson No. 1, says Steve, is know what you’re buying. Not all cactus and succulents have the same needs. A few actually like some shade. Some want little water, others even less.

That big plant in the dish is Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, also known as flapjacks.

“This is a great plant for Florida gardens,” Steve told us. It grows about three feet tall when planted in the ground, and turns bright red in the sun.

“Put it out by the mailbox in the blazing sun,” he said. “The prettiest ones, that’s where you’ll find them.”

My mailbox area is a graveyard, with generations of marigolds and dianthus who died young and tragically. Perhaps, there’s hope. Sadly, there were no flapjacks for sale.

These Echeverias are also called desert rose (not to be confused with the little bulbous-rooted tree-plant with the flowers.) These are named for the rosette pattern of their leaves. There are lots of varieties, with different patterns and colors. Janna and I both bought one. She got the prettiest. I was very polite and did not snatch it from her.

Steve thought it pretty funny that, knowing nothing about succulents, I gravitated toward the Echeverias. This one is Echeveria gibbiflorum, and I bought it, too. It must be like buying shoes—you’re an Aerosoles or a Bjorn or a Jimmy Choo. It’s just what you go for. I love the colors and the interesting leaf patterns of Echeverias.

Janna and I loved these little guys, but Steve cautioned they’re not for beginners. They’re Lithope, from South Africa, where they grow in fields of quartz. In their homeland, only the tops show among the rocks, so they’re not visible—until they bloom. Once a year, they throw a pretty blossom, then those leaves, which is what you’re looking at, die back and new leaves sprout.

These are another variety of Lithopes. The ones on the left are 2 years old; the one on the right is 4 years old—the biggest Steve has ever seen. Even that big one is really tiny—maybe 2 inches across. Shame on me, but if I’m going to dote on a plant, I want to see it without putting on glasses. Janna and I loved looking at these but, yeah, not for us.

A few more of Steve’s lessons: If you’re potting any of these, use a regular potting mix then add Perlite so it’s half and half Perlite and potting mix.

Unlike the plants I’m used to, putting it in a bigger pot won’t necessarily make for a bigger plant. But that doesn’t go for all succulents. See Lesson 1.

If you plant in the ground, make sure it’s well-draining soil. Sand is NOT well draining! (Surprise!) You might want to build a mound of well-draining dirt and plant on top of the mound, so rain runs off the sides.

There are no one-size-fits-all instructions, so do some research before you invest. You can get lots of free help (and maybe some plants!) by attending the group’s meetings at 7:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month at Tampa Garden Center.