Artisan's Blog

Flowers are the ultimate expression of nature’s beauty. Over millions of years, they’ve evolved colorful patterns, intricate shapes, and enticing fragrances to attract pollinators—including humans, who have been selectively breeding them for millennia to enhance their beauty. In fact, the first known flower cultivated for its aesthetics may have been the lotus or chrysanthemum in ancient China or India, over 2,000 years ago. Tulips were bred in the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s and later became iconic in the Netherlands. Orchids, of course, might be the most spectacular of all, with their staggering diversity and often surreal forms. What’s your...

In my last newsletter, I mentioned that "I usually don’t water them (Haworthia) at all during December and January, except for young seedlings." This sparked a response from a reader who pointed out, "Haworthia are winter growers." This comment highlights a common belief: that Haworthia are winter growers. For many years, I accepted this as fact. However, my experience cultivating these plants over the past two decades has revealed a more nuanced story. Are Haworthia Winter Growers? Conventional wisdom among some is that Haworthia are winter growers, but under cultivation, my plants behave differently. In my growing conditions, they grow more...

Many plants are seasonal. For example, if you are from the East Coast of the US, you are familiar with the brilliant displays of trees having their leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall. That color change is a signal that the trees are preparing to go dormant. This vibrant display of colors is a hallmark of deciduous forests in temperate regions and is an adaptive strategy for nutrient recycling and tree survival during the dormant season. Succulents also change with the seasons. Because different succulents evolved in different habitats, the exact seasonal response will...

My paper on experiments with creating wide hybrids between Haworthia and its relatives: Exploring Wide Crosses in Haworthia and Its Relatives. George Theodoris, Haworthia Journal, October 2024, Volume 38, Issue 3, pp. 58-63.