How can such an ordinary cactus sprout such a stupendous flower?! Sadly, the bloom only lasts one day. I used to have more than one specimen of this plant, but alas I was only able to bring one with me. At least it's flourishing as is the barrel cactus that I've had for over 25 years!The plants in the backyard are wilting from the oppressive heat. Do I sound like I don't the heat? There is a glimpse of the barren brown mountains just above the rooftops. The Tipu tree is rapidly growing; I've already pruned it. (click on the photo for a clearer view of the yard)
This month has been filled with more doctor appointments than I thought possible and there are more on the horizon plus tests including a bone density test for mom and an EEG for Stacy. I even went to a dentist for a horrific toothache; the dentist wouldn't fill the cavity that had lost it's filling because of the FM!! He claims that he's concerned about my health and wants a doctors release before doing any work. Fortunately, a person on his staff recommended a doctor who I hear is great. I needed a new doctor so I'm attempting to see this as a good thing. The appointment is in 3 days.
My daughter, SIL, and grandsons were here last weekend. The boys spent two nights with me while their parents had some R&R. The trade-off (not that I need one seeing how I love having the boys visit!) was that my SIL put in some time on Sat. and again on Monday finishing up the drip system, or at least, improving it enough to be usable! I'm still fussing with the timer setting zones and times. Sounds like I know what I'm doing; wish that were true! We decided to add onto the bedding off to the right in the photo above, but we only got as far as picking up the 20 cement bricks for the retaining wall.
I've been trying to put in at least an hour every evening in the garden. It's amazing how much work a small yard is. I have a feeling that a lot of the plants I've put in won't survive the summer; this is a "learning year," albeit an expensive one! The bougainvillea vine I planted last night wilted today. The last vine I put in did the same thing for over a week, but the temps were in the 80's then not the high 90's. This vine had been sitting in it's pot for the last two months and I should have planted it sooner; I just wasn't up to digging a hole for it. It took two days to get the hole dug for the beautiful White Madonna Bougainvillea. I've opted for white flowers on most of the vines and oleanders which I hope will be the perfect backdrop for the more colorful perennials in the foreground. I keep mulching around the roots of the more fragile plants but they're already showing signs of sunburn or heatstroke! The tomato plants required an outdoor umbrella to shade them from the intense sun. The few tomatoes we've had at least are the best I've had since I stopped going to Farmer's Markets a few years ago. I'm determined to figure out how to grow them here!
