Our Five Year Retirement Anniversary 3/22/2012

Did You Know? - Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth with reported growth rates of 100 cm (39 in) in 24 hours. However, the growth rate is dependent on local soil and climatic conditions as well as species, and a more typical growth rate for many commonly cultivated bamboos in temperate climates is in the range of 3?10 cm (1-4 inches) per day during the growing period. Primarily growing in regions of warmer climates during the late Cretaceous period, vast fields existed in what is now Asia.

Some of the largest timber bamboo can grow over 30 metres (98 ft) tall, and be as large as 15?20 cm (6-8 inches) in diameter. However, the size range for mature bamboo is species dependent, with the smallest bamboos reaching only several inches high at maturity. A typical height range that would cover many of the common bamboos grown in the United States is 15?40 feet, depending on species.

Quotation To Remember: The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.? ~Abe Lemons

Did You Know? - Aloe play /??lo?/, also Alo?, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe".

The genus is native to Africa, and is common in South Africa's Cape Province, the mountains of tropical Africa, and neighboring areas such as Madagascar, the Arabian peninsula, and the islands of Africa.

Did You Know? - Today, aloe vera is used both internally and externally on humans. The gel found in the leaves is used for soothing minor burns, wounds, and various skin conditions like eczema and ringworm. The extracted aloe vera juice aloe vera plant is used internally to treat a variety of digestive conditions. The use of this herbal medicine was popularized in the 1950s in many Western countries. The gel's effect is nearly immediate; it also applies a layer over wounds that is said to[weasel words] reduce the chance of any infection.

Quotation To Remember: When a man retires and time is no longer a matter of urgent importance, his colleagues generally present him with a watch.? ~R.C. Sherriff

Did You Know? - Euphorbia milii (Crown-of-thorns or Christ Plant) is a woody, succulent species of Euphorbia native to Madagascar. The species name commemorates Baron Milius, once governor of R?union, who introduced the species to France in 1821. It is suspected that the species was introduced to the Middle East in ancient times, and legend associates it with the crown of thorns worn by Jesus.

Did You Know? - The misnamed century plant typically lives only 10 to 30 years. It has a spreading rosette (about 4 m/13 ft wide) of gray-green leaves up to 2 m (6.6 ft) long, each with a spiny margin and a heavy spike at the tip that can pierce to the bone.

When it flowers, the spike with a cyme of big yellow flowers may reach up to 8 m (26 ft) in height. Its common name likely derives from its semelparous nature of flowering only once at the end of its long life. The plant dies after flowering, but produces suckers or adventitious shoots from the base, which continue its growth.

Did You Know? - Silver torch or Woolly torch cactus (Cleistocactus strausii) is a succulent of family Cactaceae. It is native to high mountain regions of Bolivia and Argentina.

Its slender, erect, grey-green columns can reach a height of 3 m (10 ft), but are only about 6 cm (2.5 in) across. The columns are formed from around 25 ribs and are densely covered with areoles, supporting four yellow-brown spines up to 4 cm (2 in) long and 20 shorter white radials.

The cactus prefers free draining soils, strong sunlight, but not high temperatures ? in fact it can withstand hard frosts down to -10?C. In its natural habitat it receives plenty of water during the summer, but almost none over the winter. In cultivation, watering too much in winter often leads to root rot.

Older cactuses, over 45 cm (18 in) tall, produce deep red, burgundy, flowers in late summer. The 6 cm (3 in) long cylindrical flowers protrude horizontally from the columns. In common with other cacti in the genus Cleistocactus, the flowers hardly open, with only the style and stamens protruding. Cultivated plants often flower freely.

Did You Know? - Many people mistakenly believe that the common sight of a tipped over barrel cactus is due solely to the cactus falling over from water weight. Actually, barrel cacti fall over because they grow based on the sun, just like any other plant. Water weight is just part of this occurrence. Unlike other plants, however, the barrel cactus usually grows towards the south (to prevent sunburn), hence the name "compass cactus."

Did You Know? - Oreocereus celsianus or Old Man of the Andes is a column cactus from the Andes.

It is branched at the base, with thick stems with 10-25 straight ribs of 8-12 cm (3-5?) in diameter. It grows up to 3 m (10?) high.

The areoles are large and white, with long white hair of 5 cm long and yellowish to reddish brown spines, 1-4 spines of central 8 cm (3?) long and 7-9 radial spines up to 2 cm (1?) long.

The pink flowers are funnel-shaped, 7-9 cm (3-4?) long and 3 cm (1?) in diameter. They appear almost at the top of the plant and only after the plant is several years old. It flowers during the day.

The fruits are globular and spring open at the base.

The name oreocereus comes from the Greek: oreo means mountain, cereus means candle. The name celsianus was given in honor of Cels, the first collector of this cactus.