Sunday, May 28, 2006

Stairs

Evening

Agave Vegetative Sprouts

Agave Patterns

Two agaves bloomed recently and both show a similar pattern of vegetative sprouts on the lower flower branches and fruits higher on the inflorescence.

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Egg

Gulf Fritillary Egg on Passionfruit

Coconut Palm Fiber

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Flower of the Day

Another fabulous Echinopsis.

Sunrise

Afternoon Light

White Winged Dove Mom

Dove Nest in Coconut Palm

I got on a ladder to photograph this last week. I think they haven't hatched yet.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Opuntia macrocentra Flower

Aloe La Paz

This Aloe is terrific since it keeps blooming and blooming! The birds love it too.

Brown Towhee

Brown Towhee checking out the house.

Barrel Cacti

Native Barrel Cacti with fruits from last Fall.

Dove Love

Ground Doves.

Old Man Cactus

The older branch tips get kind of whiskery.

Euphorbia pseudocactoides Fruit

Oriole and Aloe Flowers

He just finished drinking nectar.

Prickly Buds

I have to pay attention so I don't miss these when they bloom. They'll probably only be open for one day.

New Fishtail Palm Leaf

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Prickly Pear Flower

Opuntia macrocentra


Lots of new growth.

Stretching?

Male Xantus Hummingbird

This guy is hanging out on our clothes line, singing away.

Leonotis nepetifolia -- Lion's Tail

I was lucky to see this annual in its natural habitat in Tanzania last spring. It grows well here and the birds love it. It reseeds too, but isn't really a pest.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Plumerias Awaken

I hadn't been aware until this season of how many plants are dormant here in the winter. I had thought that if you gave most tropical plants water, they would grow. Not so. Many plants simply didn't grow at all until March (when it got warmer), even though they had plenty of water. This Plumeria started growing leaves and flowers a few weeks ago. It is tapped into out septic system and gets no supplemental water or fertilizer. I took it off the drip system a couple of years ago.

Verbena

Lately, I've been "getting into" Verbenas. I made the pot a few years ago. It has my secret language all over it.

Rocks Help Transplants

This is a transplant of annual: Sphaeralcea coulteri and I have found that putting a few rocks as mulch around the base of transplants seems to help them start growing sooner. I've gone from pulling this plant out as a weed, to transplanting it where I want it.

Flower of the Day

This is a new record for my Echinopsis: three flowers open at once! This one opens at night and closes around noon. These flowers opened for two days.

Cactus Fruit

I love the patterning and texture of this Ferocactus latispinus fruit. It is ripe and contains a zillion tiny, hard, black seeds. You can plant them and get a zillion cactettes.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Aloe lineata

Not many of the Aloes bloom in the Spring so this one is special.

Opuntia

All of the Opuntias (Prickly Pears) are coming to life--I guess they like the warmer weather.

Flower of the Day

Astrophytum trio.

Cut Flowers


A new bouquet of Euphorbia psuedocactiodes!