Hello from a Mesemb. (and lots of other things) fan.

[sueshells]

Hi everyone. I'm Sue and I live in North Buckinghamshire. Like many others I have grown cacti and succulents, on and off, for many years. I love pretty much all of them but my main interests are in succulents. I'd love to grow Lithops and Anacampseros but don't have the facilities for now (just the odd windowsill) so I am looking at other groups - Haworthia, Gasteria, Adromischus, Echeveria, Crassula. I might need more windowsills! I'm also besotted with asclepiads - the flowers are amazing.

I have a large collection of Sempervivum species and cultivars and many Jovibarba (or Sempervivum) heuffelii cultivars, including a few home grown ones.

I also collect books on cacti and succulents; always hoping to find a hoard at my local car boot (no luck so far). I have just managed to track down a copy of "Dumpling and His Wife" at a reasonable price and I am eagerly awaiting its delivery. A title I have coveted for many years.

I hope to get a greenhouse in the forseeable future and I am looking forward to trying my hand at growing Lithops, and other succulents, from seed.

[Aiko]

I hope to get a greenhouse in the forseeable future and I am looking forward to trying my hand at growing Lithops, and other succulents, from seed.

Have you thought about joining the Mesemb Study Group?

[sueshells]

Hi Aiko. Yes indeed - that is next on my list of things to do but I am trying not to rush at everything all at once. Actually I might just go and join tomorrow. I have just received a small package of plants which will be my first "windowsill" attempts at growing. I'm hoping that they will be fairly happy. I've opened them up and had a look and they appear to be lovely, well-grown and healthy little things. I have an Echeveria, a Gasteraloe, a Crassula x, an Adromischus and a Graptopetalum. These will join a pair of Gasteria I've had for several years.

[Sylv]

Hi and welcome to the forum.I have a few lithops that grow very happily in my south facing window sill. Good luck with your new plants


Sylv.

[Aiko]

Hi Aiko. Yes indeed - that is next on my list of things to do but I am trying not to rush at everything all at once. Actually I might just go and join tomorrow.

The next bulletin will be out 'soon', could be any moment. The February issue will provide you with an always interesting and cheap mesemb seed list.

I can also recommend the book Mesembs of the World. Relatively cheap (I could buy it for 35 euros) and very very very interesting, grouped per genus and many pictures and useful information. And I can also reccommend the little book 'Growing the mesembs' (or the updated 'The new growing the mesembs') by Ed Storms. This book will help you out if you get confused with the sometimes confusing descriptions if sources talk about winter or summer active plants and winter or summer rainfall areas. Should only cost you about 10 euros if you look on online bookstores or ebay and such, so well worth the investment.

[purzo]

Hi welcome to the forum, good luck with your new plants and the greenhouse when it arrives.

[sueshells]

Hi Aiko. Yes indeed - that is next on my list of things to do but I am trying not to rush at everything all at once. Actually I might just go and join tomorrow.

The next bulletin will be out 'soon', could be any moment. The February issue will provide you with an always interesting and cheap mesemb seed list.

I can also recommend the book Mesembs of the World. Relatively cheap (I could buy it for 35 euros) and very very very interesting, grouped per genus and many pictures and useful information. And I can also reccommend the little book 'Growing the mesembs' (or the updated 'The new growing the mesembs') by Ed Storms. This book will help you out if you get confused with the sometimes confusing descriptions if sources talk about winter or summer active plants and winter or summer rainfall areas. Should only cost you about 10 euros if you look on online bookstores or ebay and such, so well worth the investment.

I joined straightaway last night and have already had a message from Suzanne Mace - that's good service! I shall eagerly await the next bulletin. Thanks for the advice on the books - will look out for them and try to buy. I have a vintage book somewhere (probably tucked away "safely" where I'll only find it when I no longer need it) which I remember was very good but I don't think it was Ed Storms volume.

[sueshells]

Just received my first MSG Bulletin - what a delight!

[BrianMc]

Welcome to the forum.

Just to add to has already been said, no need to put off your Lithops sowing until you get your greenhouse. I grew my first Lithops plants from seed in my bedroom window as a teenager. They are still with me, but in a greenhouse now. They grow fine in a sunny window, but life in the greenhouse just improves the chance of flowering

Brian

[sueshells]

Thanks Brian - I am a compulsive propagator so I will sow some seeds as soon as I can get them. Many years ago I worked with a man who was a member of the B.C.S.S. Oxford branch and he would give me cactus seeds which I germinated, in pots, kept in my desk drawer. It was surprising how many pots produced seedlings.