More cacti

Photo: Like Christmas tree lights, Mamillaria ivethyi grafted onto another cactus in Ian Hay's collection.

Today was the Cacti and Succulent Society's Christmas lunch and auction, at Hamilton's World of Cacti in Llandilo. Hamilton's supply plants to Bunnings and other major outlets, but also grow lots of fascinating rare and unusual plants. The President of the Society, Ian Hay, keeps his spectacular collection here.

Lots of great plants to see and, as I've said already in this blog, a wonderful group of people. As always, plenty of food!

The main attraction is the auction, where plants common and unusual either go for a song or attract amazingly high bids. You have to know which is which, and my succulent tastes are not yet that cultivated... Still I bought a few bits and pieces - a lithops, a cactus, a euphorbia and a Stapelia. I'm on a mission to keep a lithops alive for a year. At each of the December talks I give I buy one but so far none of them have made it to the next December.