Now that fall has officially arrived, many gardeners are considering which plants to bring in for the winter. Taking cuttings of some plants, starting seeds of others, and, planning which bulbs to dig up to store for the winter are all part of the gardening year.

For those who enjoy plants but like to keep it small, windowsill gardens take the place of gardening outside. Living in an apartment or just not having time to take on large flowerbeds can also lead to an indoor gardening hobby.

The cactus family plants called succulents with fleshy stems and leaves are popular as houseplants where they are grown on windowsills in direct light. They store their own water so they are great houseplants for busy people.

Given the right conditions, a hobby can grow into a small business. Terri Mann and Bill Keeth of Sand Springs, owners of Chaos Cactus Nursery, have a 3,000-square-foot greenhouse plus the surrounding area filled with their hobby.

"When the temperatures fall and we have to move everything into the greenhouse, there will not be room to walk inside," said Mann. "Bill will go in to water but there is barely room to do that."

A tour of the greenhouse and the plants outside can only result in surprises for the novice: Large footed Elephant Foot plants (Dioscorea macrostachys) that look dead are actually growing 30-foot heart-shape-leafy vines, a Hoya Plant that blooms year round, cacti in every shape and form imaginable.

"In the spring, the place is covered with blooms of cacti and succulents," Mann said. "Bill grows a dozen Hoyas and they bloom all year."

Mann said that the Thai hybrid Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) is popular with her customers and that Pencil Trees (Euphorbia tirucalli) grow fast and sell well.

"We attend Cactus and Succulent Society Shows in Oklahoma City, Ft. Worth, Wichita and Tulsa," Mann said. "In 2008 we will also be selling at Herbal Affair events in Sand Springs, Jenks, Owasso and Tulsa."

Herbal Affair will be in Sand Springs April 19, 2008.

Keeth said that he makes his own planting mix for the thousands of plants they grow. It is a combination of perlite and pine bark based potting mix with a touch of 15-30-15 slow release fertilizer and a fungicide.

"We propagate in a mixture of 75 percent pumice and 25-percent potting soil," Bill said. "Many of our best Jade trees actually self-propagated by dropping a leaf onto the soil and growing."

A popular trend in windowsill gardening is making an entire landscape scene in a planter the depth of a flowerpot saucer. Once a variety of tiny succulents and cacti are put in place, doll house furniture, garden ornaments such as arbors and benches as well as garden tools are added to make a complete picture. These miniatures require very little care and make thoughtful gifts.

Chaos Cactus Nursery plants are priced based on their size and rarity. Common plants are $4.50 in a 3.5-inch pot and a rare Madagascar Pachypodium horombense sells for $50. The Pachypodium is easy to grow with bell-shaped blooms on 24-inch peduncles. Mann said they specialize in Desert Rose (Adenium obesum), which sells for $7.50 and up.

"Tell people they can call or email me any time," Mann said. "They can arrange to visit the greenhouse or ask me questions about their plants."