Holler Hot Summer Blooms~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, Flowers, GARDENING AT THE HOLLER, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS


Spring time blooms,

have long since passed,

as summer sun bakes the land.

Prickly cacti,

wake and yawn.

Emboldened by the heat,

they burst with blooms.

Delicate blossoms,

grace the garden.

Cheers to you from The Holler’s Summer Bloomers~

204 thoughts on “Holler Hot Summer Blooms~”

    1. Oh lucky you! You saw this! It has to be timed just right, but when it is, the sight is just incredible isn’t it! Such delicate beauty blooming so briefly, but in such abundance, in such a harsh environment. I know, it leaves a lasting impression and I am glad you have witnessed this. <3

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    1. There are about 50 of them this year, each as big as a dinner plate. I thought of holding up a measuring tape, but it wrecked the visual gestalt. I am glad you like them.

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  13. You are my inspiration, Cindy. Those lovely cactus flowers reminded me of my dear friend in Germany who is growing these magnificent desert plants in his greenhouse. Perhaps I will publish a guest post on these marvellous wonders of nature in the next couple of weeks.

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    1. Please do. I would love to see them. We saw large greenhouses full of cacti in Switzerland and New Zealand, in public parks. It was a strange sensation to see them growing there.

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    1. I hear you. Cacti, like some prickly people, can be difficult to love. My grandfather, after he retired, had a famous cactus garden that was featured in multiple magazines. I remember helping him with the garden. He especially loved the blooms and planted them all to bloom in synch. I still have his photos.

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        1. It was the best cactus garden I have ever seen. He was an immigrant from Eastern Europe and like many Europeans was fascinated by cacti because he had never seen them growing wild.

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    1. The Holler blooms are pretty amazing this year, which is strange, since our big rain was last year, but the best blooms are this year. Cacti are hard to figure out….

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  27. I keep on thinking of Georgia O’Keeffe’s thought: “nobody see a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – we haven’t time – and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time…” You have shown that it is possible to see flowers and create a place where friends can meet. Hugs!

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    1. Awww. You and I go back a long way now Rebecca, and you are such a special and valued friend. Love to you and thank you, always, for your persistent kindness. We need so many more people like you in this world <3 <3

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  33. Wow!! Amazing to see these beautiful and fragile-looking flowers on the giant cacti … a wonderful glorious juxtaposition! I’m a huge fun of cacti and had many small ones as a child, two which grew quite large. The occasional flower but it would be fantastic to see these flowering in the wild! Enjoy the show and thank you for sharing! 🌺🌻

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    1. Thank you for such a thoughtful comment Annika. I am glad you have seen cactus flowers as they are quite lovely. I wish I could beam you over to The Holler to see more <3

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  42. Brilliant colours and wonderful images, Cindy. It has been an especially cold winter thus far in my part of our beautiful world, so to view your spectacular summer blooms is quite uplifting. The purple African Daisy is my favourite.

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    1. It will not, and neither will the cacti. They love the sun so! Did you hear someone reportedly shot one of the last living jaguars in the US. As they go, so shall we. Cruel hunters.

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  49. Pingback: Holler Hot Summer Blooms~ — | Rethinking Life

  54. Wow! fantastic photo. My wife has a flower farm and sells fresh-cut bouquets. I wish we had your talent for photography. It would sure help with the marketing. 🙂

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        1. So good of you. You did this on your own. Must feel quite amazing, and possibly a lot of other emotions and thoughts. All of which I wish I could hear. But just know, I admire you greatly. Always.

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  62. Summer is baking the UK this year, too. I have a garden full of brilliant but thirsty flowers, and those in pots need watering twice a day, but they’re worth all the hard work. I’m afraid my garden and the sunshine are a major diversion from my computer, hence my long absences from visiting my dear friends’ blogs. Please forgive me, Cindy. I’m sure the rain will come again and drive me indoors!

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    1. Heat waves are impacting all over the globe right now, but twice a day watering in the UK sounds rather intense. I hope you are enjoying the warmth & cheers to you Sarah <3

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      1. Yes, I love the warmth, as I’m skinny and normally feel the cold, which means the winter is utter misery to me. I’m not into sunbathing as such, and like to sit in the shade to read outside, but love going for walks in the sun and doing my gardening.

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        1. I remember being in Burford for the summer when I was young and a heatwave hit. I have never seen so many sunburnt people all at once in my life! So good for you, stay in the shade. Britain is so very beautiful in the summertime <3

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    2. Though we had to water our plants regularly the extreme beautiful Summer gave Europeans some lovely time to enjoy nature, though we here have no opportunity to see such beautiful cacti flowers thanks for sharing them with us.

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      1. I read your post about the effects of the heat wave and other bloggers have been talking about it too. I am sure it made the summer lovely especially in the colder areas. It has been the hottest year on record here too. Thank you for your kind thoughts & cheers to you <3

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  66. the flowers are so perfect they look like crepe paper flowers, my Mum bought me a book of how to make paper flowers and I think I’ll use these photos for ideas and colours 🙂 looking again at these I think it’s important to put in a few different colours and brown some of the edges to make them more realistic.

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    1. Yes, that would be lovely. I used to make tissue paper flowers and I still delicate flowers with this wrinkly texture by this name. Happy Creating Charlotte <3

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  68. It always amazed me that such lovely flowers would grow on cactus plants… Cindy these are amazing shots — the lighting, clarity… and the detail is extraordinary. Happy Fourth of July. Hugs.

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  70. Nancy Walker

    The photos of the flowers are lovely. Absolutely gorgeous. I love the baby owl story. So sweet. I’m finding it hard to comment on post and WordPress still won’t let me like any posts. It’s so frustrating. Cheers to you Cindy. Thank you for sharing such wonderful life-giving moments.

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  71. It’s really quite amazing that something so delicate can arrive on these prickly cacti ! You really must have to watch where you walk or back up in your garden 😀 Being such a klutz, I’m sure to be the one you’d find impaled in there. I guess you don’t have any problem with critters nibbling on your plants either. It’s all very exoctic and beautiful through your lens. It’s the only view of the desert I’ll probably ever enjoy because I fear the heat. I’m so climatized to cooler weather, even Washington, DC was too hot for me. I damn near turned Alys and Pauline into popsicles with the AC in our room, LOL ! x K

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    1. I am reading a book titled, “The Last Frontiersman,” about a guy from Wisconsin who is one of the most isolated homesteaders in Alaska. He says 20 below is mild, “sweater weather!” I was in 50F below once and that was enough for me. Silly me thought it was warming up since the frozen river was smoking. I stepped outside and learned fast! Both extreme heat and cold suck the sap out of you. 105F hits your body like a force much like deep water pressing on you from all sides, 115F and up, just sucks the life out of you, quickly.

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      1. Holy snap! 115F and I’d be finished for sure. If it his 30 C (86 F) I’m whining big time. it was 32 C here a couple of weeks ago and I couldn’t even be outside. I’m with Mr Frontiersman, cool is better but I wouldn’t be out in a sweater at -20 F (-28C), LOL….but that’s pretty normal here over winter. It’s the wind that get’s you though 😀

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      1. So exciting!! Our daughter is expecting her 2nd beginning of September. Is she close by?? Hope so. It’s hard to not want to rush out and get all those cute baby things (and books!) when you know there’s a new baby about to appear. So happy for you– twins!!! I know she’ll be glad to have your help! xox

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        1. Unfortunately for me, I don’t need to rush out. Amazon is extremely helpful in this way. I wrote myself a note saying “No More.”
          Laughing.
          She isn’t here. She is in Northern California and I am in Southern, but I will be there soon, with her, for our last days together before she becomes a mother. OF TWINS!!!

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          1. I know she’ll be so grateful to have your help and encouragement. Our daughter is up north too (in SF) so I’ll be heading up in about 4 weeks. Blessings on those 2 new little lives. So much joy! xox

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                1. She is working as a psychotherapist, but has gone to half days. She is feeling great, but at 26 weeks hasn’t gotten to the can’t find a comfortable position phase, and she is quite petite, so I imagine it will get a bit crowded. God Bless the little children, each and every one, and you too Rhonda.

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                  1. So much ahead! Praying with you that all goes so well and you’ll find so much joy welcoming this new little life. Glad she can manage to work half days–and be baby ready! Here’s to all the fun of watching these little ones grow and flourish!! Enjoy every minute Cindy!

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