Damsel

I don’t usually hike up into the hill behind our house, but today, Bob told me that one of the “hidden” hedgehog cacti up near the back property line had open flowers. So, I took my camera and foraged my way through the rocks and desert brush to get to a spot under the two palo verde trees up there to take this photo.

This is one of two clusters of hedgehogs still up on the hill (we brought one down to the front of the property last winter). There is a third, but it is actually on the neighbor’s property to the north. The other hidden cluster has buds on it, but is not in bloom yet. There are also many unopened flower pods on the cactus in the photo. Click on the image to enlarge.

In what is getting to be an annual tradition, here is the post recognizing the first spring cactus flower in our xeriscape garden. Of course, this is a Beavertail Cactus Flower (opuntia basilaris) growing just behind the wall out front by the road. The pink flower bud we saw this morning opened into this nice flower this afternoon and it already has attracted bees and other pollinators.

This is the last year for this cactus since it is one of those that developed a fungus or something that gives the paddles a circular depressed area that is discolored. We have other beavertail cacti, including one we imported from California, that are planted in the rock and cactus garden, so there will undoubtedly be more of these brilliant pink flowers next spring as well. Click on the image to enlarge.

The flower shop in the supermarket had cut Gerbera Daisies and some nice tulips today. I bought a bunch of each and fashioned this centerpiece for the dining table this afternoon. Click on the image to enlarge.

The flowers made our light lunch of healthy greens, tomatoes, cubed avocado and shredded chicken breast taste all the better. We enjoyed a lovely spring-like day here in the desert once more.