Flowers

Hedgehog Cactus Flowers Now Showing

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This beautiful cactus flower is blooming on a hedgehog cactus in a neighbor’s yard just down the road from our house. Ours will be blooming soon. We have two hedgehog clusters in front of our house. I just love our colorful spring here in the high Sonoran Desert. Click on the image to enlarge.

First Plum Flowers

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Last June, we had our landscaper install several shrubs and trees around the property. One of those is a flowering plum tree. Being a deciduous tree, it lost most of its leaves over the winter. Now that spring has sprung (80° high today), the tree is showing a few little (¾ inch) flowers and some new foliage. Click on the image to enlarge.

Bishop’s Cap Cactus in Bloom

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We originally bought this bishop’s cap cactus in a three-inch pot here in Arizona back in about 1998. It lived in California and did well there during the years before we retired and brought it back to Arizona. It seemed to like California since it grew into the six-inch pot seen in the image. However, now that it’s here in Arizona, it produces flowers all year long. I took this image today in our courtyard. Click on the image to enlarge.

Spring is Springing Up All Around

yello-daf.jpgI went around the yard today, watering all the flowering plants and vegetables as per my usual routine. I noticed that the creosotes have spring flowers, the mesquites are showing green leaves, my Argentine Giant cactus has a couple of little flower buds and both of our hedgehog cacti also have dozens of little flower buds.

Other than the creosote, none of those are in bloom yet. But, this lovely bunch of daffodils that I bought at the supermarket yesterday is going spring-happy. Click on the image to enlarge.

More Lithops Flowers

I put the pot with the lithops succulents outside the patio where the morning sun can shine on them. All I can say is that they must like it there. These are the three latest flowers produced this early spring. Click on the image to enlarge.

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Grand Orange Roses

These lovely roses are in the vase this weekend. We got them yesterday during our regular weekly trip to the supermarket. I love the orange color! Click on the image to enlarge.

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Cleveland Sage Flower

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We were in the courtyard this afternoon and discovered our first Cleveland Sage Flower. Not only is it very pretty, but the fragrance is very sweet. We planted three bushes in the courtyard last June, and this is the first time a flower has appeared. The landscaper says that when there are many of these open at the same time that the fragrance can fill the whole courtyard. I can’t wait! Click on the image to enlarge.