In A Spiky World

Yesterday I went to visit a natural science museum, that has been renovated lately and opened its doors to visitors not long ago. I've heard about it and have been planning to pay it a visit, but somehow the visit always got postponed.

The museum was lovely and I'll write about it in details shortly, but today I'd like to show you a place that felt like a different world. This place is next to the natural science museum in Targu Mures, it's a greenhouse and it's full of cacti of all kinds.

This is a rarity because due to the harsh winter temperatures, such plats can't survive outside, thus a greenhouse is the only way to have such a collection. This however is exceptional from many points of view.

Cacti are not a rarity in my country, these funny plants are available to buy at greenhouses, supermarkets and online as well, but due to lack of space, most people only own a few and usually the smallest ones, definitely not these you see here.

Unfortunately i could not find anything about the collection, like where all these beauties come from, but looking at most of them, I can tell they are quite old.

The greenhouse is not exactly new, it's been there for a couple of years and I remember walking around it, taking a few photos and even posted about it briefly, but could not visit it as it was close. The museum was under renovation back then and visiting the greenhouse was not possible.

When I entered the greenhouse yesterday, my first thought was how amazing the collection was. It really makes you lose track of time while browsing through the different species you have never seen. One is more beautiful than the other and good thing you don't have to choose as I bet you wouldn't be able too. Many I've only seen in movies or documentary videos as you can't keep them at home and there are not many greenhouses like this laying around.

Most likely the time I spent inside looking around and taking photos was close to, or a little over than 10 minutes. When I got out, it felt like breathing again, and only then I realized what tropical climate is inside. The outside temperature that day was not low at all, was around 10°C, but outside was around 27°C, which is shockingly hot, when you're dressed for late winter, early spring.

Maintaining 27°C during winter is quite a challenge, especially when energy prices are at the level they are today, but thee are tropical plants and high temperatures is a must for them. Having 27°C at home would be a nightmare for me, even during summer as I prefer the room temperature a bit cooler, in order for my brain to function as I want it to.

Unfortunately it is not the flowering period right now, there was one species that was flowering, but the rest did not even have buds yet. I was thinking it would be nice to go back, when they are flowering, but knowing my cactus, the flower lasted for 3 days and was lucky as some don't last more than one day. So catching them all flowering I think it remains more like a dream as most likely it is physically impossible.

There were some really interesting and funny ones, like this one for example. I've never seen anything like this in the shops.

This is where it gets interesting. this was the only type that was flowering. Look at how tiny those flowers are and how cute!

Also, look at the plant, how different the bottom is from the top. At first, when I spotted it, from far it looked like some kind of a net at the bottom, then I saw it's not a net.

Look at this little cutie pie? How can you not like it? Opposite to what you can buy at the nursery, these flowers are real.

Some of you may not understand what I mean here, so let me explain. Most of the times, those tiny cacti you can get, have some amazing flowers, but if you have a closer look, the flowers are dried flowers and glued to the plant. That's the most barbaric thing one can do to a cactus or a plant in general. Imagine the damage the glue does. I will never understand how can they do that and especially why. How do you feel when you bought a cactus and realize the flower is fake and you got scammed?

Maybe one day, when I'll have more free space, I'll have more cacti too, but right now I only have one.

I hope you liked these cuties :)

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