Blooming Cacti: Part I~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, EXTERIOR & INTERIOR DESIGN, Flowers, GARDENING AT THE HOLLER, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES

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Cacti are blooming all over Hollerdom.
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Prickly plants yielding fragile flowers.

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Like gilded lilies,

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in rainbow hues,

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seeking sun,
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through lethal thorns.
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An Easter parade,

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in a desert scape,

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beauty triumphs in the harshest places.

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Cheers & Happy Easter to you~

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271 thoughts on “Blooming Cacti: Part I~”

  9. I’m lovin’ this Easter Parade Cindy! What a treat! I also can’t help but notice, as I view the colors and structural formations about how much these plants remind me of flora and fauna in the wettest places on earth – under the sea. Some of these remind me of sea anemones.

    By the way, have you visited Lotusland in Montecito, CA here: http://www.lotusland.org/explore-garden/gardens/ ? This place was my first introduction to all manner of gigantic, exotic cacti! 🙂

    ~Lynn

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    1. Oh my God! It is truly amazing how alike our brains think! I was trying to edit some of the paler flowers like the yellows and peaches and I told Jim, “these flowers are harder to photograph than anenomes and they look so similar.”
      It is eerie. We have brain synergy. Lotusland looks incredible and I love Montecito, so I just have to go back! 😉

      Reply

  10. Ah, me Cactus Rose, Y’ve out done yerself wi’ these pics. I especially was interested in the “rainbow” one, Cuz. Is that natural? ….and the last pic looks like a “bridge cactus. Happy Easter ! 🙂

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    1. It’s a reflection of a stained glass piece in the garden. This was at San Diego Botanical Garden. I was kinda entranced by it. Looks like I went after the cactus with colored chalk which would hurt! Ouch! Happy Easter cuz~

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  12. Seeing these creatures up close and personal, my mind wanders….to the pre-historic….or maybe to outer space… or to someone who’s gotten a gorgeous new hat or outfit, but doesn’t know how to carry it off…..

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    1. Laughing…..Yes indeed, just more than a little odd and off kilter aren’t they! Plus they remind me of people, prickly and defended, but capable of amazing tenderness and beauty.

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  14. The cactus in the fourth from the bottom picture (“an Easter parade”) looks like the genus Opuntia which produce sweet edible fruits ranging in color when ripe from green, yellow, orange, red, purple, to even brown. In the picture, the fruits are the oval shaped growths beneath the reddish flowers. Each are encased in a thick prickly (i.e. barbed) skin which is easy to remove with a knife and a set of work gloves. The fruits have a similar taste and texture as watermelon. They grow wild and are quite common throughout Mexico and the western U.S., and have been introduced to many regions outside their native habitat. Each region and locale seems to have a unique name for these fruits. My family, of Sicilian ancestry, called them “ficcudini.”

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    1. Yes, we call them Prickly Pear cactus and they are sold de-prickled at our local grocery store which is Hispanic owned. It is used alot in Mexican cooking and grows all over The Holler. I have eaten it in Mexican restaurants, but have never cooked it. I should try it. How interesting that it is eaten in Sicily too. It is a very small world!

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  19. Wow!!! Simply stunning!! With such raging colors.. indisputable proof that sometimes the most beautiful things come with “a few” thorns…😉😳🙀🙄😸👍🏽

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    1. There is something so unique about cactus flowers. I suppose it relates to growing in such a hostile environment, and being so delicate and fragile, amidst such formidable thorns.

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      1. I hope, too, Cindy 🙂
        But I have to wait till May 1st to find out. Because I celebrate Easter on that day.
        Thanks for your beautiful greetings in advance
        <3

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  31. Easter gives hope for tomorrow,
    As after the winter comes Spring.
    Our hearts can be filled with gladness
    As hearts rejoice and sing.
    Happy Easter

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  33. The cactus is wicked beauty! Would not want to land on one! tee hee! I love the flowers on them! Happy Easter at the Holler Cindy! Hugz Lisa and Bear

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  48. Hi Cindy,

    Living in The Holler’ is like living in a biological laboratory. Something new and beautiful every day. As I have said before, envy is one of the “Thou Shalt Nots”, but I think He may overlook just this one little bout of envy. Great pictures. Thanks again for an armchair visit to The Holler.

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    1. Ahhhh, but remember cacti have thorns and The Holler has drought. I have no problem with envy, except that it is usally not valid. You after all have all of Upstate for a playground and all those lakes and streams! Happiest Easter Wally to you and your family. <3

      Reply

  49. Gorgeous desert blooms. I have never seen the rainbow cacti before! We were in Phoenix last year at this time and we were stunned at the variety of the desert flowers and their beauty. What a brilliant show of color!

    Reply

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