Surprise!!!

Remember when I said there was a surprise coming?  Well, it’s here!

In addition to the fancy cultivar seeds I ordered from Mesa Gardens, of which I received Aucampiae ‘Kuruman’ C173 and Terricolor ‘Prince Albert’ C134, I also ordered a couple adult Lithops to amuse me while I wait for my seedlings to mature.

I have received Karasmontana ‘Bella’ C143, Dorotheae C300, and Terricolor C346!!!  Aren’t they darling!  All but one of the Terricolors are double heads 🙂

Obviously, it’s a long trek from New Mexico to Canada, so they aren’t in their best form, but all things considered, I think they did pretty well!

 

A Half Order of Seeds, Please!

The first seeds from my most recent order have started to trickle in!  In this batch, we have…

1.  Karasmontana “Opalina”. This variety of Karsmontana is white with an opal-like sheen!  I had a hard time choosing between “Opalina” and “Mickbergensis”.  Both varieties are very similar, but the “Opalina”, from this particular seller anyways, had more of pearly sheen so I went with that one.

2.  Olivacea Nebrownii.  Olivacea has large windows and very little pattern.  I like how “open and airy” it is.  This particular variety is a brownish/orange colour and will offer some nice variety in my future display pots!

3.  Optica Rubra.  Ruby red and very temperamental!  Rubra has some unique care requirements.  From what I understand, this species doesn’t like to go completely dry during the winter.

4.  Bromfieldii var Insularis.  Deep green and mustard yellow mottle the skin of this lithops.  It reminds me of reptile skins 🙂

5.  Fulviceps var Fulviceps.  This lithops is a peachy colour with green/grey dots!  I don’t have many dotted Lithops in my collection so I think it will stand out nicely in the group.

6.  Verruculosa.  This is a very unique species.  It is pretty non-descript rose-grey in colour but the dots are raised and RED so it appears as though someone has pricked it many times with a pin and blood is pooling at the surface.  This will be my ‘Emo’ Lithops – haha!

7.  Hookeri Susannae.  Looks like a brain.  Had to have it!

8.  Karasmontana “Jacobseniana” C277.  This was my splurge from this order.  Very pretty orange veins on a peach base.  So many pretty Karasmontana varieties to choose from  🙂

 

What Else is New?

As I mentioned in a previous post, there is lots going on in the seedling pots.  Many young seedlings are starting their first leaf renewal.

I was very excited to see one of the seedlings in Lot #1 is starting to split open.  This lot was sown in a sealer jar and needed to be transplanted.  It took a long time for them to establish secure roots in their new pot and I feared that the early move may have damaged or permanently stunted them.  Thank goodness I didn’t give up on them!

Next up, the Karasmontana ‘Lateritia’ pot.  There are three seedlings starting their renewal in this pot but this little guy is the furthest along.  You can already see the striking red/orange pattern starting to show.  I’m excited to see how they mature.  There are many gorgeous Karasmontana’s out there and ‘Lateritia’ is among the prettiest in my opinion  🙂

And lastly, we have Julii Fulleri Rouxii.  Interesting how this one is choosing to emerge.  It’s somewhat pointed.  Hopefully things level out for it soon!  This is another Lithops that I find particularly attractive, albeit, in a more understated way.

 

Well, that sucks :(

Just got word that many of the seeds I ordered were sold out.  I hope I at least got a few Dorotheae “zorro” seeds but since those are the most beautiful, in my opinion anyways, I have a feeling I won’t be getting any and likely not any of the other cool cultivars I ordered either 😦

I guess the good news is that there is a lot of interest in Lithops these days.  Maybe they’ll become more readily available and easier to find locally in the near future.

I’ll update once my shipment arrives and let you know what I got and what I didn’t get.  There is also a surprise coming!!!  🙂

 

 

Hello Red Dot!

I don’t know how well this is going to show in the photo, but the latest seedling to renew it’s leaves in my mixed pot has the most stunning red dots!  If you remember a few months ago, I was enamored by a seedling that was darker than the rest; this is it!  I can’t wait to see how the red is going to work into it’s markings.  This is an interesting fellow for sure!

I’ve affectionately named it “Red Dot” 🙂