Those are beautiful plants! That weaver bird is a terrific addition! It think it would be really neat to have a colony of 'em right there on the spot! I hope, of course, they would find nesting material elsewhere!

Just so, here are they planted Feb 2011. More or less same size, but the smaller one also showing some stress here already....what a difference in a short time!

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OoEeee, nice plants, Rian! In the 1st pic, is it K. 'Napolean's Cap'? The 2nd pic plants look like K. 'Oak Leaf' to me. Nice 'Fang' & xG. 'Fred Ives'! I'm chuckling about the bird stealing your ponytail palm leaves for the nest. Nope, never heard of a Weaver bird! Thanks for my LSNFT item!

Loved all the Aloes! I think I'd better get my crytopoda in the ground. You waited SIXTEEN years for these first blooms??? Yikes! I'll be dead before I see some, at that rate! Yowser-what a difference in growth on those thraskii!

Thanks for the show! =)

Thanks Ferocactus.

Rosemary - will come back to you on Kalanchoe. The aloe is a estimation, but I have it for 8 years and it was a proper plant by the time I got it (I got 2, the other still has not flowered) - I do have seedlings, and they are very slow growing, slower than 80% of the other seedling species. Lets make it 13-16 years.

Rian,

Roro beat me to it, and probably did it from memory, but I second what she's said, with respect to les Kalanchoes. That bit about bum feathers somewhere, though, has me concerned.

And the Aloes are some of my favourites. What's this 'peti-peti' though? Sounds like a Parisian dessert.

Quite love that first Kalanchoe! That shade of green and the leaf shape are impeccable. But all are lovely. Really enjoyed seeing them.

Hi, Yes Rosemarie & Jeff, I agree with Kalanchoe's.

The peri-peri is a hybrid made here, and also shows what I believe is a difference between us and US market - designer plants (US) vs designer flowers (SA). I rarely see any funny looking miniature aloes, but there is a big market for aloes that mass flowers or flower longer or have multi-colour flowers. Just a theory.

Thanks Teatree. Just sorry about the grass cuttings all over - at least I am gardening! hehehe.

Rian,

Well, that theory of consumer Aloe wants is most interesting, indeed. And unlike any other place in the world, the plant authorities in the RSA might not want 'merkin Aloes in the plant's native land (and I can understand why). Can you imagine the sheer terror which would arise if Aloe 'Pepe' took over The Cape? I shudder as I write this, thinking of that.

Just a theory. I think it might be more similar towards Johannesburg - maybe. I do have aloe quicksilver, so I guess there may be more around.