Seeds to sow!

I just picked up some seeds online and look forward to sowing them. I am trying:
Aloe polyphylla
mixed Stapelia
Euphorbia obesa
Euphorbia enopla
I will be keeping track in this post.

Stapeliads aka the Carrion Star Flower

A new passion for me. ...STAPELIADS, aka stinky plants that are pollinated by flies. I have grown
Dracunculus vulgaris for years, apologies to my next door neighbor. I love the form and flowers of these awesome succulents from South Africa. Such a cool looking plant that grows quite well in containers, I love them in plain clay pots. I recommend a visit to the following link!
Stapeliad Photo Gallery
for more info on this awesome family:  Wikipedia: Stapelia
There are more than a hundred species of this member of the milkweed family. The velvety gray green stems are low growing, branch upward and resemble cactus. They are shallow rooted and and need to dry a bit between waterings. They need bright light but will burn in full sun.

Euphorbia aeroginosa

 Euphorbia aeruginosa is a beautiful bushy, spiny succulent native to South Africa. Plants will reach 12 inches  tall with a 4-angled blue-green stem with copper-colored spines. They are very easy to grow and make an attractive addition to any succulent collection.  I picked up this little beauty at a recent Cactus and Succulent show.

Hoya curtisii

 Originally from The Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand, Hoya curtisii has one of the smallest leaves in the Hoya family. It is a slow grower, but when it takes off it gets to be a very full and can tolerate periods of neglect. The leaves are beautifully variegated and looks quite similar to Ceropegia woodii. The scented flowers are yellowish-green with red center.  This very pretty Hoya loves bright light but should be protected from full sun. The soil needs to dry a little between waterings.

10/28/13: I summered this Hoya out on my front porch that had full sun late afternoon. Foliage had turned a gorgeous bronze. As the nights began to chill, I brought curtisii back into its window spot in my bedroom. I am patiently waiting for the start or any hint of buds.....I so want flowers!

Witch Hazel Fire Charm

This beauty that is in full bloom in my yard is Hamamelis x intermedia  'Feuerzauber'  (aka Fire Charm).  I am on the border between zone 5b/6a. I have had this shrub about 9 years now and its one of my favorites.  Ive been growing in part light shade, in moist soil. Most of my yard is clay loam and very acidic!  Despite Witch Hazels dislike of acidity, this shrub is robust. I do feed it with tree spikes twice yearly and lime the around this shrub atleast twice a year. This shrub is decidous and flowers every year from the second week of February to well into March.

Updates to plant collection and Euphorbia obesa 'Baseball Plant'

Im in the process of updating my plant list. I had a few losses over the winter and just this weekend had made a few succulent purchases. I was able to get three new Hoyas and a few new Euphorbias. One of the Euphorbias I had purchased was a small obesa in a 2" pot. I dont know if male or female, but I have wanted to grow one of these for awhile. This link to Euphorbia obesa on Wikipedia shows how to sex this plant.
While very rare and getting close to extinction in its natural habitat due to over collection, E. obesa is well established in cultivation. Being easily propagated from seed, hundreds of thousands are produced yearly in the horticultural trade.

Thads Tropical Nights

While watering and looking for flower buds. I noticed a flower open on Thads Tropical Nights. Unfortunately, the flower was sterile, no pollen. I was not able to get Silver Skies pollen to stick either. Im not certain if the cross is totally sterile or if it was just this flower. I noticed three other buds on this so Im not giving up just yet. This plant is a monster! I am impressed how quickly it grew ( or outgrew!)into its allotted space. I will give this beautiful plant a hanging basket, instead of selling off cuttings right away. The scarlet red flowers glow on this beauty.