Colin, what a beautfiful helper you have. Well worth throwing away those nasty pincushions to make space for.
Our cat also likes to "help", although as he's getting on a bit he prefers the supervisory role. There is a spot on the window sill that no Forby is allowed to occupy, it's his sunny spot. He doesn't bother the Forbies or anything else, but he will chew the ornamental grasses in the garden, while leaving his own special cat barley alone.
Happy carrier of Forby Disorder - an obsession with Euphorbia obesa.
NB. Anyone failing to provide a sensible name for me to address them will be called, or referred to, as Fred.
I'm not really into showing, and many of my monocots, as you hint, wouldn't be eligible. But hey, who can really define what's succulent? For me, most of the terrestrial bromeliads, as opposed to the epiphytes, are succulent, so that's many 100s of spp. the BCSS in its infinite wisdom, doesn't allow onto the show bench. Then there are many succulent orchids too. I think my beloved Bowiea has also been ostracised too. So in a nutshell, I'm interested in plants, not what the Shows Committee believes is eligible to put on a show bench. There endeth THAT lecture.
Cheers,
Colin
FBCSS
FCSSA
Fellow of the Linnean Society (FLS)
Member of the IOS
Honorary Research Associate, The Open University
Ornamental grasses must be easy chewing compared to my beautiful new Dasylirion. I daren't say what she did to the flower spike of my Aloedescoingsii v. augustina and the leaves of Aloe chortolirioides that were part of my quiz prize. Fortune has an amazing knack of choosing the rarest and/or the best.
Cheers,
Colin
FBCSS
FCSSA
Fellow of the Linnean Society (FLS)
Member of the IOS
Honorary Research Associate, The Open University
My comments were in jest, and I agree that many of the bromeliads are succulent and think that they would look perfectly at home on the showbench alongside all out other plants.
The Shows Committee (on which I served for several years, before taking on the Journal) understandably steers clear of this large group of plants. An easy get-out for the committee in years gone by was that there was a separate society covering these plants, but I am not sure that the bromeliad society is still particularly active, unless anyone knows differently?
Regards
David N
Southampton & District BCSS
David Neville
Secretary of Southampton & District Branch. BCSS member since 1977.
Me too - I'm not really bothered as to what is or isn't show-worthy - just being a tad controversial that's all. I also slag off cacti in general and mams in particular, but I don't really mean it - I do love 'em dearly.
Cheers,
Colin
FBCSS
FCSSA
Fellow of the Linnean Society (FLS)
Member of the IOS
Honorary Research Associate, The Open University
Colin
Very nice pictures and thank you for the 'exam'. I am always interested in learning more.
I have two cats too. They do not chew any leaves ( I have mainly cacti anyway) but use the bigger ones as brushes! At first when I saw it I was worried that they would hurt themselves but they are doing it so regularly that I have given up stopping them doing it. Obviously my brush is not spiky enough. The plants seem happy with the attention they are getting:)
Beautiful cat Colin! I should imagine she has quite clean teeth too!
Maria Shrewsbury Branch - Shropshire UK
Joined BCSS April 06 (# 48776)
Tending more towards cacti , particularly Gymnocalyciums, Rebutias, Sulcorebutias, Echinopses, Thelos, Feros and Mamms (and anything else I like the look of!) all in an 8 x 6 polycarb greenhouse and a few windowsills!
Well worth throwing away those nasty pincushions to make space for. 
