T.L.C

Nice to hear about your plants.
Your cactus probably needs repotting. Try giving it a dry-ish cool period in autumn. That might induce it into flowering.

I've taken note of your advice there Hywel. Mine is flowering now more by luck than judgement though.

I put them outside in a sheltered spot, until about mid - end of October. I bring them in then, when I see flower buds developing. If there's going to be ground frost, I put them in a shed, but we seldom get early frosts here. It's something to watch out for though. Also start to feed them when the buds appear.

They often flower out of season. It's a bonus :o)

I have those brass coal buckets too Leigh!!!! one either side of the fireplace with plants in, I have a dragon tree, thats very twisted and bent but I won't throw it away as I remember buying it 23 years ago!!!!! when I was pregnant with my eldest daughter, as a tiny plant, 4ft tall now :-))

Oh its a bad affliction to get so attached to ones plants Leigh, I should know I`ve been suffering for years, lol..
I hope they do well for you..

Right ok, will re-pot colin the christmas cactus then put him in the shed after summer, for how long?-months/weeks? thanks hywel. u are my cactus guru!
simbad-yes theyre great arnt they, i was chatting to a woman getting off the bus and she was taking a load of stuff to the charity shop so i asked her if i could have the bucket and she was very grateful she didnt have to carry it anymore so was a great freebie! I just googled dragon tree, is it a yukka? im assuming its not like the pics of the huge trees in africa or sumwhere lol. i have a yukka i always get worried when it starts shedding the leaves but think thats how they grow isnt it? yes u should keep it as long as poss if its special :)
Yes lincs! i have a very addictive personality but quite indecisive -basically a pain in the bum! im already doing my partners head in showing him my seed catologues that hes not remotely interested in, but suppose its like when he goes on about football-just nod and say yes dear! haha! :)

It does look a bit like a yucca Leigh but the leaves are much thinner it grows the same, as you say sheds its lower leaves and forms a trunk.
Oh I do that too get all excited about plants and seeds germinating Rob(hubby) isn't really interested just humours me, lol, I've got a drawer full of seed catalogues too :-))

It's bad when you have to hide them in your drawers Sim

Lol Pimpernel :-)
If you could see the length of my wants list you'd hide them in your drawers too :-))

OMGosh i got one of many catalogues iv ordered posted other day and finally got chance to look at it- i dont think i was ready! there were 2 many! i wanted them all! i was really overwhelmed lol-i managed to narrow it down to just 1 frm each page haha. its too late this year now though isnt it? i was going to do a blog and gather some opinions before i order any. think i best stick to one catalogue for now or ill be sleeping outside cus the pots are taking over! :o)

Ooo its not too late Leigh, now is a good time to sow biennials such as wallflowers, sweet william and foxgloves to flower next year, also lots of perennials can be sown September/October, if you have somewhere to overwinter them such as a greenhouse or coldframe :-), go on you know you want to :-)

ahh! yes atleast them i know theyre there (or will be) and not just waiting a year to plant them! take a look if u like sim at the blog i just wrote with a few, no pics but you probably know most of them anyway :) its going to be sooo pretty!! :o)

I'm off to have a look now ;-)

Oh dear Leigh you really do have the bug, Lol.
Trial & error is the way I go, its all good fun :-)

I no im starting to become obsessed! more worried about the plants than the kids lol! yay! got my greenhouse today! bargain at £1! now to research the seeds! there just arnt enough hours in the day with two kids and its going to be worse when i start college! :O