Suprise appearance in the Western Morning News

[Mike P]

My Devonian sources tell me that Ralph Northcott had a two page spread in the Western Morning news on Saturday extolling the virtues of Cacti. Good work in getting the hobby publicised in a popular Westcountry newpaper.

[Liz M]

That was very well done.
A pity we have not yet got the 'LIke' button. It really deserves a 'Like'.

[Tony R]

Well done to Ralph. I happened to be staying with Ralph earlier this month when I was doing a speaking tour in Devon/Cornwall. He certainly has a great set-up ay Winkleigh and I'm sure had lots to talk about and show in his article:

Ralph Northcott in his nursery

[Stuart]

One of our best growers and well worth a visit.
Stuart

[Mike P]

I still have several plants obtained from him when he had the nursery at Exeter (My children used to groan every time we swept off the A38 for a visit) as well as some from his more recent nursery on the Woodcote estate.
His new set up is excellent and is on a wonderfully open site

[Peter]

Hope he's not still got that peacock that attacked Mrs T through the sun roof of my car quite a few years ago. And the noise- never heard such a screeching racket. The bird was noisy as well.

[cactusrogerUK]

Well worth a visit if you're in the area - it's a bit far for me, but I have had two very enjoyable visits in the last few months. The biggest problem is that Ralph is really good at quietly convincing you that you want to spend lots of money!




Here are some pictures of one his very finest - Echinopsis hybrid "Nita". I was lucky enough to get one last June for a tenner!! My flowers were about 12cm across (each). Those on the specimens planted out in the Cactus Shop main glasshouse were a bit larger, I think. (Thinks: those buds on the first image look just like Ralph's haircut! )

Echinopsis hyb "Nita" 30 June 2015

Echinopsis hyb "Nita" 7 July 2015

Echinopsis hyb "Nita" 10 July 2015

Echinopsis hyb "Nita" 10 July 2015

Echinopsis hyb "Nita" 11 July 2015

[Chris43]

I too will look forward to a visit, as I still have four plants from his old Exeter nursery. I bought more, but not all have lasted the course.

[cactusrogerUK]

I too will look forward to a visit, as I still have four plants from his old Exeter nursery. I bought more, but not all have lasted the course.

In the 1990s I had a wholesale order from Westfield Cactus Nursery which included ten plants of Echinopsis Golden Dream x Tricho. I must have sold most at a local garden centre, but remember keeping two. One had an uninteresting tall whitish flower. The other one had a beautiful peach coloured bloom about 15cm tall and almost 10cm across. The plant shown here is an 5.5cm offset (originating from that plant) flowering today

Echinopsis hybrid Golden Dream x Tricho originating from Westfield Cactus Nursery

[Liz M]

That looks worth hanging onto, a beautiful flower.