Master Plantsman

Peter Liekkio

The Colorado Cactus and Succulent Society is extremely lucky to have this fellow fly down from north of Seattle (where he has a fantastic home, garden and nursery) to speak at our September, Tuesday September 16 meeting in Gates Hall at Denver Botanic Gardens. Although open to the public, you will need a special code to enter through the Pinon Gate...email me (telesonix@outlook.com) and I'll give you that code...it will be worth the effort!

What follows will be some random glimpses through his amazing greenhouses which I visited thanks to an invitation from Jerry Vaninetti to speak to the Seattle cactus club way back in November of 2023. Jerry is quite the impresario--he invited me to speak to his NEW club in Sacramento last January. Meetin Liekkio was a highlight of that wonderful visit.

The greenhouses are full of the most remarkable plants--thousands of them!--but check out those pots as well! He is an amazing potter--especially known for his endlessly variable miniature pots, like this one!

Peter sells both plants and pots--mostly at cactus sales in his region, and at a select retail outlet. He'll be bringing an assortment to the Denver meeting--another good reason to come to his talk!

On and on they go!

I was so entranced with both plants and pots I took an absurd number of pictures--it's been a challenge to winnow them down for this post!

You can see from his expression how much he enjoys what he does--I believe that's an Anacampseros in his fingers...

He grows a number of South African bulbs as well--the gems of the West Cape are his passion--and that's what he'll talk about to us--how to grow them and show them off!

Love that mixed batch of pots...

More plants!

I have developed a love of tuberous Sinningias: he gifted me a plant of S. bullata

I think Peter's plants and pots speak for themselves--scroll on and I will pipe in again anon...

I dedicated a whole blog post to this plant: check it out!

Is the pot upside down or is it the plant?

Get a load of this bathroom! His place is beyond amazing!

And a view of Puget Sound very near the house...

Love this double-fisted sow of Tylecodons--he'll be bringing a number of choice miniatures to Denver--one of my favorite succulent genera.

Get a load of that Othonna in the layered pot!

I came away with one of those Oxalis too....

And here are a few Oxalis palmifrons he grows in a raised bed outside in Puget Sound--simply fantastic.

Don't miss this fellow! I've never seen plantsmanship and artistry so perfectly blended!