E . Misouriensis blooming...

The cemetary cactus, which I've written about rather extensively in the past, and graces the header of my blog, has honored more with a bloom today. Many more coming, and rhe bright red berries from last years fruit make the plant look good too!

Random pics and stuff...

just some random pics around the yard... not sure that there's anything all that interesting going on...

This is an actual Mansfield Cemetary cactus blooming in the back... not bad for a cutting that is a little less than a year old, huh? As you can see, he's already growing offsets, and the smaller cutting directly next to him is more typical of the cuttings that I have... still too small, but I expect big things from them next year...

And the winter may have killed my Variagated Agave americana... but the roots have evidently survived underground and are starting to resprout... how cool is that? I'll probably take one inside this winter, as they're evidently not as hardy as the unvariagated form. The web-sites aren't in agreement as to exactly how hardy they are... so we'll not take any chances...

And here's a common everyday thistle by the side of the road. I've always been fond of thistle. I have no real reason why, just am...

And here's the new growth on the Sago Palm... The other rescued sago may be showing some signs of stirring to life... but it's very subtle... anyway... as soon as these leaves get up and hardened off, I'll cut off the older beat up leaves, what few are left, and try to find a place in the yard to put this guy... where he'll sit for at least 3 months before he puts up another whirl of leaves... they don't grow their leaves one at a time, but rather in periodic bursts. Sometimes only one group a year, and never it seems more than 3 a year. hmmmmm.

Anyway... no day off for me this week... I've got to work on Monday for someone who's got a Dr's appointment... oh well...

Cemetary cactus all abloom...

All right, not the actual cemetary cactus... those are in another part of my yard... this is an Escobaria missouriensis that I'd had for a few years before... the actual cemetary cactus are producing blooms, or about 1/3 of the cuttings are... the other ones are still too small... But the slightly pinker toned blooms in my header photo were taken in the cemetary last year.

This plant crowns the top of a strawberry jar in my back yard, and by this time next year will have totally covered the opening...

It's been blooming for about a week now. Unfortunately, the blooms only open when the plant is getting direct sun. The sun moves behind the house and throws a shadow on the plant every day at about 4:30 pm... causing the blooms to close. So today, when I had a day off, was the first time I've been able to see the blooms open.

I'd move the whole thing to a sunnier spot... but all together it weighs well over a hundred lbs, and it's just not worth it to me for a blooming season that's going to last about 2 weeks.

I've found that photographs don't do these, or any cactus bloom, justice. Cactus flowers have a pearlescent sheen on their petals that is impossible to capture on film. But, you get the general idea, I'm sure...

Well, I was out in Mansfield again today, with a very few minutes, so I decided to stop by the cemetary to check out the cemetary cactus... they're putting out their fruits this time of year, and in about a month or so they'll be blooming their fool heads off. (The blooms are the ones in the header pic)

I've done some checking around, and this is evidently one of the few remaining areas where these plants are growing in a wild or semi-wild state in this area... would have gotten a few more pics, but I got an order and had to run...

I was intent on blogging today. I'm trying to make a point of blogging, as I've been very lazy about it lately. Actually, not so much lazy, as working on another writing project. It would appear that, when it comes to typing, I have only so many words a day before my brain says 'no more'

But here's a few pics from the yard... some pansies...

The Rosemary is blooming too... usually it blooms in December, if it's gonna, but this year it decided to surprise me... I'm one of the few people I know who like rosemary blooms... I've always thought they looked like tiny little orchids...

And the Southern Snowflakes are going haywire...

And that's really about it. I know, not very exciting huh?

A plant and a rant...

Well, true to my blog name... When I post, I usually have a rant, or I have a plant. Rarely will it be both in the same post. Today it is... Lucky you! Aren't you glad you clicked onto here today?

I should start with a little background info I suppose... here's the previous post from a couple of weeks ago...
http://lpfleamarket.blogspot.com/2009/04/cemetary-cactus.html

This is about the cemetary cactus... Specifically the Escobaria missouriensis that were deliberately planted in the cemetary. I didn't tell anybody what cemetary, because these are ancient clumps, and very valuable... well I had a little time off in the middle of the day, and I was within a mile, so I dropped by... the plants would still be in bloom, and I wanted to have a good look into the older part of the graveyard... see if I could pick out the oldest plant... more for something to do than anything else.

Well, the graveyard had recently been mowed... and here's the result...

They mowed right over the cactus... beheading the little guys!

As far as I can tell, this is the oldest clump... on a grave dating from 1891. The plant was probably decent sized and at least 25 years old when it was planted here... the total size was about 3 feet by 1 3/4 feet...

Now it won't kill the plants totally... most are pretty low to the ground to begin with... this next pic is old damage, probably from last year... the black/brown mass in the middle is what will be showing up here soon...

Now, I did start picking up the cut off pieces and knocked off pups from the plants... (Yes, I know it's probably technically stealing plants from a graveyard, but I absolutely dare anybody to tell me that I can't pick up grass clippings if I danged well want to... and besides, I was so burning that they're lucky I didn't have a shovel with me to start salvaging plants... You don't go around haphazardly damaging 100+ year old plants then start whining when people decide to save them from you...and if I did have the shovel on me, and I also saw the lawn maintenance man... well, I would have a shovel and it IS a graveyard... figure it out.)

This is only a fraction of what I got...

I should be able to root 90% of what I picked up...

The truly awful part of it is that those plants were worth from $25 to $200 each... easy... I've seen old clumps bid up to dizzying prices on ebay... and now, this scarred up and deformed, they're not worth 50 cents. I have no doubt they'll survive. They evolved to survive being trampled by buffalo herds. But they're ruined now...

I would try to contact the Cemetary Association, and try to get permission to remove the plants that are in harms way. But, I know Texans, and I'm 99 percent sure they won't give it... I may start a career as a cactus poacher.

But as is... I got some winter hardy cactus rooting... anybody want one?

Cemetary Cactus...

Well, I know I was going to tell you more about my trip to the Ft. Worth Botanic Garden, but I found these today... I've been to about every cemetary I can find, (My dad was a history buff, and we used to enjoy looking for historic burials) and I've waded through more iris beds, crinum lillies and yuccas than I care to remember, but this is the first time I've ever encountered these Escobaria missourensis deliberately planted on graves. Of course, it may have once been very common to plant pincusion cactus over graves. Modern lawnmowers and weedeaters may have destroyed many plantings.

Some of the plants are blooming a decidedly green color...

some are very heavily bearing last years fruit...

and some are blooming a decidedly flesh-tone...

This is my size 11 work boot beside this clump, just so you have some idea of the size of the things...

I'm not going to give the name or location of this graveyard... the reason is that I am more than aware of the retail cost of these clumps of cacti... some of the clumps are at least a hundred years old... and I don't want to tell any cactus rustlers where to find a motherlode, but I did just have to show them to you...