Friday, August 17, 2012

Plants are Amazing

I don't really understand how cacti work, or why they do what they do.  But remember this photo from August 1st?
The poor thing just lay down one day.  We didn't know what to do, but I figured it had just become top heavy, and needed to create more support for itself.  Well that wasn't the case in the end, because as you can see from the photo below...
it decided to stand up again. (!!??!!)  It took a few days to get there, but it is all the way up again.  So.... what is that all about?  Was it sleepy?  In need of a wee lie down to regain some of its old vigor? Hmmm.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Weehoo, We have a Bloom on the Desert Willow

Actually we have THREE blooms on the Desert Willow, with the promise of quite a few more to follow.
So I have been annoying the heck out of my children by exclaiming each and every time we pull in or out of the driveway..."WOW, check out the beautiful blooms on the desert willow."  I have been told to 'contain my delight' by the older son, who is loathe to show any enthusiasm unless absolutely necessary.  Of course I told him it was just not possible to contain my delight.  He sighed and gave up.
But really, REALLY!!! It is pretty darn delightful, wouldn't you say?!
Now here is me trying to make lemonade out of lemons again... sigh. It's a weed.  And they are rampant in the crushed granite.  But, its flower IS kind of interesting...wouldn't you say?
Back to the good news: This is not the same picture as yesterday.  No sirree, this is the second bloom.
See?  And there are at least two more too.  Yippee.
Now I am also going to get one of those elegant flowers that have the tall broad green leaves.  The flower looks like it is coming along nicely, but the leaves are being eaten by god only knows what.  They are practically decimated, but I never see any bugs whatsoever. Harumph.  How do you get rid of something that you can't see?
And the poor old cactus is still looking like it is suffering from heat exhaustion, but it is gamely sending out new ears which are doing their best to turn themselves in the upward direction.  Some plants sure are resilient.