Cereus hankeansus (above)
Aloe reitzii (below). Relatively few Aloes are in bloom, but there are a few.
Not blooming, but oh-so-pretty Agave ovatifolia:
Hechtia or Dyckia seed pods, very attractive:
Yucca glauca
I don't know which cactus this is, but the flowers are unexpectedly dainty:
Sweet!
This agave flower had bright yellow color.
The flower stem was flopped across the pathway, allowing for a close up look.
A small Parkinsonia 'Desert Museum', just planted last fall. It's thriving:
The slow progress of Agave parrasana:
This one isn't ready to bloom. Look at those leaf impressions. Gorgeous plant:
Lots of red in the flowers:
Not in bloom, but a Leucophyllum zygophyllum 'Cimarron' caught my attention. This is more compact than the typical Leucophyllum and vulnerable to root rot, but what a silvery beauty.
There are the Agave parrasanas from the other direction. Yuccas blooming in the back ground.
Bromelliad balansae
Aloe framesii, not in bloom, but the rose-tinged foliage is alluring.
Ponder the size of those bamboo clumps in the distance:
One of the smallest Beaucarnea recurvatas in the Desert Garden, but hardly small.
An unexpectedly cool July day enabled us to linger.
A cool, overcast summer day: what joy!
The barrel cactus provide nice echoes for the palo verde tree. It's almost hard to believe it's July, isn't it? What do we call "June gloom" in July? I'm thinking "July salve."
ReplyDeleteI call it "July Sigh", because I sigh since it is so wonderful, but I also sigh because I know it won't be around for all of July. The heat reportedly returns--tomorrow. Sigh.
DeleteSo beautiful! An overcast day is exactly what I would want for a visit.
ReplyDeleteI noticed those Agave parrasana bloom stalks last December. Nice to see them coming along although flowering is such a bitter-sweet event.
Quite a slow species--in a good way. Extremely pretty plant--I'm glad I got one.
DeleteSounds like a perfect time to see those display, cool and overcast in midst of summer. Even the ones not in bloom make for a spectacular display!
ReplyDeleteNot the usual July weather here--enjoying it while it lasts!
DeleteGreat variety of flowers, and I'm with you on the form and bud imprints on many agaves being a good sometimes.
ReplyDeleteIn August there will be the arid-climate bulbs blooming, and in September the Aloe flowers get going again. There's always some flowers to see there.
DeleteIt's posts like this that remind me that even if I end up living somewhere without water, I can still have a really captivating garden and lots of blooms. At the start of the post I thought this was your own garden, and wondered why you hadn't shown the Cereus hankeansus before! :)
ReplyDeleteThere's lots of wonderful xeric plants. All it takes is knowledge and skill and time to amass a fabulous collection--but that goes for non-xeric plants, too.
DeleteMy garden may be dry, but desert it ain't, not yet anyway!
Those Dyckia or Hechtia seed pods are beauties. But they bring up a question -- do the staff groom and deadhead there? Everything looks almost as perfect as at the show you posted pics from. I'm assuming they purposedly collect some seed to start plants for replacements and/or nursery sales etc.
ReplyDeleteYes it is groomed and cared for, and seeds are collected for distribution and propagation. Plants are added and entire beds are cleared out and replanted periodically. The more we visit, the more changes we can see.
DeleteSo many of these photos made me swoon...aren't you ashamed?
ReplyDeleteBlame those beautiful plants. It is all their doing. I just press the button on the camera.
DeleteA real joy for my to visit your blog today. There is something about desert plants that fascinates me - lots! Maybe because I live on the shores of Lake Michigan and the desert is so opposite to life here. The survival techniques of the plants is wonderful. Thanks for the beautiful blooms today. Jack
ReplyDeleteHappy you enjoyed the pictures!
DeleteMy husband used to spend summers in Douglas, Michigan when he was a little boy. He remembers lots of mosquitoes!
Profoundly beautiful photos, and the cactus with the dainty flowers is tear-bringingly lovely! Are you sure you don't know the name? Do your agave blooms have a honey-ish scent?
ReplyDeleteDainty is something in the Cereus group, I expect. I am no Cactus expert. I've sniffed Agave flowers, but detect either no scent, or just a very faint one. Could be my nose, though.
DeleteAh, that genus seems to have quite a few species that produce wonderful blooms...thank you!
ReplyDelete