About Collect::Grow::Show
If you collect cacti and succulents, you already know:
they’re not just plants – they’re living collectables with stories, scars, and histories.
But as a collection grows, so do the questions:
- “What species was this again?”
- “Did this one come from seed or a cutting?”
- “When did I last repot it – and into which mix?”
- “How many of this species do I actually have?”
Collect::Grow::Show (CGS) exists to help you answer those questions with confidence — so you can spend less time wrestling with spreadsheets and more time enjoying your collection.
Why CGS exists
In 2020, I inherited my late father’s small collection of cacti and succulents.
What started as looking after “a few plants” quickly became a deep dive into:
- Species and taxonomy
- Proper environments for South Africa’s wet summers and frosty winters
- The sheer variety and collectability of these plants
The more the collection grew, the more obvious the problem became:
There was no simple way to keep the plants, their data, and their stories together.
Labels faded. Names were lost. Provenance blurred.
I wanted a way to honour the plants and the person who started the collection — and to avoid repeating the same mistakes as it grew.
CGS is the tool I wish I’d had from the beginning.
Now it exists to help you do the same for your collection.
We understand the collector’s challenge
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place:
- You want a complete species picture – not just a name on a pot.
- You hate the idea of “mystery pots” where labels are lost or wrong.
- You’d like to know exactly how many plants you have per family, genus and species.
- You want to keep track of propagation – which seedlings came from which seed batch or cutting, and what their genetic lineage is.
- You’d love to remember which soil mix and pot each plant is in, and when it was last repotted.
- You want a proper seed catalogue – seed age, source, species, and even which of your own plants it was harvested from.
CGS is built specifically for collectors who care about that level of detail.
If you’d like a guided tour of how this all comes together, read our overview article: Collect::Grow::Show – a smarter home for your collection.
How CGS helps
CGS gives you access to a growing master database of plant species, with:
1. A comprehensive species database to lean on
Instead of building your own taxonomy from scratch, you plug into one that’s already structured for collectors.
- Full taxonomy (family, genus, species, subspecies/cultivar where applicable)
- Consistent naming across your collection
- Species-aware pages that let you explore and understand your plants in context
2. Clear labels that keep your plants “remembered”
No more “lost name” treasures on the bench. Our CGS labelling system shows how smart, QR-linked labels connect every pot back to its full digital profile.
With CGS you can:
- Generate detailed labels that include:
- Plant name (correct taxonomy)
- Unique plant ID (PID)
- Optional QR code for quick lookup in CGS
- Order labels for your plants so that:
- You can always get back from the pot to the full digital record
- Visitors (or your future self) can scan and instantly see that plant’s story
Your plants stay labelled, and their stories stay attached.
3. Full record keeping for your whole collection
CGS is designed to be your single source of truth for your collection’s data – we walk through a real example in The Complete History of Every Plant: Record-Keeping for Serious Collectors
- Inventory at a glance
- See how many plants you have per family, genus, species, or specific variety.
- Propagation history
- Track whether a plant came from seed, cutting, offset/pup, or seedling.
- See the genetic lineage of each plant, right back to the original seed batch or parent plant.
- Pot & soil configuration
- Record pot size/shape, material and configuration.
- Store soil recipes and link them to specific plants.
- See when each plant was last potted or repotted.
- Seed catalogue
- Log seed batches with:
- Species and taxonomy
- Seed age and source details
- Whether the seed was harvested from one of your own plants
- Use this data when you sow, propagate, and track yield.
- Log seed batches with:
Instead of scattered notes, everything lives together and stays connected.
Ready to start your own CGS story?
Whether you’re just starting out or managing an already serious collection, CGS is built to grow with you.
- If you’re curious, browse the site and see what’s possible – a good place to start is our Articles & Guides hub.
- When you’re ready, create your account and start adding your first plants.
- Over time, let CGS become the place where your plants — and their data — live together.
Let’s Collect, Grow, and Show your living collectables, one well-documented plant at a time.
Not ready yet?
Get occasional updates about new CGS tools, species features, and tips for managing your collection.