I'd add Tylecodons to the list, they should be in leaf and growing now. Watering in the winter goes against everything we're normally told but Tylecodons only grow during the winter. I tend to water Pelargoniums during the summer as they're mixed in with my other succulents but I should separate the...

There's no 'cash spent on plant passports', there's never been a charge for putting the info on plants other than the initial registration cost. It's normally on a plastic label, printed on the pot or on a label stuck on each tray. There's no charge, it just looks like careless or ignorant labelling...

Whilst we're going back into history, I'm sure someone here knows what happened to Gordon Rowley's library. I seem to remember it was taken away to be catalogued but can't remember where it went or who would have access to it.

Stuart

I see the Faucaria is also labelled as Lithops. Assuming you didn't buy them, the chance on someone buying them and knowing what to do with them is remote. There's very little correct info on watering Lithops and small 5cm pots to pot them into aren't easy to find. On the other hand, if they're spli...

I remember visiting Sargants on the Isle of Wight, the nursery was by the side of a cliff and the greenhouses built on ridges that had to be reached by ladder. Plants had to be held in one hand whilst the other hand held on to the ladder.

Stuart

There's nothing wrong with beginners books, ironically, John's 'Happy Cactus' book was, he told me, his best selling book having been translated into various languages and it's the ideal 'entry' to our hobby. It's just that the Lamb's books had attractive dust-jackets but were a let down with poor c...

The Lamb's books were never much use, I'd put them out for recycling. If John Pilbeam's books were at one end of a scale, the Lambs books would be at the other. I think cactus books should be treated the same as ladies should treat clothes, if not used for a couple of years, they're not needed and c...

A cactus nursery I regularly visit has been on the market for many years, last time I looked it was valued around $8 million, the owners deserve to be able to retire and have a property in Hawaii waiting. It makes Ralph's nursery seem quite good value. It now looks like it's been split into two and ...

It grows much better if you call it an Aloe. There was one at a show in the US with a label saying 'The plant formerly known as Aloe', at lease the name wasn't changed to a symbol. If we keep quiet about Kumara, Haworthiopsis, Tulista and other trendy names then they might go away. I agree that a fe...

My description does say it grows to about 25cms, I flowered one back in the days when I used BEF pots, it was in a 7in pot but probably flowered due to being stressed and needing repotting. When I had one planted out in free root room it grew larger but didn't flower. They make nice sales plants as ...