Cactus

Last year after we moved here, we discovered some shriveled up prickly pear cactus growing under a tree along the driveway. We figured they would die out over the winter and ignored them. Evidently that's what cactus want...ignore us!!  And see what happens in the spring/summer??  Beautiful yellow flowers...this one has been open for 5-6 days and there are many more buds along the edges. What fun.

Gene's slowly been adding cactus to his cactus garden and we also have a fabulous claret cup cactus that a friend brought him from Texas...brilliant raspberry colored flowers...I forgot to take a picture. But this is a good year for cacti as we had lots of water this winter (remember the snow we complained about?) This is the result. Now if we could just get some rain!!

(Prickly pear cactus represent about a dozen species of the Opuntia genus (Family Cactaceae) in the North American deserts. All have flat, fleshy pads that look like large leaves. The pads are actually modified branches or stems that serve several functions -- water storage, photosynthesis and flower production.)