Apr 8
We had a beautiful sunny day yesterday which this Lady Finger Cactus obviously preferred because the blooms opened a little wider and there were more of them than the day before. Sorry Javelina….you’re not getting them this year!
Apr 7
This Lady Finger Cactus (Echinocereus pentalophus) is another of my discount finds. It was 1/4th this size but as you can see, it’s responded really well….especially since I fenced in Javelina Cafe. I knew it was about to bloom yesterday so in between doing taxes, I set my timer and went out every two hours to check on it. These photos were taken about 11am. It was heavily overcast yesterday which might explain why they didn’t open all the way but I was happy that I didn’t miss it totally like I usually do 🙂
Captured with Canon 180mm Macro
Apr 6
I rescued this Hedgehog from Home Depot. It was under a bench with a price tag of a few dollars and it looked nearly beyond help. I had no idea what color the bloom would be but I felt sorry for it and took it home. To my delight, the blooms are an amazing soft pink! I used a filter called Pixel Bender on it to give it even more softness.
Aug 19
I visited friends at the Desert Botanical Garden yesterday and captured this shot of cactus blooms. There are dozens of cactus right inside the entrance in various stages of bloom including some full rings. Worth a visit!
Droid X in Macro mode – no effects!
Jul 30
Yesterday morning, I was excited to find one of my Pincusion Cactus in full bloom! Instead of the solid pink petals that I’m used to seeing, though, this one had white stripes. I’ve seen this pattern before and always wondered so I wrote my botanist guru, Steve Jones. He confirmed that they are indeed the same species as my other…..Graham’s Pincushion. I also asked for the reason they are blooming so much more than last year and here’s his response: ”
They flower any time they get water – seems to me that within a week of any good rainfall from April to September I start to see flowers. They’re opportunistic – they flower like ocotillos leaf out, in response to rain. The ASDM manual has this note (very bottom of the page):
“The flowers can be used as a monsoon season rain gauge. The buds are produced during the preceding summer growing season and usually remain dormant through the winter, spring, and foresummer. The buds burst into bloom 5 days after the first rain of the summer and last about a week. Plants produce a second and sometimes a third flush of flowers after subsequent rains.”
We haven’t been getting the rain the rest of the valley has been getting but I do give them supplemental water so that explains the blooms!
Jul 17
Update on Javelina Cafe…..the fence is working! I rescued many tiny Pincushion Cactus (some with bites out of them) and not only have they healed but they are thriving. Today’s photo is a composite of blooms that opened yesterday (you might have heard me squealing!) For those who live in this area, keep an eye out for them. They’re usually hiding under shrubs for protection. They will bloom for several days so you have some time to scout for them. What sets Mammillaria (species) apart from other cactus is their Tubercles.
Jun 9
Since putting a fence around Javelina Cafe, my hybrid cactus have been doing really well! The most amazing blooms this Spring were on my Echinocereus pentalophus hybrid….aka Lady Fingers. Fat Fingers is a better name since the stems stay swollen from too much water. The ground squirrels continually chew through the drip lines. Anyway….the color is so brilliant that it almost looks fake!
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