Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

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Back Lot Panorama

Back Lot Panorama

I took a couple of images from approximately the center of the back property line in the “unimproved” part of our property this afternoon. I combined the images into this panoramic image using Canon’s ZoomBrowser Photo Stitch software.

The image from left to right shows the west corner of the house at the left and gradually sweeps to the right to cover Damsel’s cactus and rock garden, the southwest property corner, the little wash with all the natural desert vegetation and the several neighbors buildings in the distance. The northwest property corner (circled in red) is just above the bottom of the wash below and approximately halfway between neighbor’s house on the hill (right of center with the flags) and the house with the Spanish tile roof on the right side. Click on the image to enlarge.

19 Mar 2014 by Home & Garden Panorama Photography Retirement

Beavertail Madness

Beavertail Madness

This beavertail transplant sure is going crazy in its new place in the rock and cactus garden. I suspect that it benefits from some nearby citrus trees irrigation runoff. It is one of several we transplanted a couple of years ago from the unimproved part of the lot and is, by far, the most prolific in terms of paddle and flower production. Click on the image to enlarge.

17 Mar 2014 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Bishop’s Cap Cactus Flowers

Bishop’s Cap Cactus Flowers

My reliable Bishop’s Cap Cactus is adding to the springtime collection of flowers today. I think there were nine or ten of these nice flowers open this afternoon in the courtyard where this little barrel cactus lives. It is very happy here and gives me flowers almost all year long. Click on the image to enlarge.

In addition to this cactus, there are cacti allover the garden and the lot that are getting ready to open flowers. The beavertails (see yesterday) are opening new flowers every day and the cholla, hedgehog and prickly pear all show signs of flower buds to come soon. Stay tuned!

09 Mar 2014 by Flowers Home & Garden Photography

My First Beavertail Cactus Flower of the Spring

Beavertail Cactus Flower

It’s not the first beavertail cactus flower we have seen open in the neighborhood, but this one is ours. It is on a little beavertail cactus we transplanted to my rock and cactus garden a couple of years ago. We have many such transplants, but this is the first one to have an open flower. Click on the image to enlarge.

There will be many more beavertail flowers over the next couple of months in our gardens and also in the wild up the wash near the back property line. Last fall, we brought four paddles from the wash and have them in the courtyard in pots. They also will have flowers any day now. I love spring cactus flowers!

08 Mar 2014 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Backyard Cacti


I took a hike up the hill into the “unimproved” part of our property today. I took photos of some of the cacti located up there and posted them in the slideshow above. All but one of the cacti depicted will produce flowers this spring and summer, some as late as fall. None of the specimens receive any irrigation and depend on natural rainfall and other conditions to survive, which all seem to be doing.

In order of appearance are prickly pear cactus, hedgehog cactus, compass barrel cactus, Christmas cholla cactus, buckhorn cholla cactus and beavertail cactus. Click on the images to advance.

07 Mar 2014 by Arizona Home & Garden Photography

Flowering Plum Tree Pollinator

Blossom and Bee

Our flowering plum tree in the courtyard is getting more mature. All of a sudden over the past few days, the bare branches seem to be covered with these tiny blossoms.

I took several photos of the flowers today, most of them included bees busily gathering nectar. Between the plum tree, and the fifty rosemary bushes on the RV drive hill, the bees must be producing a lot of honey in hives somewhere near here courtesy of our flowering plants. The bees will be busy with some cactus flowers very soon. Click on the image to enlarge.

06 Mar 2014 by Arizona Critters Flowers Home & Garden Photography

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