May 2011

We drove to town today to do some shopping. We stopped for gas at a place where these red bird of paradise (a.k.a pride of Barbados) flowers were in bloom. I got out of the truck and walked over to the bush to get some pictures while Bob pumped the gas.

We bought three of these a couple of weeks ago for the courtyard at the new house. I can hardly wait for them to have flowers too. Since Wickenburg is at a higher elevation, the red birds start to flower a few weeks later than in Phoenix. Click on the image to enlarge.

From Phoenix Tropicals:

The red bird of paradise is one of the most colorful and easiest to take care of plants for Phoenix. It is deciduous but blooms continuously through the summer. Neither heat nor frost are a problem for this plant in the lower desert.

I spotted these flowers on a barrel cactus up the slope on the neighbor’s property. I had the wrong shoes on to go up the slope to get a photo, so Bob climbed up and took this photo. I’m not sure of the exact species of this ferocactus, although it might be F. wislizeni. For sure, it sure has pretty flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.

Update: Crotalus told us the variety of this cactus in comments . . .

This is Ferocactus cylindraceus, the California or Compass Barrel.

Thanks, Crotalus!

It’s another beautiful day in our little half-acre of paradise. After a sumptuous meal of Oriental broccoli and beef on a bed of rice, the family (us and the dogs) took a walk down our unpaved road. On the way out of the courtyard, I paused to get this shot of the moon rising over our saguaro. Click on the image to enlarge.