Monday, April 19, 2010

An Arizona Spring




Like a piece of Chocolate cake our Cactus blossoms don't last very long, but they are so lovely when they appear.

The top two photos are a Cholla.
The pink one is a Hedgehog Cactus and the yellow one is a Prickly Pear.





If these are familiar it's because I posted photos of the same plants a year ago. Some of you missed them so I am repeating posting photos of the blossoms in my neighborhood. (I am such a showoff.) I also tried out a new camera lens on the top four. I really can't tell the difference; it makes me wonder why I spent so much money on it.

I don't know the names of the last four cactus. They are in my neighbor's yard.
The yellow and orange blossoms appear to be those of a variety of a Barrel Cactus.

An aside: Is anyone else having trouble commenting on some blogs now that you have to sign in with a specific title? I have tried using my Google account and it automatically diverts me to a Google sign in page. After signing in my comment vanishes. On some blogs I can sign in using my URL, but not on all of them. So if you didn't get a comment from me it was not for wont of trying. Sorry !!!

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24 comments:

Leslie Parsley said...

Absolutely beautiful. I don't think people who have never lived in the arid west know how beautiful cactus flowers are. Thanks for posting.

Hattie said...

I love cactus flowers and miss them here. I haven't seen any for years. Thank you for this posting.

Darlene said...

*tnlib - You are very welcome.

*Hattie - I'm pleased that I could oblige. You have such gorgeous flowers in Hawaii I wouldn't think you would miss others.

Joy Des Jardins said...

Oh my gosh...those cactus blossoms are so gorgeous Darlene. I guess I've never really seen any...and especially not like those. I had no idea that such beautiful flowers could grow on cactus plants like that. Thanks for sharing these with us sweetie... ~Joy

Xtreme English said...

Thanks for the beautiful photos and for telling us what we're seeing, too!!! It would be wonderful to see the desert bloom, but this is a good substitute!!

as for the comments and google et al., it's all been screwed up badly for a couple of weeks now! one friend tonight said her husband's email has been down for 3 days!! guess it's the weather??? or the volcano ash???

Rain Trueax said...

Beautiful photos. I am happy that I will get to see the cactus probably when we make a rush trip down there the first of May. Unfortunately I don't think we will have social time as we have to get the air conditioning fixed, fencing, and a few other things and don't plan to stay long given we are not taking the cats. I want to go to Monument Valley on our way north as it's a place I have very much enjoyed in the past-- if we can find time.

On the comments, mine often do disappear after I sign in but when I write them after signing in, they stay.

Rain Trueax said...

oh and for those who believe in astrology as an impact... mercury just went retrograde which is always supposed to be a bad time for communication

kenju said...

Darlene, the photos are great and the cactus flowers are lovely! I am going to send a link to this post to a blog friend in CA who grows cacti.

I have had trouble commenting - but because the comments boxes won't open for me.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL....Kenju gabe me thr link to your blog...I am the lady in CA whose whole garden is Cactus and Succulents--out front and down below...
Your pictures are gorgeous! I think Cacti and Succulents are such very very plants and they have such great beauty---Living Sculpture is what I call them....!

Mister Wilson said...

http://horrormoviecritique.blogspot.com/

Darlene said...

*Joy Des Jardins - My only regret is the short life span of these lovely blossoms.

*Xtreme English - It must be the volcano ash because it seems to be good at screwing everything up. ;-)

*Rain - I'm sorry you won't have time to get together, but I do understand. Monument Valley is definitely worth a second visit.

Thanks for the tip on commenting. I will give it a go.

*Kenju - It's a pain to write a comment, or want to, and not be able to deliver it, isn't it?

*OldOldLadyOfTtheHills - Thank you for your visit and kind words.

Yes, I love succulents and they are beginning to bloom now. I think they are fascinating plants and easy to care for.

la peregrina said...

Love, love, love cactus flowers and I do run across a solitary cactus now and then but I do not see them that often up here. Thank you for posting these, they are a treat for the eyes.

Darlene said...

*la peregrina - I'm glad you enjoyed the photos.

*Kay Dennison - Thank you.

Nancy said...

Darlene,

Those cactus flowers are so beautiful you can hardly believe they are real.

I wish I could see them in person...But, the gorgeous pictures will have to do for now...

Anonymous said...

Those are gorgeous, Darlene. I never think of cactus as being to colorful.

Ronni Bennett said...

Oops - I hit the key too soon. That anonymous is me.

Rummuser said...

They are lovely flowers and great photographs.

I have now sorted out the hitch in my blog that was issuing warning notices to some browsers. It should be possible to comment easily for you. Thank you for the emailed comments in the meanwhile.

Darlene said...

*Nancy - You will have to visit me next April so you can see the real blossoms.

*Ronni Bennett - Their beauty is fleeting, sad to say.

*Rummuser - I'm glad you got the glitch removed from you comment section. I will be back.

Nancy said...

Darlene,

I WISH!

I was in Tucson a few years ago and if I had known you were there I would have dropped in.....

Anonymous said...

Darlene--Nancy took the words right out of my fingertips. The colors of cactus blooms are so vibrant that they scream, "fake"!

As to commenting: I cannot even leave a comment on my own blog these days - and I'm on TypePad. Grrrrr!
Cop Car

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Darlene said...

*Nancy - Timing is everything and we had bad timing. I will still be here, be the good Lord willin' and if the creek don't rise' so come again.

*Cop Car - The blossoms make up in quality what they lack in quantity. Or maybe I should say, longevity.

Type Pad is the worst for me. I have tried signing in first, writing the blog first, signing in on my Google Account, and with my URL. Nothing works. Grrr right back. Frustrating.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Darlene, your cactus flowers are beautiful. I have never witnessed them in person.
Computer - I am having the worst of the worst problems. May be partly the air card and service and I may be that I need to upgrade my computer.
I write - it disappears. I read and it does the same thing. My pointer disappears and on and on.
Just know you are special and I always will remember that you were one of the first to encourage me to write - 2 years ago.
Thank you - Fond wishes going your way!!! Remember if you do not hear from me - I am still here.
If I am not on the planet - my special writer daughter will let everyone know...

Darlene said...

*One Woman's Journey - Computer problems are the pits, aren't they? I have had my share and that's why I bought a lap top so if this one acts up I can still get on line. (At least I hope so.)