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Friday, April 25, 2014

San Antonio Cactus and Xerophyte Show 2014

When I headed out to the San Antonio Cactus and Xerophyte Society Show and Sale yesterday I was a bit on the fence about going again this year.  I'm so glad I went because they had changed things up quite a bit making the show different and fun.

The show is held annually during April at The San Antonio Garden Center near The San Antonio Botanical Garden.  The tables around the perimeter held helpful information on growing and propagating succulents along with a pretty display on matching plants and containers.







Large variety of plants were available for sale in two large rooms.



I was there early on Thursday just after the show and sale opened and it was quite busy.  If this event gets any more popular they might need a bigger venue.



The Desert Rose plants in bloom caught my eye







This display is from Paul's Desert, a local cactus nursery recommended to me by friends so I plan to visit soon.


Eric Pedley of East Austin Succulents and regular contributor to Central Texas Gardener assists a customer.  East Austin Succulents has a much larger booth and more plants this year so I hope that means they'll be back.


One of these Agave medio-picta was my pick this year.  Only one plant this year because I am focusing more on reworking my existing garden before adding too many more plants.  I loved the color on these so just had to take one home.



A tour of interesting plants available at some of the other vendor tables.



"Cactus Marty" Ruona showing landscapes he has designed and installed for clients.  You might remember my post on his awesome garden a couple of years ago.


A display of the work involved in his landscapes.




Marty also brought plants and containers with stands he makes for his "Yardware Collection" and available for sale at the show.




The San Antonio Cactus and Xerophyte show is an official Fiesta event and part of this citywide party with hundreds of events throughout April.



A fun show again this year and if you are in the San Antonio area, there's still time to get over there.  Admission is free and the show runs Friday and Saturday 25th and 26th at the San Antonio Garden Center from 9am to 5pm each day.

13 comments:

  1. I really enjoy these shows. They teach us a lot about the various designs.....plus I get some good tips. Hope you are well.

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    1. I saw quite a few things to think about for next year and I did learn some new things about these plants so it was all good.

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  2. Looks like fun! Some of those containers and plant combinations are quite whimsical!

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    1. Those were especially nice and new this year.

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  3. My desert rose is not looking nearly so happy, I've got to give it more (or maybe...less?) attention! This show looks like a dangerous place for those of us with control problems - I'm impressed you got out with only one new plant to try. Happily, I'm safely far enough away from this show at the moment to simply be happy with "screen shopping". Thanks very much for sharing it with us!

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    1. There were so many cool plants and I am trying to stick with my plan this year. So far, so good.

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  4. Looks like the show is even better than last year! So many great plants! Your pick this year is a favorite of mine and I'm glad you got it! As you might suspect, here in our soggy wet winter climate the plants you show are not as common so it's a treat to see so many in one place in your post!

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    1. They do grow a lot better here. The size on the agave is six feet which is somewhat smallish for an Americana and I'm sure it will get there fairly quickly too.

      We don't see too many of these plants either unless we shop at specialty places.

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  5. Isn't it wonderful when you're hesitant to go but then when you get there you're so glad you did? I had a similar sort of "should I?" feeling about a sale last weekend. I went but certainly didn't need to, it was a bit of a bust. Ah well...

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    1. This has been a year to cut back a bit. I'm glad I went because it gives me ideas for next year.

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  6. I enjoyed the cactus and succulent show I recently attended in my own area more than I'd expected. The range of plants available for sale was much greater than in the nurseries, although I think I need to become a more educated buyer to get the most out of the event. The desert roses you featured would certainly be something to look for on my next trip.

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  7. I'm not an aficionado of cacti, but those tables were certainly laden with interesting plants--glad you went and shared!

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  8. I normaly would like the plants, but this time, Cactus Marty's display, including his yardware collection / containers, are simply amazing. Really clever ideas for plants and merchandising I simply don't see out here.

    Thanks for mentioning your past post on Marty, as I missed that one entirely!

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