The cactus we rescued from a nearby park has four new paddles this spring. It started out as a single paddle in 2010 and has grown to the point where I’m going to have to plant it out in Damsel’s rock and cactus garden west of the house. I posted about this cactus when two new paddles appeared in July of 2011. I also posted about it last August. Click on the image to enlarge.
While Bob was in the post office, I wandered over to the garden display area of our local discount department store. I just love the colors of fresh springtime flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.
Spring brings out blossoms on most of our cacti, shrubs and trees. The Arizona State Tree is the the Palo Verde. This is a photo of a tree in the wash in full bloom. A close-up of some individual blossoms can be seen in the inset. Click on the image to enlarge.
Last night, the flowers started opening. I took this image this morning of the first flower. As I post this, the second flower is opening and I will get a photo of it in the morning. A third flower pod will probably open in a few days. Click on the image to enlarge.
This Schlumbergera is one of the first houseplants I bought locally for the Arizona house. Even though it’s popular name is Christmas cactus, this one seems to have its flowers in April like an Easter cactus. No matter, though, the flowers are very pretty. Click on the image to enlarge.
I took this photo of one of the several curve billed thrashers that have been hanging around the area. There are several pairs that have built nests which should be filled with eggs soon. I hope to get some photos of the thrashers and their chicks without disturbing them this spring.
I’m not sure what the bird has in its bill, maybe a seed or something for its mate. Click on the image to enlarge.
It is springtime in the desert and I never get tired of posting pictures of cactus flowers. Our bishop’s cap cactus is blooming again. Twelve or more flowers are open this afternoon on this cactus that we bought in a garden shop near Phoenix back in 1998; at the time the little barrel cactus was in a two-inch pot and badly in need of transplanting. I took it to California, put it into a six-inch pot which it eventually outgrew. Today it’s in an eight-inch pot and will soon be in a twelve-inch or larger pot to continue to make flowers in our courtyard. Click on the image to enlarge.