Home & Garden

As Second Spring approaches the desert, my Devil’s Tongue Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus latispinus) is flowering again. This is the barrel cactus that started out in my California cactus garden and was transplanted to Arizona a little over three years ago. Judging from the number of flower buds, I’d say the cactus likes it here in Wickenburg. Click on the image to enlarge.

From How Stuff Works:

Ferocactus latispinus (devil’s tongue cactus) gets its name from its long, broad, red-colored spines. Another with a flattened, red, central spine is Ferocactus recurvus (devil’s pincushion). These cacti are easy to grow and can get quite large eventually. They like bright light, heavy soil with excellent drainage, house temperatures and good air circulation.

In Mexico, the skin and spines are peeled off and the flesh is diced to be eaten raw or candied. They also provide an emergency source of water in the desert — you slice off the top of the plant, stir the pulp with a stick and drink the sap.

While working in the courtyard today, I took the time to photograph a cluster of Red Bird of Paradise flowers. Also known as The Pride of Barbados, these shrubs are now in the peak of flowering season and completely dominate the courtyard with their fiery colors. Click on the image to enlarge.

More from Wikipedia:

Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. It could be native to the West Indies, but its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation. Common names for this species include Poinciana, Peacock Flower, Red Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Poinciana, Pride of Barbados, and flamboyan-de-jardin.

I couldn’t find any of my favorite flowers this week when we went shopping, so I settled for a bouquet of assorted flowers composed by the flower concession in the supermarket today. There were a couple of Gerbera daisies, some other miscellaneous flowers and this conglomeration of tiny pink daisies, along with some greens to complete the bouquet.

Normally, I like to compose my own flower arrangements, but the selection of flowers today precluded that option. Click on the image to enlarge.

The last time I had one of these open, I completely missed the opportunity to photograph it. By the time I noticed the flower stalk, the bloom had come and gone. They only last up to late morning after opening during the night. I was lucky to get this shot between the rain showers this morning. Click on the image to enlarge.

It seems that after each rainfall, our Cimarron Sagebrush bushes explode with these beautiful little bluish-purple flowers. We were working out in the front yard today and I photographed a few of the abundant little blossoms on one of the bushes along the driveway.

The fragrance of the bushes does not depend on having flowers, it seems. Just touching the little cupped leaves of the plant leaves your fingers smelling like sage. Delightful! Click on the image to enlarge.

I bought a living miniature orange hibiscus potted plant at the flower shop in the supermarket the other day. That day, their cut flowers looked wimpy, so I bought the hibiscus. I thought that when the flowers start to open on this plant, they would be very pretty and I was right. These started opening yesterday and after the light got better (we had monsoon rain this morning) I went out on the patio and took this photo. Click on the image to enlarge.