Greetings, loyal and patient friends,

You last heard from us in December 2005 when we launched the mail-order part of our website, www.cacti.co.nz

Since then, some of you thought you’d been lost off our mailing list, but not so, we just had a little delay with this newsletter. And I guess the learning curve involved in running a mail-order website had something to do with that!

But despite some minor teething problems, we have been successfully servicing all NZ-based orders since then. In fact, 23 people have come back for a second order, three are now onto their fourth, and one darling soul has just placed her FIFTH mail order! But as for the rest of you, well, words fail me!

Anyway, towards the end of 2005 we said goodbye to two of our long-term team members, Donna and Glenn, and then welcomed aboard David, who has graduated from being a mad-keen customer to being a fence painter!!! Anyone driving past our Mt Wellington premises lately will have noticed the bright new signage as we try to make our nursery a little more welcoming to the public.

In the Sales Area itself, David’s enthusiasm, backed up by Charlotte and Matthew, has been creating some new display gardens and better layout, so we hope you like the changes when you next visit (hint hint).

The Website is still expanding, and recently we added thumbnails to each plant on the Plant List so that you “get the picture” before clicking on that species’ details’ links.

Also new, is a Quick View List, being an A - Z listing of species for fast searching. It includes an indication of their mail-order availability, and all names are clickable links. ALL species now have descriptive comments, our Indoor/Outdoor Capability rating, and at least one picture. Over 180 items are available online at our website, including potting mix and gift vouchers.

Here’s the link: http://www.cacti.co.nz/plant_list_full.asp

Some of the more recent additions to the website:

Astrophytum myriostigma quadricostatum

Conophytum igniflorum

Conophytum minimum 'wittebergense' RR 714

Cotyledon orbiculata oophylla

Euphorbia obesa

Euphorbia symmetrica

Lithops aucampiae euniceae

Lithops marmorata elisae C 251

Lithops pseudotruncatella archerae C 104

Lithops schwantesii C 191

Mammillaria microhelia

Pachypodium bispinosum

NOW for some Plant Chat:

We’ve just been through our coldest winter for many years. We had quite a few Aloe flowers aborted, and some cold-spotting on some Monstrose cacti but generally we got through okay. On the positive side, Agave cupreata are looking good after handling their first outdoor winter with aplomb, and, much to our surprise an outdoor planting of Senecio haworthii are still looking great! This could be a very attractive feature in future rockeries.

But with Spring upon us, buds and new leaves are appearing among the succulents, as with oaks and apple orchards elsewhere.

Adenia glauca is filling the air in No. 4 greenhouse with the sweet scent of its flowers, and Rhipsalis capilliformis has been putting on a great display of its white, pendant, lightly scented flowers.

Opuntia basilaris is in bud, we’re looking forward to a fine showing of magenta flowers. This is likely to be offered within a few months, possibly a first within New Zealand. Very attractive pads.

Definitely a first in NZ is the flowering of Crassula ‘Fawlty Towers’. It is our own hybrid creation, spectacular on account of its size, and we now know it produces a corymb of pink to red flowers and beautifully scented! Selling from about 2009 onwards we reckon.

Shortly Aloe buhrii will be performing, with its intensely orange capitate racemes now well on the way. It is available at the nursery in bud, and a smaller grade on the website (not in bud).

Today’s Advice: Repot your potted plants every two years if possible, and every six months for Echeverias. Good practice is to repot always upon acquiring a plant, so as to know the condition of its roots and mix. From us, of course, it shouldn’t be necessary.

Coro Cacti Tip: Repot Euphorbias and Pachypodiums when plants are actively growing, not when dormant.

The following are newly released for nursery sales (although not necessarily mailorderable):

Aloe viguieri – a small number are available, only at the nursery. Rare & new & swirly leaves.

Arrajadoa rhodantha aureispina – small golden columns with hot pink flowers.

Dyckia fosteriana – fabulous terrestrial bromeliad with 100’s of narrow leaves.

Euphorbia bussei kibwezensis – similar to E.grandicornis but more attractive.

Haworthia bayeri – one of the rarest Haworthias in cultivation, and one of the best.

Mamillopsis senilis albiflora –  the rare form with big white flowers, not red.

Mammillaria microhelia - both yellow or pink flowered forms, if you come soon to select while they’re flowering.

Rauhocereus riosaniensis – chiselled tubercles and vertical branching, seems quite hardy.

Sansevieria francisii – great form with short straight cylindrical leaves and beautifully scented flowers.

Stetsonia coryne – just 20cms ht now, but makes a fearsome feature for the future, far fiercer than Ferocactus.

Tim’s just reminded me that, right now, we have an excellent range of Aloe plicatilis (Fan Aloe) at the nursery: $10, $25, $70, $160, $350, and even larger grades. In fact, an example of this magnificent trunking species for every budget and situation!

HOURS:

Open 7 days. Mon - Fri, 9 - 5 p.m., Sat 9 - 4 p.m., Sun 10 - 4 p.m.

Closed only on significant public holidays, so ring first on those days.

nursery & postal address: 170 Mt Wellington Highway, Mt Wellington, Auckland 1060.

map: http://www.cacti.co.nz/we_are_here.html

phone 09 5274052

fax 09 5274098

email: info@cacti.co.nz

See you here soon or behind a "Shopping Cart",

Martin and the Team at Coromandel Cacti

www.cacti.co.nz