Superb groupoing, now that E grusonii looks exceptionally spiny, is it a special variety of form?

What a nice (and unusual) grouping. I especially love that E. grusonii.

Jen

Really nice! I would never tire of seeing variety like that.

I think the E. grusonii is the standard variety. It seems to like its location very much. It is shielded by a large Aloe polyphylla from late afternoon sun. Two others nearby that get more sun are growing slower and have a unhappy yellow complexion on the South side. Surprisingly, it is the plant that gets more shade that is growing best. It certainly does have a spectacular set of spines :)

I am going to remove some of the cacti from the bed soon. The plants have been in the ground for three years, and I am starting to have serious crowding problems. Leaf succulents are very happy outside here but some cactus are challenged by the climate. Many are hanging on through the wet winters and take a serious beating from the sun in the summer months. They spend too much time in dormancy and not enough time growing.

So the S. coryne, the two other Echinocactus, several rebutias, notocactus, and a few others are coming out of the ground soon to live out their lives in pots. I will be better able to control their environment, and they should be happier. Removing them will create room for some fancy echeverias, graptopetalums, etc which will provide even more color, texture, and scuptural form.

This picture won't be possible next year so I wanted to share this moment in time with others. I'm glad you liked the view!

cool pic. nice photography.