Cacti and Succulents
Episode: #18 18/8/07
Presenter: Neville Passmore
Hunters and collectors.
Plants lend themselves to collecting as some families have lots of different varieties; some are easy to find, others are so rare that you will need to travel to obscure parts of the planet.
Cacti and succulents are extremely popular plants and they are the subject of avid collectors across the country.
On the show Neville visited a garden that represents a love story. A love story that takes the form of a rather unusual collection. This collection consists of weird and wonderful drought tough plants, from across the globe.
The plants have all come from different continents and each one has evolved in climates that are remarkably similar. In many places these plants have developed the same strategies for survival.
Cacti come from the Americas; you could describe them as binge drinkers because of the fact that when there is water available they drink deep and store the moisture in roots, stems or leaves. Most varieties need to be in shade although a few such as the old man cactus have a cover of hair that acts as a parasol to keep the sun off the sensitive green stems.
Too much water can be a problem and for this reason sharp drainage is essential. The golden barrel that you would have seen on the show is over 60 years old, unfortunately a palm was above it and it concentrated a drip over the middle growing point this caused the centre to rot. This threat to the plant resulted in an alternative mode of regeneration…pups. These grow on the side and can be cut off to propagate new plants. In nature these would take over the growing functions to allow the plant to survive.
One of the rarest cacti in Australia is the Carnegia gigantica or Saguaro, Tequila has even illustrated it on many of their bottle labels, but unfortunately it is an endangered species in its native range. Habitat destruction is not only to blame, the collectors love for the species have also helped it to become endangered.
Also in the garden there is a beauty, a 6 tonne cereus cacti, it is a pretty serious contribution to the atmosphere of this garden.
There is also giant Euphobias which come from South Africa and mimic the appearance and toughness of the candelabra cacti from South America. They too can be propagated from cuttings. The cuttings must be left to dry out for a few weeks before placing them in super, well drained soil to establish a root system.
It was mentioned that there was a love story in these plants Mike and his wife were mad collectors and travelled to the Americas to source all the unusual varieties of Cacti and succulents that they could find. They then grew them from seed. The collection is a monument to Mike’s wife, who died recently of cancer. Mike is still devastated at her passing but maintains the collection as it is the embodiment of their life together
So the garden is a living memorial as well as an inspiring gathering of the prickliest customers on earth.
Presenter: Neville Passmore
Hunters and collectors.
Plants lend themselves to collecting as some families have lots of different varieties; some are easy to find, others are so rare that you will need to travel to obscure parts of the planet.
Cacti and succulents are extremely popular plants and they are the subject of avid collectors across the country.
On the show Neville visited a garden that represents a love story. A love story that takes the form of a rather unusual collection. This collection consists of weird and wonderful drought tough plants, from across the globe.
The plants have all come from different continents and each one has evolved in climates that are remarkably similar. In many places these plants have developed the same strategies for survival.
Cacti come from the Americas; you could describe them as binge drinkers because of the fact that when there is water available they drink deep and store the moisture in roots, stems or leaves. Most varieties need to be in shade although a few such as the old man cactus have a cover of hair that acts as a parasol to keep the sun off the sensitive green stems.
Too much water can be a problem and for this reason sharp drainage is essential. The golden barrel that you would have seen on the show is over 60 years old, unfortunately a palm was above it and it concentrated a drip over the middle growing point this caused the centre to rot. This threat to the plant resulted in an alternative mode of regeneration…pups. These grow on the side and can be cut off to propagate new plants. In nature these would take over the growing functions to allow the plant to survive.
One of the rarest cacti in Australia is the Carnegia gigantica or Saguaro, Tequila has even illustrated it on many of their bottle labels, but unfortunately it is an endangered species in its native range. Habitat destruction is not only to blame, the collectors love for the species have also helped it to become endangered.
Also in the garden there is a beauty, a 6 tonne cereus cacti, it is a pretty serious contribution to the atmosphere of this garden.
There is also giant Euphobias which come from South Africa and mimic the appearance and toughness of the candelabra cacti from South America. They too can be propagated from cuttings. The cuttings must be left to dry out for a few weeks before placing them in super, well drained soil to establish a root system.
It was mentioned that there was a love story in these plants Mike and his wife were mad collectors and travelled to the Americas to source all the unusual varieties of Cacti and succulents that they could find. They then grew them from seed. The collection is a monument to Mike’s wife, who died recently of cancer. Mike is still devastated at her passing but maintains the collection as it is the embodiment of their life together
So the garden is a living memorial as well as an inspiring gathering of the prickliest customers on earth.
AS SEEN ON 
