If you're worrying right now that you have travelled through time unexpectedly because on the ledge shouldn't be out for

another week. Relax. This is a bonus episode, an extra, a freebie for you to enjoy. And in part

two of my succulent extravaganza, I'm in the Bristol area again meeting cactus and succulent

grower and seller Tony Irons to talk all things lithops and more. How the devil are you? My name is

Jane Perrone and I am host of On the Ledge podcast, usually a show that comes out every other week, but it's May, everyone's growing, everything's getting rather fecund, and so is this podcast. So there's going to be a few bonus episodes in the next few weeks.

This episode is a follow-up to episode 291, where I travelled down to Bristol in the UK to visit

Haley Stevens of Mint Plants.

Now, in that interview, Haley mentioned a chap called Tony, Tony Irons,

and Tony lives a few miles away from mint plants, specifically a place called Portis Head,

which may ring a bell if you are aware of the English trip-hop band of the same name.

And he is a prolific cactus and succulent grower and seller.

So I headed over to his greenhouse after my visit to Haley

to find out about his collection, growing and selling cacti and succulents,

and in particular the wonderful world of lithops,

aka the stone plants.

I'm Tony Irons, I'm a cattyne succulent grower and propagator. I've been here in Portshead for about 30 years

and I've had this large grasshouse for about 20 years of that. I just said as I came in, this is

probably the best organised glass house, greenhouse that I've seen. It's absolutely pristine. Everything is in its place.

I guess this is how you have to be when you're growing plants for sale. So your collection here

ranging from various different genera and cacti and succulents. Talk me through some of your

favourites. Is there anything here that you're never going to sell that's particularly special?

Right. I specialise in lithops, which are living stones.

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