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.
About a year ago, we had the landscape installed at the house. I wanted to plant some native cacti to compliment the color of the gravel, so we collected some beavertail cacti from the back half of the property and transplanted them to several spots in the front and along the RV drive. Most of them, like the cutting shown in the image have sprouted new paddles.
We’re hoping for some of the brilliant pink flowers to bloom this spring. If they don’t appear on the transplants this year, we’ll give them time since I have a couple of mature beavertails elsewhere in the yard which are likely to produce flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.
I 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.
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.
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.
I took a hike up to the northeast corner of our lot today. I wanted to take a couple of pictures and look for some rose quartz for Damsel’s cactus and rock garden by the RV driveway. The back half of our lot is natural desert vegetation on hilly terrain. Hidden between the cholla, palo verde, mesquite and creosote (and others), I found this barrel cactus up there. We’re hoping that it will get flowers this April through June for Damsel’s photographic talents. Click on the image to enlarge.
When we return to California, we’re always greeted with surprises – some unpleasant ones, like elbow high weeds in the back yard and some nice surprises like flowers in bloom. We mow the weeds down, spray Round Up grass and weed killer and I take pictures of the flowers.
This is (I think) a lithops in bloom. “Lith” from the Greek for stone and ops meaning “like.” This species uses it’s stony, unappetizing appearance to keep from being eaten by small mammals, but occasionally produces flowers for propagation purposes. Click on the image to enlarge.
