First Time Parodia Bloom!

This is the first time this Parodia magnifica has bloomed! I won it in a raffle at last year's Cactus and Succulent Society Show. It was large when I got it and it already had a lot of offsets, but look how many there are now!





This cactus needs some shade in the summer, so I keep it on my front patio behind a pillar. It takes twice a month water in the summer, but it has to stay pretty dry in winter. Sometimes I forget to water it, but it stays alive.




Getting ready for the Black Mission figs to ripen! Can't wait for one of my favorite summertime treats! This is my daughter's tree--my son's tree has even more, so the fight is on.



Now, I'm on my way to cool country to house sit a few days. It will be a fun break from our early heat.

Sunset

Heaven - it is God's throne. The earth - it is his footstool.

Matthew 5:34-35

I LOVE Gaudy!

On a recent spring garden tour one of the gardens had groups of vases and bottles that were placed in a few areas around the garden. Some were all blue, and one area had multiple colors, all different shapes and sizes. I liked the look so I started buying the colored glass whenever I would find them for under $2.00. Most were marked $3.99 at our local Goodwill Store, but when they had a half price sale, I could get them for under my target price. Eventually, I will fill up three tree wells at my daughter's home with my finds. I don't have any room at my place, and luckily my family lets me release my pent-up collector's drive by accommodating my ideas.







This is one of the latest finds at the local Goodwill. I stared buying brightly colored Mexican garden decor for the block wall that I was going to paint like the those at my daughter's side yard. I just love the bright colors, but I changed my mind about painting and just started hanging up yard art instead. This was priced at $4.99 on a half price day! I can't make myself even pay full price at the thrift shops! Is this a sad commentary of the times, a sign of old age, or just being smart? Probably all of these! I give away more to Goodwill than I buy, and I just don't want to pay them the original inflated price! Imagine that. A $75 Iguana for $4.99 at the full price, and I think that's too high!

This gaudy little planter almost makes up for not painting!

Here's more acquisitions. I tend to go overboard--so it looks like I will have to start storing more junk when the place starts looking like a Mexican restaurant on crack!

This sunflower has almost reached the top of the 8 foot bottle tree. The recent winds blew the plant over twice. We tied it to the bottle tree, covered the roots and I think it will make it!! The recent rains and clouds have helped and the newly planted Vincas as well. Oh! And it helped me too!!!

Upside Down Tree?

On my morning walk I took a detour off the lake path and went into another lake neighborhood. I found this strange looking tree at one of the houses. I know it's been there for years, but just never noticed it before. It doesn't always have leaves on it. It is a Boojum Tree (Idria columnaris) and it is related to the Ocotillo.This one is is about 18 feet tall, and I found out it is about 20 years old. These things can get as tall as 70-80 feet! It is a deciduous stem succulent tree is native to the Baja California area of Mexico. The San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park has a large collection of them, and the U of A has three that were planted in the 1920's. The Desert Botanical Garden also has one that is about 25 feet tall. The flowers are a tubular shape and pale yellow. They are borne on 16 inch panicles if the tree is over six feet tall. They sell for about $1000.00 per foot. Small ones are available at local cactus and succulent nurseries.

Near the top of the tree is an unidentified bird's nest. Not a great photo but that's what that brown patch is....

Another One Down, Another One Bites The Dust

Strange weather in Arizona. We are having monsoon-like weather. Lighting , a little rain and lots of wind! At least in my back yard!!! Does this look familiar? A second swing bites the dust! I won't know the damage until I get it back together--I don't think the frame is bent on this one. I'm afraid it will be a goner when the "bona fide" monsoon season comes in July.

The bird bath is solid cement and a layer of stucco, and it weighs a ton! Can you believe this?

The Purple Heart is missing its front half. The plant that was in the overturned planter is gone--as in missing! Can't even find the plant! It's probably in the lake or beyond.

Remember the newly planted bougainvillea?

Stripped of all the beautiful bracts!! The one next to it was untouched! Just like every time before, I am the only one in the neighborhood that gets this wind damage. Scary........I must have a micro climate that generates miniature tornadoes or wind shears right in my back yard.

Quarter Day Trip

Last weekend, with a few hours to kill before Mother's Day dinner, we took off into the desert for what I call a quarter day trip and found it in bloom with new and different things.





The Saguaros were not yet in full bloom but loaded with buds ready to open. The flowers open toward the evening, stay open the next day, then close, never to open again. In a few weeks the green fruits ripen and burst open with bright red juicy pulp, ready to feed the birds, which then disperse the seeds!





Not sure what all the flowers are, just enjoyed seeing them for the first time--or perhaps I just never took the time to see them before? I'm sure they have always been there. They remind me of popcorn!

The creosote bush flowers are turning to fuzzy fruits. This is the shrub that provides the wonderful "fragrance of the desert" following rain.

Engleman's Prickly Pear, a native, with its beautiful lemon yellow flowers.

Cholla of some sort, maybe Buckhorn, adorned with pretty pink flowers. Chollas are a different form of Opuntia (Prickly Pear), so they have really mean glochids in addition to the spines. It's best to stay back from these things.

Most wildflowers are long gone, but these unidentified yellow ones still look good. These may be Brittlebush.

An interesting thistle-like flower. I'm amazed at how many native plants there are in the Sonoran Desert. I can find new ones every year in every season.

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!