Flowers

The three lobes of the rescued cactus we planted in the rock garden in front of the house two weeks ago, have started flowering. One of the other three lobes we put in pots at that time also has an open flower. From the looks of all of the rescued cacti, it seems there will be lots of flowers coming.

We hope the cactus in the picture (click on the image to enlarge) will take root and become a permanent part of the landscape. We haven’t figured out where to put the other lobes in pots, but when the work for the concrete RV drive is complete, we will select a place. It will have to be in a place where the dogs don’t go because of the needles.

Speaking of after completion of the RV drive, I have some ideas about what to do on the west side of the lot. First, I want the landscape guys to remove some of the creosote bushes that have become rather out of hand in the four years we have been here. Next, I want some vertical cacti like totem and smooth cereus that get white flowers all summer long. I also want to place golden barrel cacti around the rock garden on the house side of the drive.

There is always something to do in retirement. I love it!

Early this year, we had our landscape crew come around to remove some vegetation in anticipation of construction of a new wall and RV drive. While they were here, I asked them to bring a little hedgehog cactus from the outback down to where we could see it in the rocks below the courtyard.

The first flower on the little hedgehog opened today. I took this close-up photo of the delicate flower that will likely be with us only one day. But, there will be more as can be seen in this photo of numerous Echinocereus Flower Buds on the transplanted cactus. Click on the image or the link to view the full-sized photos.

I sure hope you like flowers, ’cause I love them. Springtime, although not official yet, has come to our town. This is the first (of many) flowers to open on the beavertail cactus next to the RV drive. Click on the image to enlarge.

There are many other cacti spread around the landscaping in the yard and more up in the natural desert part of the lot on the hill and up in the wash, all of which will have flowers in the spring and summer months. As I said, I love flowers and will have many more photos of them as they open for the next few months.

This is one cluster of a couple of new flower clusters opening on the flowering plum tree that we recently had replaced. The old tree was destroyed by the monsoons last summer when its trunk snapped in a microburst.

The new tree, at our request, is a more substantial one than the little sapling that it replaced. The little trunk was two or three inches in diameter and the new tree is more like six or maybe seven inches. In addition to the new little flowers, purple leaves on the tree are appearing.

There will be some rain coming to town this weekend to nourish all the spring flowers that will be coming soon. I can’t wait for spring flowers everywhere. Click on the image to enlarge.