Hi there! Here's another post about another flowering cactus. This time, I'm talking about one of my Peyotes, that has unexpectedly surprised me with a very small, white-pinkish flower. This is my first flowering Peyote. I've bought this plant back in 2014 from "Danny de Cactus", a shop in Rotterdam.
Flowering Peyote (Lophophora williamsii var. caespitosa)
It's a Lophophora williamsii var. caespitosa(caespitosa means growing in clusters). In my opinion, this is not a variety, but a form. Let's say that I'm not yet convinced it is a variety. I've bought and sown some L. williamsii var. caespitosa seeds in 2012 and If they'll all (or at least a couple of them) grow clusters in the near future, I'll accept that it is a variety and not a form.
Lophophora williamsii's natural habitat stretches out from the state Texas (USA) to San Luis Potosi (Mexico). It's a spineless cactus that mainly grows solitary, but sometimes grow clusters (like the one I'm showing you right here). This plant has a worldwide reputation for being a strong psychedelic hallucinogen. Like I've mentioned in some of my previous posts, this plant is used during shamanistic rituals by some Native American tribes.
I'm not going to write a complete essay on this plant, because there is already soo much info online on this little friend (CHECK).
Flowering Peyote (Lophophora williamsii var. caespitosa)
I own this plant for only two years and to understand how small the flower is, you should know that this plant has a diameter of only 5 cm. Although the flower is a bit crooked, I'm still glad to see that my "work" is paying off. I can't wait to have more Peyotes flowering at the same time so that I can try some pollination!
That's it for today. Meanwhile, two other plants are flowering; one Rhipsalis elliptica and (again) my Copiapoa hypogaea var. barquitensis. The latter only has two flowers at the moment. It's actually flowering throughout all summer, but not as abundant as in June (see one of my previous posts HERE). I'm not sure if I'll be able to show you more flowering plants this year, so there's a big chance my next blog will be about Bock beer, whisky and/or pipes. Take care!
Well hello! The last post was about visiting Brewery De Kroon in Belgium and now I'm here again, this time posting about yet another flowering cactus. It will be a short post with just some photos of flowers and spines. Here we go:
Mammillaria backebergiana flowering
This cylindrical plant was a gift from my lovely wife last year. I've repotted the plant during spring this year and it actually already flowered some months ago. Now it's flowering again, and here are some more photos of it:
Mammillaria backebergiana flowering
Mammillaria backebergiana flowering
I assume this is a Mammillaria backebergiana, but I'm not hundred percent sure about this ID. Plants from local plant shops almost never come with a more detailed label than 'Cactus', so it's always research and guess-work before being able to name a plant. Like most Mammillarias, its origin lies in Mexico.
Mammillaria backebergiana flowering
A short post, as promised. And there will be more posts like this because I believe flower season isn't over yet. Thanks for checking out and till next post!
Good day to you! This post is all about beer, so sit back, grab yourself a bottle and enjoy.
My brother, my brother-in-law and I planned a survival/camp trip to the Belgian wilderness, but it turned into a sublime beer taste experience instead, and a night at an almost deserted trailer park.
The park owner was one of those typical old men who enjoys drinking his bottle of Carlsberg in front of the TV while watching his favourite television program about drugs and sex... I find it funny and at the same time a little scary when a man manages to change a completely innocent conversation about beer into nastiness in one single sentence. Talking about an awkward moment! "Yeah, we gotta go now..." And off we went.
It was last Saturday when the three of us paid a visit to a very interesting and small brewery in Overijse (Flemish Brabant), Belgium. It could have been any other brewery, because Belgium has 176 of them, but we were lucky enough to strike down at the terrace of Freddy "Job" Delvaux his place: Brewery 'De Kroon'.
Our plan was to attend a tour and have some beers afterwards, but on our way to the brewery, we spotted an extremely muscular bull and stopped for almost half an hour to make photos of it. Anyway, we missed the tour and ended up drinking beer at the terrace.
We have tried three different beers this day and started of with Delvaux Special Blond, 8,5%, complex and lightly sweet. All three of us enjoyed this beer a lot, but we were completely overwhelmed with the next beer on the menu: Job, a fruity blond beer (unfiltered) with 6% alcohol and a malty aftertaste. On of the best beers we've ever had! I was so impressed that I complimented the waiter and told him all three of us really loved this beer. In response, he told us that the brewer himself was present at the brewery and that he would call him for us.
The professor
And that's how we met Professor Freddy Delvaux, one of Belgium's most famous beer specialists, also known as "Job" and "The best nose in Belgium".
I've looked him up online and found the following:
Finished his Ph.D. in microbiology in 1972;
19 years head at the laboratory of the Artois brewery in Leuven;
Set up a beer laboratory at the university in Leuven, which he headed for about 22 years;
Opened a brewery after retiring from his earlier job.
Now that's a man who lives his dream. He sat down at our table, drank some beers with us and talked with us about his passion: beer! Then he asked us if we had seen the old brewery and after our 'Nope', he took us on a short tour. The old brewery, which is historically preserved, was active from 1897 till the 1980s. It was like we traveled back in time. What a magnificent place!
Me, Freddy Delvaux, Mike & Peter
(photo taken by Bert)
Then he showed us where they make the beer today. I've never seen such an organized and impressive laboratory, dedicated to brew beer. Unconsciously, I try to believe that they make beer the same way they did it 200 years ago, but who am I fooling? Of course designers of beer commercials and bottle labels try to encourage these romantic thoughts. After seeing 'De Kroon's' clean and structured laboratory, I've accepted the fact that modern technology can really make a big difference. We're talking about perfection and consistency of one of our favourite beverages!
In an earlier post, I wrote about a beer called 'La Trappe - Quadrupel', a Dutch Trappist and guess what? Freddy is one of the few standing at its cradle and helped to develop this delicious beer (which is one of my all-time favorites). Now, how about that?!
We had a few more glasses of beer and headed back to the campsite for some rest. Sunday afternoon we traveled back to our families in the Netherlands with an empty beer glass of 'De Kroon' (bought at the brewery) as a memory of this special day.
Whisky!
An old Bruichladdich cask and I
At the end of our tour I spotted this old Bruichladdich cask, and although I wasn't having a dram at the moment, it put a smile on my face (this is my "I'm having a beer and I'm happy" smile by the way). Don't get me wrong; I really appreciate good quality beer, but single malt whisky is still my number one!
This Laddie cask has inspired me to write more about whisky in the future. I'm planning to visit Scotland with my wife and son so that we can check out my favourite distilleries, enjoy the beauty of this land and eat some haggis!
The End
I was thinking about ending this post with some wise words, but I've decided to give you some Dock Boggs instead! Enjoy, and till next post.
For one who cultivates plants, there is no greater reward than healthy growth and pretty flowers. This time, it's the old Copiapoa hypogaea var. barquitensis that I've bought three weeks ago at the Cactus & Succulent show in Kudelstaart and a Mammillaria bombycina from the local plant shop.
Copiapoa hypogaea var. barquitensis
Copiapoa hypogaea var. barquitensis flowering
Copiapoa hypogaea var. barquitensis flowering
Copiapoa hypogaea var. barquitensis flowering
Mammillaria bombycina
Mammillaria bombycina
I've bought this Mammillaria bombycina back in 2013 at a local plant shop, not the best place to buy succulents (they usually stand somewhere in the dark and get way too much water), but sometimes you can be lucky. Putting it in a decent soil mix and giving it some good care has finally paid off. This is the first time that this Mammillaria is flowering.
Photos
The photos above are taken by my lovely wife, Stephanie. She's much more talented than I am, so why not use my own personal photographer? Of course I have to pick my shots and only ask her once in a while for the more difficult pictures, otherwise, I'll drive her mad with my ever growing collection. Anyhow, she has done a hell of a job!
Euphorbia platyclada
One-year-old Euphorbia platyclada seedling, flowering
When you don't know this species, you might think it's died, but no. This is as pretty as it gets. Hell yeah! Talking about awkward plants, right? It's even flowering. I've been wanting this species for many years. I even tried to sow it back in 2013 and failed terribly.
This week I've read an article about this species on the Dutch 'Succulenta' website. It's kind of hard - if not, impossible - to find this plant for sale, so I've sent an email to the author and asked him if he knew where to buy one. In his kind reply, he told me that he would be glad to send me a one-year-old seedling and he even added some more information about and photos of this species. Added to the small package was a cutting of another bizarre looking plant:
Ceropegia adrianae
Ceropegia adrianae cutting
All that I know about C. adrianae is that it's from Madagascar and that it looks "funny" (quoting my son here). I think it's awesome! Some plants are just so ugly that they become beautiful, if you get what I mean.
The end
That's about it for this post. I'm also seeing some buds on my Gymnocalycium stenopleurum (I guess I'm doing things right :-) ). I'll keep you up-to-date. Later!
Góðan dag! Today's post is all about new additions to my cactus & other succulent collection and about the day trip to the Ubink Cactus & Succulent nursery with my two-year-old son.
Lophophora williamsii
Each year, there's an event called 'Cactus & Vetplantendag' at Ubink's, which means: 'Cactus and Succulent day'. This was my second time and my son's first (!). I already knew that I wouldn't be able to take a lot of pics this time, other than the ones of Arthur running around in this gigantic greenhouse and a video where he disappears in a group of 4 meter high cereuses.
I haven't taken any pics, so I'm going to describe the place with words and then show you some photos of my purchases.
What can I say about the nursery? It's a really big greenhouse that covers over 60.000 square meters and it's filled with succulent plants. Once a year it's open for hobbyists, who are then able to buy plants for a very decent price. You probably can imagine that I felt like a kid in a candy store! One part of the greenhouse was reserved for hobby breeders to sell their plants. The perfect place to find pretty and rare species. Man, I loved it over there, but Arthur loved it even more. Totally worth it!
It took us 3 hours to get in Kudelstaart, but even the trip alone was more than worth it: my son swore that he saw a squirrel in the trees from the train and a little later he even saw a hippopotamus! The Dutch fauna keeps amazing me...
Around 12 am we arrived at the nursery. Arthur was really impressed: "Oh! Cactusbeurs! Yes! Look at all those Cactuses!". The entrance was recognizable by a beautiful cactus garden. Inside we were welcomed with some refreshments (coffee and lemonade) before we both went berserk.
Of course, I can try to describe each path and all the species inside the nursery, but instead of wasting our time, I'm going to show you the same video as I did in 2014:
I'm very aware that it's a bad quality video and I only post it to give you a small impression, so please don't give it anymore thumbs-down on YouTube! I got one thumb down and it has made me sad for at least half a second. ;-) By the way: my son loves this video and always asks me to show it (must be Nino Rota's funny music combined with the turbo mode).
It was a little bit harder to check out all the plants this time, so we had to walk by at least 20 times before being able to choose what to buy, but I don't mind. We had a great time! After 3 hours of fun, laughter, a lot of running and buying, we went home with the following purchases:
Euphorbia pugniformis
Euphorbia pugniformis
This is the second Medusoid species of the Euphorbia family that I've added to my collection. In 2014 I've purchased an E. gorgonis from the same nice man at that year's 'Cactus & Succulent day'. E. pugniformis (the new one) is actually close related to E. gorgonis:
A flowering Euphorbia gorgonis, purchased back in 2014
Lophophora williamsii
What-up?! This is now by far (in my opinion) the most beautiful Peyote I own! Flat and almost disappearing in the ground. It looks like this plant has been taken from its natural habitat, but it's not! I've bought it from the nursery itself for a very decent price. I can't wait till I spot its first flower!
Lophophora williamsii
Tephrocactus articulatus
Tephrocactus articulatus
I've sown this species back in 2012, but none of the planted seeds germinated. This awkward looking plant was also bought directly from Ubink.
Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus
Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus
The same species as the one named above, but a different variety. T. articulatus var. papyracanthus has, as the name already suggests, paper like spines.
I'm going to study this family a bit more and see how to make Tephrocactus seeds germinate. I've already read multiple advises from putting them in the fridge for a while to scarification of the seeds. Any advice is more than welcome, so please don't hesitate to contact me if you have the golden advice for me.
Tephrocactus aoracanthus
Tephrocactus aoracanthus
And another Tephrocactus. This one is huge comparing to the others. It's actually the tallest cactus in my collection now. Compare this photo to the others and pay attention to the wood in the background to see its actual size.
Copiapoa hypogaea var. barquitensis
Copiapoa hypogaea var. barquitensis
Another variety of this species is already on my wishlist for a couple of years (var. 'lizard skin'), but I couldn't resist buying this plant. The hobbyist, from whom I've bought this beauty, told me that he wouldn't be surprised if this plant is around 30 years old. So today I've also obtained the oldest plant of my collection.
Lots of flowers guaranteed!
Copiapoa hypogaea var. barquitensis
Opuntia ursina
Opuntia ursina
Another winter hardy Opuntia. This tiny plant will grow quite big, the seller told me. And I'll be able to grow this plant outside, even here in the Netherlands.
The end
That's about it. This trip the Ubink will be an every year returning event for both of us, because spending quality time with your kid is one of the greatest things there is.
I hope that I'll be able to share some photos of flowering plants during the upcoming months.
Good day to all of ya! It's time for another post about cacti and an update on this year's sowing plans. The idea was not to sow hundreds of seeds this time, but those who've read my previous post about cacti already know about this mission's failure. A nice guy from the United Kingdom has already sent me hundreds of seeds and that's on top of the placed order at Succulenta.
Here are some photos were taken in my greenhouse:
A 5-year-old Trichocereus terscheckii (Cardon Grande)
It might be hard to imagine, but this cactus can reach over 8 meters in height. This will take many years of course, but the Cardon Grande grows a lot faster than the Saguaro for example. Somewhere in the future, this green little fellow probably will cause some discussions between me and my wife. But for now, I'm good. :-)
A 4 year old Pilosocereus gounellei
Pilosocereus gounellei, also known as the Xique Xique cactus, after the equal named municipality in the state Bahia of Brazil. I've sown this 4-year-old plant back in 2012.
4 year old Browningia candelaris
This Peruvian cactus was also sown in 2012. Adult plants have a typical "candle shaped" form. Google this species and you'll see that this is actually a very weird plant!
4 year old Browningia candelaris?!
This little fellow came from the same seed package as the previously shown B. candelaris, but it's different from all the other plants ever since it first popped up. I'm guessing that it came from a lost seed or maybe is a sort of mutant. If it will survive for at least 5 years, I'll be able to ask an expert to help me out with the identification.
What?! I've added a link to a Google image search to each species for those who are curious.
Too many seeds... Good to know that not all of them will germinate and if so, survive the first 3 years. Not good to know is that I'll be out of space very soon. Nothing to worry about, because I'll just build a larger greenhouse!
When I tell someone that my collection contains more than 400 plants, that person usually thinks that my house looks like the Sonoran Desert or something alike, but that ain't the case. I actually have 96% of my plants outside in a small greenhouse on one square meter. I'm very creative with space and I'll be alright for a couple of years more. These succulent plants usually grow very slowly. Take for example one of m5-year-oldld Saguaro seedlings which has a diameter of only 1,5 cm.
The next challenge is to find a place where all my plastic seed containers may stand for at least 1 year. Sunlight, protection against Wonnebald (our cat) and my wife's approval are of great importance. A cacti collector's life ain't that easy as you can see!
Hello, friends! Here's a short post about Saturday night's Whisky Nosing & Tasting at the Aqua Zoo in Leerdam. The theme was 'Whiskies around the world', so next to a couple of Scottish drams, I've also tasted one from The Netherlands, Ireland, the United States of America, Japan and even one from India!
It has been such a wonderful evening that I forgot to use my camera. Too bad, because the place was astonishing pretty! We were surrounded by many beautiful fishes, frogs, and turtles. I'll definitely return to this place together with my lovely wife and son to check out all the fish tanks, poludaria and its inhabitants (and then I will use my camera!).
The pictures below are made by Martin Romijn, who has organized this nosing & tasting together with Paul Martens from Whisky Info Plus (check it out). I already knew Paul and his presentation was as expected: lots of interesting information brought in a clear and refreshing way. He included some whisky-myths and tore them apart with facts. I've learned, for example, that whisky aged on sherry casks doesn't get its brown colour from the sherry, but from the European oak and that the major part of all Scottish whisky isn't aged close to the sea like many distilleries wants us to believe, but inland in warehouses.
Each presented whisky was accompanied with a special appetizer, made by Martin's wife, Marion, and his son Tigo. They all matched the aromas of each whisky perfectly. These snacks actually helped me a couple of times to name the aromas while I was tasting.
I'm just going to give a very short review and my personal note on each whisky that I've tasted yesterday. Keep in mind that my knowledge and capability to recognize all the different aromas is still limited and that I still think of myself as a beginner.
Whisky Nosing & Tasting at the Aqua Zoo in Leerdam. Photo by Martin Romijn
Whisky line-up part I. Photo by Martin Romijn
Hakushu 12 yo: (Japan) Fresh, sour, grassy, almonds. Not my favorite type of whisky (although I do like almonds). This is a personal note, so if this is your type of dram, you might like it. 7.5
Bulleit 95 Rye (small batch): (USA) My first rye whiskey ever. Soft, chocolate, lightly bitter, rich taste. I just might buy myself a bottle of this one! (added to my wishlist) 8.5
Tyrconnell 10 yo: (Ireland) A strong, rich and complex taste, raisins, lightly bitter, long finish. After a few drops of water the taste became less bitter, fewer raisins, but more complex overall, softer, warm sweet (?). I'll definitely buy a bottle! (added to my wishlist) 8.7
Glengoyne 10 yo: (Scotland) Tastes young, slightly sharp in the mouth, soft sherry taste (not overwhelming at all), dates, very obviously dates. It's a decent whisky, but I won't buy an entire bottle. 8.5
Whisky line-up part II. Photo by Martin Romijn
Glengoyne 21 yo: (Scotland) just loved this dram! Very complex, soft, dark chocolate (not too strong) and something that reminds of the zoo. The strong odor of gorillas/lions/crocodiles. This might seem a little crazy, but it's exactly that odor that I'm tasting. Very different from anything else I've ever tasted. WANTED! (added to my wishlist) 8.9
Amrut Kadhambam: (India) Of course this is my personal opinion. Lightly bitter, exotic spices, a little sharp and burning in the throat and there is something else that I don´t like. Some weak taste in the background that makes a little bit nauseous. I´ve had this dram during a nosing & tasting and everyone else loved it, so you might as well forget what I´ve just written down. ;-) 7.6
Millstone Lightly Peated 2005: (The Netherlands) A nicely peated whisky. The fact that its distillery is located in the Netherlands surprised me! The quality of this whisky isn't less than the average Scottish dram. I taste vanilla, peat, and some spicy aromas in the background. I've had this one at a whisky nosing & tasting and almost everyone else loved it, but I have to be honest: it's just not my thing. 8.2
Bunnahabhain 1997 vW: (Scotland) This was my first Bunnahabhain ever and it has made me very curious! Full taste, complex, peat (not heavily), sweet, vanilla and much more. I still find it a little hard to name what I taste in general, but I love the overall taste of this dram! I know that Bunnahabhain isn't peated normally, but I'll definitely check out more of this brand! 8.8
Octomore Edition 07.2: (Scotland) Lots of peat (of course), very overwhelming, but still complex. I love peated whiskys, but I don't know if I'd buy a bottle of Octomore. Maybe I will, just to understand the complexity that is hidden behind the peat. 8.6
What I've bought home. Photo by... Me
And on the photo above you can see what I've brought home:
The Balvenie 15 yo sample
The Macallan Fine Oak 12 yo sample
Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength sample
Nosing & Tasting glass
Pipette
Whisky Info Plus pen and notebook
All I can say is that it was a wonderful evening and that I'll attend these sort of events more often! I would also like to thank Martin for the great location, Marion and Tigo for the appetizers, Paul for the Nosing & Tasting and everyone the great time that I've had!
Hello, readers! Yesterday I've received a package from the United Kingdom. A box filled up with plants and seeds from a fellow forum member of the Cactiguide.com forum. That's what this post is all about and nothing more.
I was actually only looking for some Brasiliopuntia brasiliensis cuttings, but there was a little more inside the box. Although I'm a little bit scared of the upper left seed package, I do appreciate these gifts very much! (thanks again, Steve!)
Now let me see. What do we have here:
Plants:
2 Brasiliopuntia brasiliensis
1 Harrisia jusbertii cutting
1 Opuntia elata/bergerensis cutting
3 Euphorbia obesa seedlings
1 Astrophytum asterias
1 Hylocereus undatus
9 Pereskiopsis spathulata
Seeds:
Mega mix (the huge bag of seeds on the upper left)
Carnegiea gigantea (Saguaro)
Turbinicarpus panarottoi
Turbinicarpus klinkerianus
Kedrostis africana
Epithelantha micromeris v. neomexicana
Ferocactus latispinus
Astrophytum (mixed hybrids)
Copiapoa malhuensis
Gymnocalycium piltziorum
Gymnocalycium occultum
Yeah, that's a lot on top of what I was already planning to sow, but I'm not complaining. I'm actually quite curious about how this all will turn out.
