Saturday, June 11, 2011

Count Quincey's Cacti!!

In contrast to my last post about the lush greenery of home in Alberta, this post is about sun bleached cacti...we won't pay any attention to the absolutely gorgeous blossoming bushes that are all over the place here - stunning oranges, reds, fuscias, yellows.  Arizona in June is a rainbow!

Anyway, whenever SIL Quincey comes to town he goes to town with the landscaping.  We never know what to expect when our visit down here comes after he and Sara have been and gone.  This time was no exception.  Our yard is becoming it's own desert botanical garden.  Just look---


I don't know if this stick tree is officially  cactus or not but it is definitely a desert plant.  Did you know that a plant can't be classified as a cactus unless it produces flowers.  I did not know that.
Stick Tree - these are really beautiful when they open up and turn green.`
 Again, I don't know if a Joshua tree is a cactus but we'll pretend it is.  We have two of these interesting looking plants in the back yard.  That's a saguaro behind it.

Joshua Tree
This is one of our three saguaros.  Those are blossoms growing around the top of the cactus.  I hope they open up while we're still here.

Saguaro with blossoms
 This is an Argentine Giant.  I'm told it'll spread to six feet in diameter and produce bright red flowers.

Argentine Giant
 I have no idea what this one is called - couldn't find it in my cactus book.  It looks kind of like a Christmas tree with round knobs all over it.

Who Knows???  He's in our front yard.
 This poor little prickly pear is on it's last legs I think.  Looks like it gets too much water.
Prickly Pear
 The two-armed bandit in our front yard - saguaro with blossoms around the top and in the 'v' of the arms.
Second saguaro
 This toothpick cactus has tripled in size since we planted it two years ago.  It's needles are nearly three inches long, and sharp!
Toothpick Cactus
One of many types of barrel cactus - we have three of these beauties
Barrel Cactus
 Another no-name - it's a new one Quincey planted in January

Quincey's cactus
 This one looks like a type of prickly pear - much healthier than the one shown previously.

Prickly pear with bunny ears, or Mickey Mouse ears

Mouse or Bunny???
 I don't know what this new one is called either, but it looks like a Daddy, Mommy and Baby cactus family.
Cactus family
 I think this one might be a form of pipe organ cactus or a senita.  Don't quote me on that though.

Pipe Organ?
 And this is a close up of the blossom about to open on the pipe organ. 

And this is the front yard where a lot of the cacti live.  More in the back.

So, did you count the cactus?  I think there are 17, but I could be off by two or three.  They are very interesting plants, maybe because they seem exotic to us northerners.  I love to see them blossom.

6 comments:

just call me jo said...

That stick tree thing is an ocotillo. It does have blooms at the top in spring. Our neighbor has a lovely one. The twisting, nobby one I have too. It's a contorted cactus or somehting. Mine is all bent and twisted. I can barely raise cactus here in the fires of hell. I love the saguaro. Had to learn the proper pronunciation fast when we came here. I thought the g sounded. Not so the locals were quick to tell me. Sheesh! (I'm from Idaho, folks.) I will call you tomorrow for our get together. We can do lunch or diet coke, whichever you wish. I'm excited to meet.

Mickey said...

Thanks for the tour! Love all the changes. It looks beautiful and hoping you get to see and photograph some blossoms!

Chatty Crone said...

Oh my goodness - I have never seen so many different kind of cacti! Very interesting!

JQ said...

I can't believe the toothpick! Wow that thing grows! The first no-name one looks like a candle that melted in a hot room without being lit.

Haf Dozen Reasons....... said...

The cactus have really taking off for you!! I would love to be there when they all bloom.
I had a prickly pear that would bloom til I forgot it outside one winter. (Daryl does not miss that plant because I would set it on a shelf above the dryer(during winter) and for whatever reason he would get pricklies in his trucking clothes!!) Not so fun I hear!!

Anonymous said...

Mommy, Daddy abd bavy as you say is a mexican fence post.