Pointy!

On Saturday, gunthersdncemix and I visited Tower Hill Botanical Gardens so we could attend The Cactus & Succulent Society of Massachusetts First Annual Show & Sale. Up until a few weeks ago, I wasn't even aware there was a Cactus & Succulent Society of Massachusetts. I learned of the society and the show because the guy who does the society's web stuff is in one of the mineral clubs that my parents belong to, and the show came up somehow in conversation. I was already thinking it would be fun to go, and it became pretty much a sure thing when gunthersdncemix won a pair of passes to Tower Hill around the same time that I learned of the event.

The show part of the event had tons of crazy plants in it. You see some of these things and your first thought is "No, there can't really be plants that look like this. These are clearly aliens." Naturally, those are my favorites. Don't get me wrong - I like "regular" cacti well enough. I have a few relatively normal cacti in my own collection. Still, the plants that I really like are the ones that look truly alien...and often like somewhat predatory aliens at that. I took a couple hundred pictures, many of which turned out disappointingly blurry. = ( I did get a few clear shots, though, and so here are some highlights of the show for me:

For comparison purposes, here is a relatively normal (yet still cute and lovable) cactus:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus1.jpg

Non-threatening, but just plain weird:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus5.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus15.jpg

"This pot isn't big enough for the two of us - I'm leaving!"

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus18.jpg

Quite obviously visiting aliens:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus12.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus10.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus6.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus19.jpg

Slightly sinister weirdness:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus9.jpg

Hug at your own peril:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus13.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus14.jpg

Killer death plants:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus2.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus17.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/cactus11.jpg

I acquired a new friend at the sale - spooky death tentacles!:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/new_friend.jpg

I thought this sign was adorable:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/sign.jpg

Outside in the regular gardens, I thought this sign was hilarious:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/sign2.jpg

Finally, this was the most terrifying part of the trip. By now, all of you should know that carrots are sinister, mind-controlling monsters keen on enslaving mankind. It was horrifying to learn that there are Moon Carrots, but even more horrifying to see that the one they're supposed to have at Tower Hill has obviously escaped!

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/hwango/sign3.jpg