The first new stems on my Mexican Fence Post cactus (Pachycereus marginatus). Unlike some other cacti, the new stems look exactly like the more mature stems.
Rosa 'Tiffany' has finally put out a nice flower now that our highs are in the mid-70's to low 80's. 'Tiffany' has a great spicy fragrance. All my roses have buds and the flowers are lasting about a week now. That's quite a change from the one-day blooms of late summer. 
November desert garden view. The Santa Rita Prickly Pear (Opuntia violaceae santa rita) has started to turn purple. It will deepen as the weather cools even more.
My daughter has a large potted ornamental sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas 'Margarita') that I coveted when I saw it, so I got one of my own. Now, I wish I hadn't as I have to water it every day, and sometimes twice! It is beautiful, but not worth the extra effort. The plant is supposed to do well in USDA Zones 9-11 with moderate water and shade. I can't imagine what this plant would require in late spring to early fall. Maybe watering seven times a day!
12 comments:
That sweet potato vine sure is a thing of beauty! I look at them every time I go to Target (they always have a few)...I guess water-wise they are silmilar in need to Coleus, and I just can't take that regime anymore!
The desert garden is beautiful :)
Aiyana. You've got to admit someone had it right on when they named that fencepost cactus. I have always thought they looked just like one. The blooms are really a pretty shade of yellow. While we in the cold climes have snow, you'll have your lovely roses. But after your summers you deserve them. I love the look of your desert garden now, it almost looks tropical.
I'm extrememly jealous of those large pachcereus... I just don't have the means to grow them here. They would have to be brought in every winter, and I don't have a greenhouse. The ipomea are very popular here as ground covers, in the heat of july & august they take a lot of water... they don't survive the winter outside here, but they do produce a potato that you can bring in for the winter and sprout next spring. Most people don't bother though, they're almost cheap, and so easy to start from cuttings it's not even funny...
Congrats on the Pachycereus babies. Can you get a closeup? They're so cute.
The rose is just lovely! I haven't had a single bloom- I must have done something terribly wrong! The Mexican Post cactus is just like a cactus I rescued from a neighbor. I think you gave me an ID on it- thanks! The view of your garden in November is just wonderful! I love the way you captured the sunlight and shadows. It looks incredibly inviting! The Sweet Potato vine is beautiful- if high maintanance.
What beautiful flowers the cactus has!
I'm glad to see that your roses are doing so good. At least I can see pictures of yours while mine are sleeping. I love your fencepost cactus babies too. :)
The new shoots look like little stars poking through the rocks - so pretty.
Your garden is so beautiful!
I searched your site for ocotillo, do you have one? I love all those blooming cacti...how often do you have to water them to make them bloom?
Hi consciousgardener,
No, I don't have Ocotillo now. When I first intalled my landscape, I did have two, which I believe were DOA. I left them in the ground for a year--and then it was obvious they weren't alive. It sometimes takes months to know for sure. Ocotillo is normally shipped from Texas, and sometimes they are stored for months before shipping and sale. It's common to have dead ones for sale, as you can't really tell. The best bet is to get a fresh one from a local grower. As much as I like them, I couldn't find a local place (other than a wholesaler) who could guarantee they were grown locally. I couldn't buy from the wholesaler, so I just dropped the idea.
I water potted cacti when dry. It varies depending on the weather, but an average would be once a week in the hottest part of summer and 3 weeks to monthly in winter. Many cacti go dormant in winter and get no water or very little in 3 months. Landscape cacti don't get supplemental water unless we have a very long dry spell in very hot weather.
Oh I'm sorry to hear you lost your Prickly Pear. I was hoping that you would be able to save it.
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