Where is Autumn?

Fall seems a lot way off with our continuing heat, but my roses have suddenly started forming buds again and putting on some foliage after shedding much of it the last couple of months. The flowers are still small and deformed, but at least they're trying. You can see the heat damage on the outer petals. I need to start the fall schedule of fertilizing the rose bushes, but I don't want to push any leaf production until the weather is a little cooler.




The tiny .20 inches of rain we received four days ago was just enough to prompt this Echinopsis 'Los Angeles' to put out a small flower. This particular cactus usually manages up to fourteen flowers at once in the spring, and sometimes again in late October. Lately, I can't seem to get my camera to focus properly. It seems all my photos are slightly out of focus regardless of settings. So, this is the best I can do for now. I almost hate to post because of the poor photo quality!




Yet another barrel bloomed this week. Barrel cactus flowers don't vary a lot, except the coloration from barrel to barrel. My last post showed some of the others that have bloomed recently. I do have several more types of barrels that are spring bloomers and three others, including Golden Barrel, Emory’s Barrel, and Ferocactus rectispinus, that won't bloom for another 15 years or so. I don't think I'll be around for those blooms!