Oh dear, been to the garden centre...

[Chris in Leeds]

You did get a bargain then as mine was ?4 a couple of years ago but I did take some cuttings last year that I hope will be well rooted and growing this spring but the spines are not as big as yours
was it a local or national g/centre

[Victoria]

It was from Keydells, a local garden centre, not sure who supplies their C&S either, will have to ask next time I'm there.

http://www.keydellnurseries.co.uk/

[Aloenut]

Victoria,

The first Haworthia is Haworthia attenuata.
the second could be a form of Haworthia bolusii var bleackbeardiana

The Aloe looks like an Aloe variegata that has been grown in too much shade, but it could be a hybrid.

Aloenut

[Bill]

Hi Victoria
As Aloe said the first Haworthia is a form of attenuata, although "Black Jam" is not one I am familier with looks a lot like "Big Band".

http://www.bcss.org.uk/forum/file.php?1,file=1337

The second one Haworthia bolusii var. blackbeardiana by the looks of things, although I have some very simular looking hybrids.

[Julie]

Hehe, so your family has grown, Victoria.. they knew you had a new greenhouse and decided it would a great place to live.

I think that repotting the big spikey will be a four tea towel job! I've never have guessed it was an Opuntia, I thought they were all pad-based. You've got a special one, then.

One of my pet peeves is the inability for growers to put the correct label on plants, so the buyer knows what it is!!!

I also went to a garden centre today and saw an obesa / ssp. symmetrica hybrid labelled simply E.obesa... the label is in the same handwriting as the lithops and others there, my four forbies, Nelii, and a lot of cacti of my mother's bought over the past ten years. They all come from the same place... the people who can't label things! Grrr!

(oh, and I resisted buying it.)

[Roy]

Hi Victoria,
that form of attenuata is very nice I bought one about a month ago. They seem to be the in thing from the Dutch nurseries. Can I be nosey and ask how much it was? The reason I ask is I went into a garden nursery yesterday and they were priced at ?4.50 and I am sure that was about ?1 more than I paid.
Don't mention the invicta I am also green with envy.

[Victoria]

?4.50! gosh that seems a lot. This one was ?1.29 (it's only 2in pot they had lots, I was tempted to buy more at that price. Oh I should have said all but the invicta were from good 'ol Wyvale. Sounds like I had a good trip!

That's an idea for a new thread - your best and/or most surprising garden centre purchase.

[Julie]

Good idea, Victoria! I have my answer worked out.

[Dirk Everaerd]

The invicta is a fantastic Opuntoid and especialy the young spines on new growth are irresistible to photograph!!Take care in wintertime , I had dammage in winter 2005-2006!!!
Look at the pictures of this magician :

[Roy]

I've just looked at the label on my Haworthia attenuata and it says Big Band. I like it better than the standard one shown here. Admitted it is a little pale as I keep it under the bench so as not to ruin my collection (he he that should provoke a response! :-))))
[attachment 2068 bigband.jpg]