Succulents and More™

The peak of the cactus bloom ( here and here ) is behind us, but there’s rarely a week without at least a few cactus flowers. The two below, Echinopsis  ‘June Noon’ and Echinopsis  ‘Salmon Queen’, are repeat bloomers. For ‘June Noon’, it’s the fifth wave this year. The flowers are smaller this time, probably because of our summer heat (we’re heading into another mini heat wave above the century mark). Echinopsis  ‘June Noon’ Echinopsis  ‘June Noon’ Echinopsis  ‘Salmon Queen’ ⤵   Aechmea fasciata  is blooming – always a personal highlight. It lives outside all year, suspended in a hanging basket from our Japanese maple. What started out with one plant has grown into a clump of four. Last August, the two on the left flowered ( see here ); this year, it’s the two on the right. Aechmea fasciata  flowers Aechmea fasciata  flower ⤵  Over the years, I’ve killed more desert roses (aka adeniums) than I care to remember. According to expert ...

We're in Victoria, British Columbia this week to visit our older daughter. The timing couldn't have been better. While California is sweltering in a heat wave, with temperatures in Davis above triple digits (close to 40°C), Victoria is in the low to mid-60s (15-18°C). Not only that, we've experienced more rain here in the last three days than we have at home all year! No wonder there's so much green. It's a sight for sore—or should I say dry—eyes. Here are some photos from around Victoria and Salt Spring Island where we spent a couple of days. There's a lot more to come in future posts. Inner Harbour, Victoria Parliament Building and Inner Harbour, Victoria Hornbeam trees ( Carpinus betulus ) on Government Street, Victoria My two favorite gardens in Victoria are Finnerty Gardens on the campus of the University of Victoria and Abkhazi Garden. We visited both early in our trip. I'll have separate posts in the weeks to come. Finnerty Gardens Finnerty Gardens Rh...