The Auckland Cactus & Succulent Society
08.10.00 Graeme

I seem to take my time getting to peoples' places and heading into Graeme's took me a while as well! Oh how I scolded myself for taking as long as I did! As the following photographs will testify, Graeme's collection was a sight to behold. I imagine that once I get a greenhouse of my own started, it will soon come to a point when every nook and cranny will be filled. Heh... I look forward to that day :)

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The club's intrepid secretary, ever dashing and debonair in the afternoon sun! I think
most of us are doing the drooling over the columnars in the background (sorry Graeme!)

You can't really see them, but behind the agave, ponytail palm & aeonium, there are trays upon trays
full of cacti and succulents! Small specimens that Graeme sells at shows and meetings.

A view of the greenhouses. Three in total; all of them absolutely chock full of plants
believe me! I am not at all surprised that there are so many plants out in the open!

As you can see; Graeme has alot of plants!

It scares me how I know I must have missed seeing some rare specimens that I probably won't ever see again; but as you can see from the picture above and below, there are some real jewels tucked away within these greenhouses; and can we talk about the size of some of these gems!? The Echinocactus grusonii in the picture above was probably larger than a football.

Overall view of the "columnar" greenhouse; as I fondly dubbed this greenhouse. Columnars are my favourite cacti so it was a real treat when I looked in (I could'nt actually go IN to the greenhouse since it was just so full of plants!) and saw so many different specimens! I think the picture below does more justice to this greenhouse. Notice the Pachycereus pringlei in the picture above *sigh* I want!

The Pacypodium lamerei above was a beautiful specimen; thick
trunked and heavily spined; and god did I feel those spines!

View of the "euphorbia" greenhouse where the predominance
was obviously euphorbias. Some gorgeous specimens in here.

Hopefully this will have been enough to whet your appetite to visit Graeme!