Cacti: My New Addiction

Finally, the weather is getting warmer and I have been tidying up the gardens.

I found a local nursery on Facebook last week and immediately connected the owner for a visit. We drove there the next day and I was amazed by the variety of cacti such as the Beavertail Cactus, Blue Flame Cactus, Candelabra Cactus, Claret Cup Cactus, Golden Barrel Cactus, Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus, Mexican Fence Post Cactus, Mammillaria Polyedra, Old Man Cactus, Organ Pipe Cactus, Peanut Cactus, Prickly Pear Cactus, Rat Tail Cactus, Saguaro Cactus, Silver Torch Cactus, Totem Pole Cactus, Turk’s Cap Cactus, and so much more.

I was interested in the Hedgehog Cacti, specifically to the one below whose flowers were different from the others. I can’t tell if it’s a Trichocereus Candicans or Gymnocalycium Ritterianum.

We also purchased a Lophocereus Marginatus, also known as Mexican Fencepost Cactus.

We finally have a Blue Spruce! I love everything, Cedar, Fir, Pine, and Spruce trees (especially for their cones); though I love Spruce Trees the most. A couple of months ago, we purchased a Blue Spruce from a local nursery. This, I must admit, is a gamble given the facts that these spruce trees are not well adapted to our wet springs as well as to our hot and humid summers. A couple of people I spoke to said they have owned a couple of trees for many years now and they are growing strong. I am a little hopeful.

Along with the Spruce Tree, we purchased two San Jose Juniper Topiary trees. These bonsai garden trees are a great addition to the garden and I hope they will survive for us to enjoy for many, many years.