Agave Lechuguilla

Hellen and I came home with a start of this agave a bunch of years ago when we visited the McNay Museum in San Antonio to enjoy a Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit. I was just getting serious about my cactus collection and was anxious to add new specimens and at the time...

Consider the Much-Maligned Prickly Pear

To many people, if you say cactus, they immediately frown, wince, envision prickly pear, and want no part of any cactus. Which is a shame, because the opuntia family gives us beautiful flowers, and with conscientious pruning can be kept from taking over your garden...

Unidentified Pink and Lime Object

I have no idea the identity of this cactus. I have had it for enough years I forgot where I bought it; and for years I have waiting for it to finally decided to bloom. it was a small little lime green ball when I bought it. I watched it grow tall. Nothing happened....

Asplundh Trims the Trees

Yesterday morning the doorbell rang at 7:45. It was Juan from Asplundh, the tree trimming company. Give us about two and half hours, he told me, and we will be back to trim your trees. I knew it was coming; just didn’t know when. So today was the day. Time to move...

Cotyledon Staghorn

I rescued this plant last year from one of the big box stores. Its pot had fallen over and the plant tumbled out, soil and all, and no one seemed the least bit concerned. I located the manager, played let’s make a deal, and took the plant home for next to nothing. The...

And So It Finally Begins! Flowers!

Traditionally, the second week in May is usually when my outdoor cactus begin to bloom in earnest. Now that we are at the end of the first week of May, they are gearing up for their blooming season. I see myriad buds getting puffier and fatter in anticipation of their...