<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><div class="moz-text-html" lang="x-unicode"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">Greetings botaniphiles,</div></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">
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<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">This has proven to be a most calamitous year.</div>
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<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">We
lost most of the last 2+ months and Sacred Succulents has been
virtually ‘shut down’ during this time. Our eldest daughter brought
covid home from camp at the beginning of August; the girls recovered
quickly, but I was hit pretty hard -- it took me nearly 6 weeks to get
my energy back and 10 weeks on now I’m still experiencing some
exasperating cognitive impairment. In addition, there’s been a cascade
of family matters that have consumed my time.</div>
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<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">We are doing all we can now to turn our attention back to the nursery, catch up with a backlog of email and prepare for winter.</div>
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<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">There
was a period of extreme, flash heat while we were incapacitated with
covid -- this caused a fair amount of damage within the nursery, even to
some of the <i>Trichocereus</i>, which had barely recovered from winter
injuries. The irrigation system recently installed in some sections of
the nursery prevented all out catastrophe. We can say, unequivocally,
that we’ve lost more plants in 2023 than any other year in Sacred
Succulents 25 year history. We’ve also accomplished less propagation
this summer than any I recall. We’re uncertain to what extent this will
impact our offerings in future seasons, but right now it means our
retail lists are in need of significant revision -- a task which I’m
unlikely to accomplish until this winter. In the interim, <font color="#ff0000">we’re not handling seed orders until sometime in 2024 and availability should be confirmed via email for all <i>retail</i> plant orders.</font></div>
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<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">We
had planned to launch new Mini-Auction over a week ago...while also
working to salvage plants damaged by this year’s capricious weather and
scrambling to get the nursery prepared for winter. Unfortunately,
juggling one-too-many tasks led to a sunburn mishap with about 1/3 of
the plants intended for auction when they were left in the bright
photo-shoot locale for a few hours during a sudden heat spike! Sigh. New
plants have now been selected, freshly photographed and:<br>
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<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;"><br></div><div><span style="line-height: 150%;"><font size="5"><u><b>A new </b><b><font color="#38761d">Plant Mini Auction-Fundraiser</font></b> <b>has begun!</b></u></font></span></div></span></span></span><font size="3"><span style="line-height: 150%;">
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<div><font size="6"><font size="4"><font size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><font size="3"><font size="4"><font face="times new roman, serif"><font color="#ff0000"><b>This is the second auction to list Seed--<i>which is open to international bidders</i>!</b></font><font color="#990000"> </font><b>Plants remain for US bidders only.</b> Due to this year's adversities, a <i>number of plants will only
be available via auction this year, and many of these only as a one
time offering</i>.</font><font style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </font></font></font></span></font></font></font><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">Know
that auction purchases directly fund nursery repairs and renovations as
well as our continual research and conservation work.</span></div></span></font><font size="3"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><font size="4"><b>See partway down our homepage for the </b><b>auction terms and listings</b>: </font><font size="4"><font size="6"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><font size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><font size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><font size="4"><font color="#0000ff"><b><a href="www.sacredsucculents.com">www.sacredsucculents.com</a></b></font></font></span></font></span></font></span></font></font></span></font><span style="line-height: 150%;"><font size="3">
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<div><font size="4"><font color="#ff0000"><b>Please read the full terms before bidding.</b></font> <b><i><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" color="#9900ff">All bids should be directed to our other email:</font></i></b> <b>benkamm@monitor.net </b><br><b><font color="#990000">
The auction closes this Thursday, October 26, at 6:00pm Pacific Standard Time. </font></b><br>
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<div><br></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><font size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><font size="4">Our <b><font color="#351c75">Specimen Plant List</font></b> is updated for October, see just below the auction on the homepage</font></span></font><font size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><font size="4">.</font></span></font></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><font size="3"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></span></font></span></div>
<div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;"><b><font color="#800000">Other News:</font></b></span></div>
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<div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">For several years I’ve been contributing plants to Steve White and Jill Pflugheber’s fascinating scientific art project, <a href="https://www.microcosmssacredplants.org/"><font color="#0000ff">Microcosms</font></a>
-- wondrous images of American sacred plants produced through confocal
microscopy. The site was just updated -- a few sections now feature my
Andean photos, with more to come.<br>
You can read my commentary on the project: <a href="https://www.microcosmssacredplants.org/commentary/ben-kamm/"><font color="#0000ff">https://www.microcosmssacredplants.org/commentary/ben-kamm/</font></a><br>
I’ve also contributed an article on the Andean keystone tree <i>Polylepis</i>
(A larger article is in the works, but the hectic summer and my
daughters bringing covid home from camp interrupted, so they’ve posted
this smaller [quite literally fever written!] piece as a ‘placeholder’)
- <a href="https://www.microcosmssacredplants.org/plant/polylepis-spp/"><font color="#0000ff">https://www.microcosmssacredplants.org/plant/polylepis-spp/ </font></a><br>
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<div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;"><font color="#800000"><b>New Offering:</b></font></span></div>
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<div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;"><b>The PLEASURE: Animist Encounters with Poison Oak </b> <font color="#ff0000">~signed copies!~</font><br>
by Erik Davis, illustrations by David Y. D’Andrea<br>
Lessons from the Poison Path<br>
A lively and fascinating essay by our good friend Erik Davis, inspired
by a hike we took just downstream of Sacred Succulents the first summer
of the pandemic. Poison oak is a integral member of California’s
ecology, a plant that demands attention and prudence, yet little has be
written about this adaptable species and many mysteries still surround
the wily nature of <i>Toxicodendron diversilobum</i>. Scratching beneath
the surface of science and legend, Erik keenly discerns poison oak’s
anthropomorphic qualities, including that of a fierce and mercurial
guardian, a tricky teacher, and a vigorous ally to the endangered
“wilds”. A must read for all who’ve encountered the plant and it’s
troublesome effects—what some perversely describe as the pleasure. With a
gorgeous full color cover and interior black & white illustrations,
this informative chapbook is a lovely limited collector’s item. Our
copies are signed by the author.<br>
10 ~ Copies, Signed Chapbook, 24 pages $20 (8 oz)<br>
</span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><font color="#008000"><u><b>BOOKS:</b></u></font> Even though our catalog offering of books is greatly reduced these days, </span><b><a href="http://sacredsucculents.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/SS-books-products-22.pdf"><font color="#0000ff">we still have a few excellent titles available</font></a></b><span style="font-size: medium;">, and we remain the US distributor for Jonathan Ott's work</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> (we are currently working
with Jonathan to publish reprints of some of his long out-of-print books and several exciting new titles in the coming
years.)</span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">~~~~~~~~</span></div>
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<div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: large;">Through
the calamities and obstacles of recent years we persist in our efforts
to care for life here in all its myriad forms. You have our perpetual
gratitude for your patience and support! </span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><font face="times new roman, serif">Regards,</font></span></div></span></font><font face="times new roman, serif">
<div><font size="4">Ben Kamm and family,</font></div></font></span><br></span><font face="Papyrus"><font size="4"><b>Sacred Succulents</b>:</font><font face="arial,sans-serif"> </font></font>Rare &
Endangered Beneficial Plants & Seeds<br class="">
<em class=""><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" class="">Conservation of Resilient
Biodiversity through Propagation, Dissemination and
Education</span></em><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">
PO Box 781<br>
Sebastopol, CA 95473 USA<br>
<a href="http://www.sacredsucculents.com/" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">http://www.sacredsucculents.com</a><br>
<br>We do not take Paypal or other online payments. Still just cash, check or money order to our PO box.</span>
</div><div class="moz-text-html" lang="x-unicode"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"><br></span></div><div class="moz-text-html" lang="x-unicode"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><b style="font-family: Arial;">Shipping for Books</b>
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<div style=""><div style=""><font face="Arial">To determine shipping costs, add up the number of lbs in parentheses ( ) that is listed after the price.</font></div><div style=""><font face="Arial">Priority Mail- add $10 for the first lb, $2 for each additional lb. When ordered with plants just add $2 for each lb</font></div><div style=""><font face="Arial">Books only sent Media Mail – add $5 for the first lb, $1 for each additional lb</font></div><div style=""><font face="Arial">Please email us for international shipping costs</font></div></div>
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