Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris) April 24, 2015)

The potted beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris) in the side yard bloomed today. The plant has only a few buds on it this year, like last year, but they're always pretty. This is a very early flower for this plant. The cactus bloomed on May 9, in 2009, on May 29 in 2010, on May 18 in 2011, on June 3 in 2012, and on May 17 in 2014. I can't find a record for 2013, but this plant usually blooms in mid-Mayor later.

Plants I'm Growing: In the Garden Now (May 18, 2014)

This is perhaps the prettiest time of year in the garden. Everything that blooms in the spring sees to be blooming at once. The late Rhododendrons, several different Phlomis varieties, roses, rock roses, and various other flowers. The first blossom on the potted beavertail cactus in the driveway opened yesterday, May 17.

The garden is neglected at the moment, the result of too much time spent working, but the flowers are still pretty. The photo above is the Cistus (or rock rose) called "Sunset." Below pictured are Phlomis fruiticosa (Jerusalem Sage) and one of my favorite roses, a single-petaled variety called "Nearly Wild."

Plants I'm Growing: First blooms--Cacti in the Garden (June 3, 2012)

I've become lazy about noting the first blooms on plants in the garden this year--an indication that my curiosity has been satisfied. About four years ago I began wondering how consistently plants bloom each year. I wanted to know if you could create a botanical calendar by planting the right species. I wondered if a year calculated as the date of first flowering of a given plant in two successive years was close to 365 days. With these questions in mind, I began recording the first blooms on all the plants in the garden. By doing so and collecting data, I came to the conclusion that I had thought most likely from the outset: that there is often a fairly significant difference from year to year, but a long year is usually followed by a short year, and vice versa, so that on average, plants do, in fact, calculate years close to an astronomical year.

Much has begun to flower in the past few weeks that I haven't recorded, but this morning I noticed two cacti in the garden had started to bloom and I was inspired to get out the camera. So, I record here first blooms of 2012 on the cactus Opuntia basilaris, or Beavertail Cactus (above), and on Opuntia elata, an obscure prickly pear cactus with a beautiful orange flower that appears to be native to Venezuela. The Beavertail Cactus bloomed on May 9, in 2009, May 20, in 2010, May 18, in 2011 and June 3 this year, so this is actually quite late for this plant. It has calculated years of 385, 354, and 381 days, averaging to 373 days, which is still somewhat long. Chances are good that it will bloom earlier next year. I really like the contrast between the blue-green stems of this cactus and its fuchsia-pink flowers.

Opuntia elata bloomed on June 4 in 2009, June 22 in 2011, and June 3 this year. I don't have a record for 2010 because I was in Europe that summer, but June 3 seems a typical bloom date for this plant given the past records I do have.

Plants I'm Growing: Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris) 2011

The first bloom opened today on one of the two Beavertail cacti in the garden. One is planted in a pot that sits by the driveway. The other is in the ground, recently transplanted to a a place that gets more sun than the spot I originally chose. The plant in the pot has done better. I love the look of the bright pink flowers of this plant against the blue-green stems. This plant bloomed on May 9 in 2009 and on May 29 in 2010, calculating botanical years of 385 days and 354 days, which average to 369.5 days, close to a calendar year.  

Plants I'm growing: First Blooms--Beavertail Cactus (May 29, 2010)

One of the two beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris) plants in the garden bloomed today--one in a pot, by the garage. It gets much more sun than the one in the ground on the side of the house. That plant has only two buds. The one that bloomed today has 15 (more than twice as many as last year). I think I will have to move the shaded one to a better location. This plant has beautiful magenta pink flowers that contrast with the bluish pads of the plant.

Opuntia basilaris bloomed on May 9 in 2009. A year according to this plant was therefore 385  days--another long year probably attributable to the cold and rain this year.

Plants I'm growing: First Blooms--Salvia Cacaliifolia and Opuntia Basilaris

First blooms today on Salvia cacaliifolia and Opuntia basilaris. The Opuntia is in a pot. Another one, planted in the ground below the kitchen window, has buds, but none are close to blooming yet. The potted one gets considerably more sun.

I first saw this attractive Opuntia, or prickly pear, in the area around Boulder Dam, where California, Nevada, and Arizona come together. It was early April and many of these were in bloom on rocky, well-drained slopes along the roadsides. About a year ago, I bought two pads from a specialist cactus nursery in Arizona. They rooted easily. This is the first time either of them has bloomed. As you can see from the photograph, the one in the pot is putting out new pads as well.