Picture taken last week. Hope that counts.

There is a white double ready to bloom maybe tomorrow.

This is a Agave amica, formerly Polianthes tuberosa, the tuberose. They were dried up roots in May when I got it. Agave typically takes 10 years or more to bloom but since tuberosa now is placed in this group, it took less than a year!

I also have Hansara 'Jumping Jacks' cultivar crosses Manfreda, Agave, and Polianthes (tuberosa). It is more slow growing than tuberosa but faster than Agave. Maybe next year for flowers.

And I'll bet they smell wonderful. Grew a few myself this year, great job Stush)

Stush

Beautiful blooms.

Very nice set-up Wendy, Love your yard as well.

My double white tuberose is almost fully open but we have had frost warnings. Our temps went down to mid 30's but it left some blemish behind. May be the best shot for this year. I'm just happy I got anything this year.

And my other light purple stock bloomed.

Thanks, Stush. Those tuberose are beautiful! We've already had a couple of frosts. I think the lowest it's been was 28°. Some parts of the tomato plants are actually still alive. I think because the veggie garden is in an old foundation out back on a high spot where the ground slopes down to the south. The cold air just doesn't collect there.

Gorgeous specimens, Wendy!

My Aloes are going crazy.

Just an added bonus. Took a walk behind my house then took these pics once it got lighter. Eerie

This frilly echeveria blooms every year and blooms last a long time. Inflorescences are really long. Still mostly buds:

I think it will color up once under the lights, it has been on a windowsill for just over 2 weeks.

Tillandsia crocata. This one has a very sweet fragrance.

Huernia. I forget the real name but it’s often called Lifesaver.

Beautiful, Stewart! I didn't know that there are fragrant Tillandsias. Also love the Huernia. H. zebrina, by the way :-)

Ahhh...that’s right! Zebrina! Thank you, SLD. And for reminding me of the correct spelling of “tillandsia” as well. I’ve had that one for a few years but this is the 1st time it’s flowered for me. I have another one that smells amazing. It’s a purple one called Tillandsia duratii.

For myself, I am in love with the Mammillaria plumosas....fuzzy little thing that it is, with NO spines to injure me and the cutest 1-day flowers! I have one that my friend and her husband gave me several years ago. It was 4 little white fuzzy globes. Today, it is more than 34 white fuzzy globes. It grows and grows and expands and grows. The only problem is....when I go to repot it, it has barely any roots.....from the bottom, looks like a dying plant. A most curious thing. But -- I love having a cactus that doesn't stick me and leave spines, and one that isn't a slow grower. The ones above are just adorable too! -- and they look HAPPY.

I love that one too. My understanding from forum member Kara is that this cactus prefers a bit more water than some others.

What is your growing medium & how do you water?

Just as Mike, I have several aloes blooming. Few are forming seed pods too:

I just planted up about 10 seed pods. Open pollinated from a few months ago. See what I get in a few months.

SoCal, how do you grow such nice air plants in your dry area? What's your watering technique and any advice for that plant? It's the only I have that seems to not do well for me. Thanks)

Thank you, Mike.

I have them hanging in the supporting structure of a patio umbrella. It’s the same umbrella that shades my succulents.

I water 1 of 2 different ways just depending on how much energy I have or how lazy I’m being. I think the recommended way is to submerge the entire plant in water for several hours or overnight. That’s the best way so that their leaves can fill up with water.

I do that sometimes but more often than not I put my handheld nozzle on the mist setting and spray them thoroughly. I water them at the same time that I water the succulents underneath, roughly every 10 days to two weeks. Maybe more often during our Santa Ana weather. Sometimes I’ll cover the succulents with plastic to minimize the amount of water they get when misting.

I have lost a few though. Perhaps if I wasn’t being lazy & watered the recommended way every time I might not have lost any.

So Cal, I really appreciate that. These have always been hard for me. They either get to dry or rot. I have other air plants fragrant that is and they do fine. This is just the hardest one for me to keep happy. I never thought of soaking them that long. I was for about ten minutes or so and frequent misting. Maybe keeping them inside year round is too much for them of not enough sunlight. Did they get lots of sunlight?

Going to try again. That is me.

Mine are kept outside yesterday round, but I can do that here. They get no direct sunlight, only filtered through the light colored fabric of the patio umbrella. I think that plenty of air movement is important, too. That might help with the rotting issue.

I purchased them from Rainforest Flora in Torrance California. It’s a beautiful spacious place with more tillys than you can imagine. The owner Paul Isley is very knowledgeable. Search YouTube for “Ask Mr. Tillandsia”. He has several videos. He’s not a pro at videos but def a pro at growing tillys. I think it’s his life’s work & he has over 30 years of experience.

There used to be a website but I think it’s down at the moment. I believe part of his property was heavily damaged due to wildfires a few years back. Maybe not the Torrance property but a different location. I think he lost a LOT of plants. Maybe he’s still trying to recover.

Anyway, check out his videos.

Rainforest Flora on Yelp Maybe you can get an idea of how beautiful this place is by looking at pictures posted by reviewers.

Adenium obesum Red Champion

Adenium obesum Purple Crown. More pink than purple.

Here's my golden torch cactus from May. The flower (huge!) opens at night and lasts only until noon the following day. But new buds just keep on coming for weeks. I know, I know... May was a long time ago but nothing else is going on right now with my succulents :(

JoJo, is that Alluaudia procera I spy in the background of your 1st image?

Hi Stewart, I wish! Nothing exotic, I'm afraid. Just a plain native ocotillo (fouquieria splendens). I'm in Vegas, so it loses it's leaves in late July/early August (despite regular watering) but they come back after Labor Day. Sometimes it even blooms again. My absolute favorite dessert accent. I wish I had a forest of them :)

Beautiful. Looks like your desired forest is developing nicely. I’ve seen them growing wild in the desert on my drives through the Eastern part of California into Arizona. Very impressive.

I have a couple but they are babies that are about 3-4 inches tall in 2 inch pots. Some day...

Adromischus cristatus - small blooms on long inflo:

Missed this one...